The Sun is Also a Star
by Nicola Yoon
This was the YA book in our Community Read initiative at the library in October. It very interesting. Though it is a YA book the themes are serious and pretty intense - themes of immigration, deportation, young love and parental/family drama.
The questions to make you fall in love, referenced in the book, were fun. I printed out a copy for David and I to go through. If you watch The Big Bang Theory the questions might look familiar. Penny and Sheldon went through them together. Here's a clip you might enjoy. :)
Today Will Be Different
by Maria Semple
This was the adult book in our Community Read initiative at the library in October. I hate to say this because I work at the library and I'm part of this initiative, but I did not care for the book. To be honest with you I didn't make it all the way through. I just couldn't. I felt that the main character was whiny and self-absorbed. I couldn't deal with that.
The Five Love Languages
by Gary Chapman
I read this many years ago but decided to go back and get a refresher. I'm so glad I did. There was great insight on how to love not only my husband, but other members of my family and friend tribe, too. David and I have been married for 13 years and we've both changed a lot in those 13 years. I love that we're ever changing but that the basis of our love stays the same. Even though the love is always there I feel that I can always improve on my love for him. I tried some new things and gained new insights that have already proven helpful in our marriage.
The Five Love Languages of Children
by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell
Though I had read The Five Love Languages before and even went back to reread them, I had never picked up this book before. It was very helpful. I've really been wanting some more parenting books and advice lately. I feel that there is so much information readily available about children ages 0-5, but after that it's not as prevalent. This was incredibly helpful for the ages my children are now. I'm on the lookout for more (good) parenting books for elementary aged kids, so if you have any recs, pass them on!
The Truth According to Us
by Annie Barrows
I technically started this back in the summer, but it has taken me forever to get through it. It's good, but it's not my go-to read when I'm bored. I had to make a concerted effort to finish this. I picked it up because it's by one of the authors of my beloved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Which, coincidentally, they're making into a movie due to come out this year.
Turtles All the Way Down
by John Green
Oh you know what a John Green fan I am. I just love the way he writes!! And this novel didn't disappoint. It went a different direction than I imagined, but once I was finished I realized I should have known John Green would focus more on the characters than the mystery or the plot line. I love the way he writes so much because of his character development and the reality he brings to these often bizarre people and their situations.
Love Lives Here
by Maria Goff
This was a recommendation made by a friend, but after reading Love Does by Bob Goff, I was very interested in reading this book by his wife. It had some very special insights that I will take with me.
The Light We Lost
by Jill Santopolo
This was an adult fiction novel that I just blew through (which is rare for me as far as adult fic is concerned). It was so moving. I don't condone many of the main character's actions, but I couldn't help empathizing with her. It was touching and sad and funny and relatable.
Strong Mothers, Strong Sons
by Meg Meeker
My mom recommended this book after I repeatedly spoke to her about some challenges Xander and I were having. It's been a HUGE help. I'm technically finished, but I will be soon.
When Breath Becomes Air
by Paul Kalanithi
I began reading this book after a recommendation from a colleague of mine. I had told her about my mom's illness and she immediately thought of this book. It took me a couple of months to pick it up, but I couldn't bring myself to read it. Then, when I found out about my aunt Cheryl's lung cancer, I immediately grabbed a copy.
It's about a young neurosurgeon/neuroscientist who gets lung cancer. He wrote this book after his diagnosis, and his wife completed it and published it after his death. I'll admit that I read Part I back in November, but had to put it down for a bit and then picked it up again at the end of December. It was so beautifully written. What an amazing man - he was a scientist, but also had a love for words and literature. That must be so rare to have someone who is great at science but who also loves language and reading. I highly recommend this book - one of my faves for the year.
Amelia Jayne and I finished the How to Train Your Dragon series. There were 12 books in the series and I think it took us about 11 months to finish them all. This is probably one of my favorite children's book series ever. Maybe not quite as much as Harry Potter, but it's a close second. And the audiobooks just make these stories come to life in an even more amazing way. I know I've said it before, but David Tenant does a phenomenal production through voice acting. Fantastic. You must try it out!!
I've also read a ton of books with Amelia Jayne. She's really into Pinkalicious, Judy Moody, and Fancy Nancy just to name a few. We also read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and started reading Wonder. That girl loves to read!! And her own reading ability is progressing quite nicely. I'm so proud of her!
Xander is really into anything that has to do with Captain Underpants, Dogman or Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I'm not in love with any of these books, but it keeps him reading. Over Christmas break, when we were in TX with his cousins, I overheard him raving about these books. When one of his cousins said he didn't like reading and that reading was dumb, Xander bravely stood up for what he likes and told him that he loved to read and that Carson just needed to find a book that he likes. I was so proud of him!!
No comments:
Post a Comment