The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

The subtitle of this book is: "Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun."

This author spent a year with the intent on becoming happier. Every month, she chose a certain area of life (Parenting, Love, etc.) and listed specific resolutions that would increase her happiness (Laugh more. Exercise more. Remember birthdays.)

Overall, I liked this book. BUT it made me tired. So much doing, doing, doing. What I learned about myself from this book is that there are things that make me happy (basically reading and hanging out with my cats)...and why don't I do these more?? I also learned that REST makes me happy.

So this book made me tired, but it also did make me think more about my own life, how happy (or unhappy) I am, and what I could do about it. For me, I would probably only pick a couple of resolutions for the entire year (like: Read more.).

This book is good food for thought.

The Council of Dads: My Daughters, My Illness, and the Men Who Could Be Me by Bruce Feiler

The author discovers that he has a cancerous growth in his leg and begins a year of chemotherapy and surgery. With an uncertain prognosis, he is confronted with the fact that he may die, leaving his three-year-old twin girls without a father. He sets out to create a Council of Dads, a group of male friends from his life that could impart fatherly wisdom and guidance should need be.

The chronicling of the author’s year of medical treatment and the effects on him and his family were touching, but the descriptions of each guy friend were more blurry and forgettable.

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

I am on a Gabrielle Zevin kick. I have one more book of hers to read.
This one falls under that Young Adult category which is a category of books that I think is underappreciated by adults.

Naomi is in high school when she falls down some stairs and suffers a brain injury causing her to forget the last four years of her life. She begins to rediscover who she is and the people around her. Because she has forgotten who and what has meant something to her, she gets a fresh chance to figure things out.

I appreciate the author’s clear, crisp writing. This book was good, but not outstanding. Pleasant and thoughtful.

A quote that I liked:
“Maybe this was just life? One orphaning after the next. They should tell you when you’re born: have a suitcase heart, be ready to travel.”

Margarettown by Gabrielle Zevin

This is the story of N. and he meets Margaret while they are both in school. He goes and meets her family who all have variations of the name Margaret - but is this real? We essentially meet Margaret in all stages of her life.

This is a very unusual book. It's a girl-meet-boy story, but fable like too. I wasn't really sure what was real and what was imaginary. It's the story of a life and a story of a marriage.

I would mildly recommend this, but it was kinda confusing too, so I had to hold it pretty loosely in my mind.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

I was so excited to read this book because I happened to watch the first five minutes of the movie and it was SO funny!!

I was disappointed though.

This wimpy kid is really just an annoying young fella.

I won't be reading the rest in this series.