2016 Reading Round Up

Thanks for reading my blog this year! I hope I've put some fun books on your radar screen!

Again, I always appreciate your book recommendations.

I hope that you and your family have a happy holiday season. And that you have lots of good books to read. 

As I always do at the end of the year, I thought about all of the books I read this past year and my reading experiences, and here are the most notable.
 

Most Favorite Fiction of 2016:

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

This book consumed me. Loved everything about it, except for the loss of limbs.

Most Surprising Read:

My Life in France by Julia Child
I had no idea that this book was going to be SO good. Thanks to Grace for lending me her copy for years until I finally read it. :)

Other Favorite Fiction of the Year:

One Day by David Nicholls
I read this back in 2012, and again during the summer of 2016. Loved it both times.

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

Love Sittenfeld's writing, and love Jane Austen. And it's set in Cincinnati. I think it's the first book I've read set in Cincinnati.

By the way, have you heard of the card game, Marrying Mr. Darcy? It's a Pride and Prejudice role playing game! Just played it with Boomer the other night and looking forward to playing it with a bigger group of people. 

The Assistants by Camille Perri

 A super-fast one day kind of read.

Book That Changed My Home: 

The Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith
My house looks different after reading this book. More quirky, plus I have a picture of Abraham Lincoln in the entry way now.

Most Ambitious Reading Experience:

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
A very intense reading experience because of the subject matter and the looming library due date

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance

It's the end of 2016, and I have a bunch of books I need to write posts about so I can close out this reading year! So I'll make this short!






This, along with being a riveting memoir, is an examination of the culture of poor, white Americans.

If you've wondered how Trump was elected, this book will probably be of interest to you. I encourage you to read it!

A Re-read - Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed

I first read Tiny Beautiful Things back in October 2012. (You can read my first review of it here.) 

Since then, I've also been listening to the Dear Sugar podcast that Cheryl Strayed hosts with Steve Almond. If you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend it. It's one of my favorite podcasts. They answer letters together on a whole range of topics.

I felt like it was time again to read Tiny Beautiful Things. Once again, I read this book very slowly. The way that Strayed responds to these letter writers seeking advice is so brilliant and emotionally truthful.

Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic For a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living by Shauna Niequist

I have one friend back from my college days who I've heard others describe as "very efficient." She is! She gets things done! And she makes it look easy!

I thought of her often as I read this book because sometimes I wonder how happy she is under all of the efficiency, busyness, and running around.

In this book, Niequist shares her journey going from being busy and disconnected to slowing down and being okay with more mess so that she could be more present with herself, life, and her family.

Short essay-like chapters make this book easy to ready slowly so you can savor it. 

Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo

The premise of this book is so sad. Raymie Clarke's dad has run off with a dental hygienist. She believes that if she wins the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, her picture will be in the newspaper, her dad will see her, and he'll come home.

So she enrolls in a baton twirling class. She meets two other girls who are also dealing with their own things, and they all become friends.

Sad and touching.

Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You by Peter Cameron

James is eighteen and living in Manhattan. His parents are divorced, and he's decided that college is not for him.

I loved James' take on the world and his observations about life.

Excellent, unassuming, and super easy to read.

Podcasts about Reading

I love listening to podcasts while I am cutting vegetables or hanging out the laundry. Today, I wanted to share a couple of my favorite podcasts that are about reading.

What Should I Read Next is hosted by Anne Bogel of Modern Mrs. Darcy. She talks with folks about their favorite books along with what books they've hated. Based on that information, she recommends three books that they should read next. From this podcast, I've heard about a lot of books that were not on my radar screen. It's also helped me define more for myself what I like and what I don't. The episode with Gretchen Rubin (episode 52) and children's literature was especially noteworthy.

The Babysitter's Club Club is hosted by two friends, Jack and Tanner. They are reading through the Babysitter's Club series chronologically and each week they talk about one book. Listening to men in their 30s talk about this series that I adored when I was in the fifth and sixth grade is super amusing. They take the books very seriously and discuss the themes they see. Laugh out loud funny. But language warning here if you have sensitive ears.

Black and Blue Magic by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

In my quest of "gentle reading," I've been picking up more books from the Young Adult and Junior Reading sections of the library.

I heard about Black and Blue Magic when Gretchen Rubin was on Modern Mrs. Darcy's podcast.
(It's episode 52.)

Harry Marco thinks that it's going to be another boring summer until a mysterious traveling salesman moves into his family's boarding house. Magical, adventurous, and sweet.

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

This was the most ambitious reading I've done in 2016.

Team of Rivals is a 754 page book. I checked it out from the library mistakenly thinking that I could renew it twice, and that would give me nine weeks to finish it. No problem!

Well, four days before the first due date, I tried to renew it, and whoops, there was a hold on it so I couldn't renew. I had read 120 pages. 634 pages to go.

I wanted to finish it because this was a couple of weeks after the presidential election here in the United States. I was finding so many parallels and differences between the politics and leadership of Lincoln and what is going on here right now.

So I went into turbo reading mode. Yes, I pounded out 634 pages in four days. And this was not easy Nicholas Sparks on the beach reading. This was heavy, dense history reading.

Yes, heavy and dense, but so intriguing! Lincoln appointed all of his rivals to his cabinet because he wanted the best and brightest and smartest men leading and serving the country with him. He did what he thought was best for the country. These were not men who had been loyal to him or supportive of him. But they were the smartest, and so Lincoln wanted to be surrounded by them.

I learned so much about Lincoln and the nuances and the human costs of the Civil War.

Highly recommended if you're interested in Lincoln, the Civil War, or tired of hearing about politics in the US (isn't that all of us?).

Table Manners: How to Behave in the Modern World and Why Bother by Jeremiah Tower

"The most important thing to know about manners is that they're not about you. The more you think about those around you and the less you think about yourself, the more likely you are to behave well. And the better you behave, the more likely you are to be invited back" (p. 137).

It has happened more than once now that I've been at dinner parties where everyone (except me - no data on my phone, whoops!) is on their phone. I've looked around, wondering if anyone wanted to have a conversation, but no, so I just focused on eating my food.

Tower addresses cell phone and social media use in the chapter on Techiquette. Thank you! I am now wondering if I should use a basket at the front door to collect cell phones when friends come over. Think they will comply?

Tower also discusses all sorts of manners when it comes to hosting, being a guest, and eating out at a restaurant.

If you need a refresher course on manners, this is a sweet, little book that will get you up to speed.

The Fall Guy by James Lasdun

Matthew joins his cousin, Charlie and Charlie's wife for the summer in their mountain house. Charlie's family is wealthy, and Matthew is just barely making it. As the summer goes on, Matthew learns a secret about Charlie's family and struggles with knowing what to do with it.

Suspenseful and creepy, but just a so-so read for me.

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

My favorite Ann Patchett book is her nonfiction, Truth and Beauty.

Commonwealth is fiction and about a blended family. One of the daughters marries a famous author who then uses her family as the topic of his next book.

Readable, but only a so-so read for me.

QB: My Life Behind the Spiral by Steve Young

Ah, my beloved 49ers, will it ever be fun to watch you guys play again? How long will this miserable, painful playing go on? The only upside to how you're playing this season is that in my football pool, I've been picking whatever team you're up against and so I've been doing fairly well (ranked #7 out of 25!).

I grew up with the 49ers of the 80s and 90s. So I seriously believed that the 49ers were supposed to be in the Super Bowl almost every year and just the team they played against changed. In my eight-year-old mind, I really didn't understand that not every team makes it to the post-season because the 49ers always made it to the play-offs. And that's just how the world worked, right?

How we've fallen since then! (Although congrats to my favorite player, kicker Phil Dawson on his 400th field goal!)

Okay, onto the book. This is written by Steve Young, one of the 49ers greatest quarterbacks! I heard Steve Young being interviewed on NPR and he sounded like a smart, thoughtful guy. (You can listen to the NPR interview here.) I had no idea that he struggled with intense anxiety during his playing years. I immediately requested his book from the library.

This book was super personal, thoughtful, and candid. He talks about some of his regrets, his struggles, his Mormon faith, and what life is like for him after football. Young was an excellent quarterback, but he is also a man of integrity and he sounds pretty self-aware. I also appreciate that he de-stigmatizes anxiety and discusses various ways that anxiety can be treated and managed.

If you're not really a fan of football, you probably won't like this book because there's a lot of descriptions of the games (explained in very concise ways though) and so a basic understanding of football would be helpful. But if you love football, and even better, if you love the 49ers (as hard as that is right now!), this book might be right up your alley.

People Who Knew Me by Kim Hooper

A question I am sometimes asked is, "How do you decide what to read?" I mostly find book recommendations via blogs (Modern Mrs. Darcy), fellow bookworms (Grace, Rebecca), and bestseller lists. However, sometimes I just browse the New Book section at the library and pick up anything that catches my eye. This is how I found People Who Knew Me.

Emily married young, and finds herself pregnant while her marriage is in crisis. Then, September 11th happens and she takes the opportunity to start a brand new life for herself.

Very readable and original. However, there were some details that were left unanswered that made the story less plausible (how did she change her name? attain the proper documents to work again? social security number? etc.) so that detracted from the book.

Overall, interesting but with some holes.

Jennifer, Hecate, MacBeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth by E.L. Konigsburg

There's been lots going on in our home, in our hearts, and in our nation, and so I have found myself rejecting all books that deal with intense subject matter (i.e. slavery, sexual abuse, discrimination, death - might I add a big thank you to Grace who so graciously warned me not to read a book in which a dog dies!).

Instead, I am seeking out what I am calling "gentle reading."

One of my favorite childhood books is E.L. Konigsburg's From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, but I haven't really read any of her other books. I found this one in our neighborhood Little Library and it definitely falls under the category of "gentle reading."

Elizabeth decides to become an apprentice witch to Jennifer. The back cover reads, "It was all great, until the day they started to make flying ointment."

This is the story of elementary school friendship, witches and apprentices. A fun easy reading book, gentle on the heart, and whimsical.

The Smart One by Jennifer Close

I really enjoyed Jennifer Close's Girls in White Dresses (I reviewed it last week). It was super clever.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same about The Smart One. Sorry, I can't even bring myself to expend the energy to even come up with a concise summary for you because that was the problem of this book - there were enough characters and plots for about four different novels. So, I recommend trying out Girls in White Dresses if you want, but feel free to skip this one. :(

Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close

Remember your 20s when all of your friends were dating and getting engaged? And you were invited to five weddings during the summer? And crazy dates? Once, I was set up on a blind coffee date. The guy cancelled at the last minute because he said he was hooked up to an IV drip. I didn't hear from him again. I hope he's okay.

Girls in White Dresses will take you right back to your 20s with all the details of that season of life. It follows three main characters, Isabella, Mary and Lauren. The book is cohesive, yet told in what seems like a series of short stories.

Super smart, spot-on, wry, and hilarious because its very accurate descriptions ring so true.

Loner by Teddy Wayne

David Federman is a freshman at Harvard when he meets the beautiful Veronica Morgan Wells. He instantly becomes so infatuated with her that he is willing to do anything to get her attention.

This book was so disturbing. I could not put it down. If you've ever been stalked before, this book will feel familiar. Yucky! Disturbing but fascinating, and really well done in capturing the ick of stalking.

The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close

Beth and Matt are a young couple living in Washington, D.C. Matt is an ambitious lawyer with political ambitions, and Beth agrees to follow him so that he can pursue his dreams.

A very clever look into marriage and ambitions, and the toll it takes on a couple. Juicy, riveting, and smart.

Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton

Glennon Doyle Melton has written before about her recovery from alcoholism and bulimia. (Check out my review of her earlier book here. I think it was a good book, I just didn't read it at the right time.) Love Warrior adds another chapter in which she finds out about her husband's infidelities.

This is a raw, painful read, but there is redemption. Both Glennon and her husband work hard on themselves and their marriage in order to reconnect. I think that many, many women and men out there dealing with infidelity and sex addiction will find hope and encouragement in reading this book. 

Jane-Emily by Patricia Clapp

Jane is nine years old and Louisa is her aunt. They are both invited to spend the summer at Jane's grandmother's house in Massachusetts. Jane senses the presence of Emily, her grandmother's long-ago deceased daughter.

This is one spooky and creepy Young Adult novel. Perfect for preparing for Halloween. But not great for reading when you're home alone.

Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala

I was living in Asia and getting ready to travel down to Thailand when the tsunami hit on December 26, 2004. So I remember the time and the devastation and the news about it all. However, this is the first book that I've read on the tsunami and its aftermath. It is harrowing. Sonali lost her parents, husband, and two sons in the tsunami. She writes about her survival and life in the years following. So much shock, grief, and loss. Not a lighthearted read by any means.

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue

Jende is an immigrant from Cameroon living in New York City. He works as a driver for a rich Wall Street executive. But as he gets to know more about the family he drives for, and as his wife gets involved when she's hired as a summer assistant for the family, secrets come to light. Is it his place to say something?

Behold the Dreamers circles around the dilemmas that come with ethics, morals, integrity, immigration, the haves and have-nots, and the secrets that go on in families.

I stayed up late finishing this book. It slowed down in the last third of the book, but the rest went along at a pretty fast clip.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Lo is a travel writer on board a luxury cruise ship. In the middle of the night, she hears a scream and the thud of a human body falling into the ocean. She alerts security, but no one is found missing on the ship. Was it just because she'd been drinking too much? Is she going crazy?

A kinda thriller of a read, but just so-so, in my opinion.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

The real-life cold blood murder of a family in the dead of night. Who would kill the kind and hardworking Cutter family?

This true story reads like fiction. My only mistake in reading this is that I took it on vacation with me, and please trust me on this, this does not fall under fun vacation reading.

Izanami's Choice by Adam Heine

Izanami's Choice is a short book that can be easily read in one sitting. It's a combination of robots, samurais, Meiji-era Japan, with some murder and detective investigation as well. Who is good and who is bad and what's really going on? Totally not in the genre that I usually read, but it still had me reading and guessing about what was gonna happen.

This book is written by Boomer's friend, Adam. Adam and his wife live in Thailand with their ten amazing children. Adam invited us over for dinner twice when we were in Thailand a few years back. It was so fun. They have lovely family dinners together, and a very large rice cooker. 

So proud of Adam and looking forward to reading more of his writing!

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts I and II by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany

Boomer and I have our own copies of the Harry Potter series. So we should have thought more carefully about how we were going to read this play. I brought it home (note: we only checked out one copy, Boomer should have checked out his own copy) from the library and Boomer started reading it and started making bug eyes, gasping, and saying, "Oh my gosh!!" I had to tell him that if he was going to read it first, then no noises, facial expressions, or comments were allowed! So in order to not let this come between us, Boomer decided that I should read it first and then he would read it. Thanks, Boomer!

It only took me several hours to read it, and boy was it fun! We meet up with Harry Potter as an adult and father to three children.

I liked it! I would love to see it on stage sometime. I liked the characters, the twists, and the follow-up on some of the characters I loved in the Harry Potter series.

The Truth About Style by Stacy London

If I've talked to you in the last year, I've probably told you about Stitch Fix and how it has refreshed my wardrobe with some new, interesting pieces. It has also showed me what kind of clothes I gravitate toward and how to push myself out of my comfort zone just slightly. I wear a lot more color these days, and a lot more stripes. I also don't go shopping that much at all. I've found Stitch Fix to be especially helpful in finding dresses for special occasions. (If you want to try it out, here's my referral code.)

I've also read some books on style this year, and this is the latest one. In Stacy London's book, she writes about her own history with accepting her body and finding her own style along with helping eight very different women refresh their look. She writes about accepting your body and learning to show up and be seen! Inspiring and quite practical as well. I appreciate how she writes about aging and having fun and not fighting it.

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley

A private plane from Martha's Vineyard heading to New York crashes into the ocean and the only survivors are a four-year-old boy and a painter. Who was on the plane and why? Why did it crash?

I heard a lot of hype about this book in blogs and podcasts. However, I found myself feeling kinda hum-drum about it.

Truly Guilty Madly by Liane Moriarty

I'm a big fan of Moriarty's book The Husband's Secret, but things get kinda out of hand with Moriarty's latest. The story revolves around a set of neighbors and friends who gather at an impromptu backyard BBQ where something goes horribly wrong. What goes wrong? Well, it's hinted at and skirted around for a couple of hundred pages. This definitely tested my patience.

Entertaining, but a bit too much with the endless foreshadowing and hint dropping. I would start with The Husband's Secret instead.

One Day by David Nicholls

Packing for a trip is challenging for me. One of the most challenging parts is deciding which books to bring. Yes, I still prefer reading a real book as opposed to reading books on my phone. Should I bring one book or two? Do I want to bring a book I've never read before? What if it turns out to be a dud? What if I run out of books to read?

Another piece to this complexity is that I don't bring library books on vacation with me in case I lose it (but have I ever lost a book before? Never.) so I bring a book that own, but I don't own many books that I haven't read before.....and so it goes. I also like to discard the books I've read as I go along on my vacation, so it has to be a book I'm willing to leave behind. Oh yah, and then Boomer reminds me that we can always stop by a bookstore.

As I was thinking ahead about a recent trip, I found One Day in the local Little Free Library and borrowed it even though I read it back in 2012. (I loved it the first time - read my first review here.) It was a great pick. I loved it yet again and had forgotten some of the plot points. I left it behind in an RV park in southern Oregon, so I am hoping that another traveler will pick it up and enjoy it.

The Gastronomy of Marriage by Michelle Maisto

Even though graduate school is now way behind me, I still look at back-to-school ads with such relief and relish. I am not in the market for a backpack! Or pens! Or binders! I will not be starting new classes this fall! Oh yah, and I don't have homework tonight.

I also think about how great it is to not be a student when I wander around the library just picking up whatever fun books I might want to try. A life without required reading has so much room for pleasure reading.

All this to say that I was just poking around the library when I came across The Gastronomy of Marriage.

This was such a sweet book. Maisto lives with her boyfriend in New York City. She tracks the progress of their relationship and their engagement. She also writes about the role that food and cooking plays in their relationship. 

I think she's right - food plays a not-insignificant role in a relationship. Who cooks? Who does the dishes? Who is trying to gain/lose weight? Who does the grocery shopping? Back in my dating days, I learned quite a bit of information about guys by the way they approached food, leftovers, eating in restaurants, and cooking. 

Maisto seems very amiable and friendly. I am curious if she has written more because I'd love to hear what she's up to now and more of her thoughts on food and marriage.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I love that some of my friends are fellow readers so that we can exchange book recommendations. It is extra special when one of my relatives is a reader, and so I appreciate my sister-in-law lending me her copy of Cinder. It's a book I wouldn't have chosen for myself.

Cinder is a cyborg living in New Beijing in a time of disease and political upheaval. Her stepmother hates her. But does Cinder hold the secret for healing? An interesting twist on Cinderella and science fiction.

There are three other books in the series and while I liked Cinder enough, I'm noticing that I'm not rushing to find the next one. I might borrow the next one if I happen to come across it though.

Thanks, Lizzie, for this recommendation!

How to Be Here by Rob Bell

The subtitle is: A Guide to Creating a Life Worth Living. How enticing is that!
This short, concise book packs a big punch. Bell writes about how to figure out why you're here and how to find your purpose. Sounds big and daunting, but Bell breaks it down into easily digestible and practical chunks.

Amy G., if you're reading this, I think you would really appreciate this book!

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

Jessie moves to a new school in Los Angeles and receives an anonymous email from "Somebody/Nobody" asking if she'd like some pointers and tips about the school and the social scene. Of course, she would. She's moved from Chicago to Los Angeles, has a new stepmother, and is still adjusting to life without her mom who died two years ago.

Oh my gosh, I could have used some guidance from an anonymous friend in junior high and high school.

A solid read, but not enough for me to rave about.

Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe

I wouldn't describe myself as a Rob Lowe fan, but after reading his autobiography, I definitely have some respect for him. As he writes about his teen star years and his wild 20s, I can tell that he has done some psychological work (and he has done this in rehab and also in weekly group therapy) about what has shaped him and his decisions. It's this thoughtfulness and reflection that I appreciated most about his story.

Also, near the end of the book, Lowe tells the sweetest story about his son, Johnowen, giving his beloved frog stuffed animal to President Clinton. Super sweet.

In Memory of Bread: A Memoir by Paul Graham

At age thirty-six, Graham is diagnosed with celiac disease. He loves beer and bread and this makes eating gluten-free even more challenging. His wife voluntarily chooses to eat gluten-free as well (wow!) so they work together to find substitutes for bread and baked goods. His friends start keeping gluten-free products at their houses too so that they can feed him when he visits. That is true friendship. :)

Graham's writing was very easy to read. I appreciated that he wrote about how eating gluten-free affected his physical health, social experience, identity, and his mental health as well.


After reading the more science based books that I wrote about earlier this week, it was a nice break to read a memoir about the practical realities of eating gluten free. 

Why We Get Fat and What to Do About it by Gary Taubes

In the Introduction, Taubes is upfront. He basically writes that if you want to lose weight, don't eat carbs. If you don't want to read the book, that pretty much sums up the rest of the book.

I tried reading this book awhile ago but it didn't take, but it wasn't until I was seriously trying to figure out how to change my diet that I was drawn into this book. Surprisingly accessible, practical, and readable.

Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health by William Davis

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was doing some research and making some changes to address a medical issue. This week, I will write about the books that I've read so far.

In Wheat Belly Diet, Davis discusses the history of wheat and how the wheat we eat today is significantly different from the wheat of thousands and thousands of years ago. He writes extensively about how our body processes the modern day wheat and how eliminating wheat can affect health. The last chapters include his Wheat Belly Diet Plan (basically eliminating carbs and sugar) and some recipes.

This book would have been much easier to read if it didn't have a picture of a bagel stack on it. I LOVE bagels, so every time I picked up this book, I was reminded that if I tried this diet, I would no longer be able to eat bagels. Suggestion to the publisher for the next edition? Try a new cover without bagels on it!! Thanks!

Meternity by Meghann Foye

Okay, this is the last of the fun summer reads for awhile.

Liz Buckley is sick and tired of being given extra work and being expected to stay late just because she's the single, non-mother employee. So she decides to fake a pregnancy so that she can take maternity leave and then leave her job.

Again, another chic-lit looking book that has some depth to it as it examines expectations of mothers and child-free women, and how we all need to intentionally choose what we want for ourselves.

Very fun and thoughtful at the same time. 





Next up for next week: I'm moving away from these fun summer books to post about some of the lifestyle/health/diet books that I've been reading.

The Singles Game by Lauren Weisberger

By the same author as The Devil Wears Prada, The Singles Game takes place in the world of professional women's tennis.

I read The Singles Game in a single day. It was quick and smart. However, it was also a repeat of The Devil Wears Prada just played out on the tennis court.

First Comes Love by Emily Giffen

Last week, I wrote about a couple of fun summer reads. Wait up, because I have several more!

If you're looking for another fun summer read, I present First Comes Loves as an option.

It looks like a lighthearted chic-lit book based on the cover, but it actually has some deeper themes as it follows a family and the grief of each of its members after the teenage son dies in a car accident. We pick up with the Garland family fifteen years after their son/brother dies and we see how they have grieved and how their grief has influenced their life choices.

Fun, smart, but also with some meat.