The Books I've Been Reading

Last year I read a little over a book a month. So when I just realized I've already read six books this year, I felt a little surge of pride and if you thought a pat on the back was in order, you would be right.

A mix-mash of new and old, here are the six books I've plowed through these past two months:

1. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: This book was, in one word, life-changing. While we haven't been able to put all of Kondo's suggestions into practice yet because of our state of limbo, we've made a good start. Some of the things she suggests, like unpacking your purse every single night, getting rid of your books, and drying your dishes out on the back porch, will never, ever happen in my life time, but the deeper message of this book really resonated with me. I strive to live a simpler life, to not be bogged down with stuff, and clutter, and junk, and Kondo has given me the courage and the confidence that I can achieve a more minimalist life and still be happy. Actually, she promises life will be better. Worthy of a read my friends! And probably worthy of it's own blog post since I could talk about this book all. day. long.

2. One More Thing (Stories and More Stories): My book club pick for this year. A quick, mostly witty, and humorous read, although I fear a lot of it would be lost on people who aren't fans of, or don't know who, BJ Novak is. Perfect before-bed reading as you can get in a short story or two before passing out.

3. Horns: Another book club read and definitely not a book I would have chosen to read on my own. I'm happy to report this book wasn't scary like I originally had anticipated. It was just the right amount of creepy, but there was also a lot of depth to the characters and some parts were quite sad. An unexpected read to say the least.

4. Where'd You Go, Bernadette: The best book out of this bunch. Written in the form of emails and letters, this book was all kinds of funny and my only regret is that I didn't read it sooner. Bernadette is a hoot and I wish we could be friends in real life. Actually, all the characters, even the more annoying ones, were great. If you haven't read this one yet, fix that asap!

5. Fifty Shades of Grey: I'm not even embarrassed to admit I'm reading this series right now. Also, late to the game is clearly my middle name. Buuuuuut, when these books first came out, I took a stand and said I would never read them. Never say never. There's nothing worse than an uneducated opinion, and that goes for classy books like this one too! How could I ever have an opinion on these books if I hadn't actually read them? So call it education, call it curiosity, I don't care, because guess what? I kind of enjoyed this book. Enough to be reading the second one right now. Haters gonna hate.

6. Wild: I probably wouldn't have read this book, but my mom gave it to me for Christmas and then all of a sudden the movie was out and I wanted to see the movie, but I have this thing where I have to read the book before the movie. Except, this book is a dense read and I ended up seeing the movie before I finished the book. Both, in my opinion, were excellent, but the book fills in all of the interesting details that the movie just can't include. Strayed's journey is worthy of telling and it's amazing and inspiring that she did what she did (that would be, hiked the PCT, in case you know nothing about this book), while also being a beautiful homage to her mother. Can you imagine, hiking as a young woman, all alone during a time when modern day conveniences weren't around: no cell phones, no internet, no computers, literally no connection to anyone or anything unless you physically crossed their path on the trail or were lucky enough to have a letter from someone waiting for you at one of the camps every few hundred miles?! I can't.

Up next:

Three Souls and Fifty Shades Darker.

What are you reading right now? What's the best book you've read so far this year? I never tire of hearing recommendations!