February Reads

One star = did not like it at all

Two stars = eh, it was okay

Three stars = liked it

Four stars = really, really liked it

Five stars = absolutely loved it

1-Star (0)

2-Stars (4)

**Daily Rituals (Non-Fiction, Mason Curry)
I had high hopes for this book because it seems that everyone in the bookstagram/blogging world raves about it.  But….I was bored.  The book chronicles the daily rituals of ‘artists’ (mostly authors).  However, I had never heard of 75% of the artists in the book.  And honestly….their daily rituals were pretty boring.  (I’m not quite sure what I was expecting ha ha)

(Book, donated to LFL)

**Goodbye, Things (Non-Fiction, Fumio Sasaki)

Minimalism is HUGE right now.  And while I agree with some of the aspects of it, some people take it to the extreme (like this guy).  Not for me.

(FREE Hoopla audio book)

**The Great Gatsby (Fiction, F. Scott Fitzgerald)

Hmm.  This was a re-read.  I remember reading it in high school and really enjoying it.  I think I even read it a couple of times!  But this time….I was soooooo bored.  Nick (the narrator) was the only likeable character in the story, however the story is not about Nick.  It is about the mysterious Jay Gatsby and his obsession with his neighbor, Daisy Buchanan.  Who are both incredibly unlikable characters (in my opinion).  So while Nick was an actual character (Daisy’s cousin), he felt just completely like, well, a narrator.  A boring one at that.  I do plan to watch the movie though.  I have a couple other Fitzgerald novels on my shelf, now I’m afraid to read them!  I need to stop comparing Fitzgerald to Hemingway (who I love).  

(Book, donated to LFL)

**Magic Hour (Fiction, Kristin Hannah)

The OLD Kristin Hannah used to write mostly 'fluff', although I had heard that this one was more substantial than her other fluffy books (remember, these were all BEFORE 'The Nightengale' and 'The Great Alone').  The story was okay, but just...missing a lot.  And the ending was very abrupt.  However, I still LOVE Kristin Hannah and am glad she is not writing fluff anymore.

(Book, donated to LFL)

3-Stars (5)

***Sleep Revolution (Non-Fiction, Arianna Huffington)

This book was mostly aimed at people who get less than 7-8 hours of sleep each night BY CHOICE.  At least, that’s what I thought.  You know, people who work late, stay up late, and then get up for a 5:00 a.m. workout.  It doesn’t focus so much on people like me, who STRIVE to get 7 – 8 hours of sleep per night, but struggle to get 6 (not by choice).  However, this book still gets 3 stars because it is a wealth of information on the subject and it does contain very helpful advice about healthy sleep habits and interesting tidbits (did you know that Tom Brady goes to bed every night at 8:30?)  I look forward to reading her other book on my shelf (Thrive).

(Book, donated to LFL)

***I Let You Go (Fiction, Claire Mackintosh)

I picked up this book at the Dallas Airport on my way to Memphis in December.  This is one of those books where halfway through you’re hit with a ‘WHATTTTTTT’ moment.  And I like that.  It’s a mystery, but not like a ‘who done it’ kind of mystery.  A little fluffy at times, but I still enjoyed it.

(Book, donated to LFL)

***Brain on Fire (Non-Fiction, Susannah Cahalan)

This one was good.  What I got from it is that you MUST be your own advocate when it comes to your health.  And if you don’t have the mental capacity to do so, then your family must step up.  Susannah’s parents fought for her and would not just ‘accept’ the countless misdiagnoses she had been given.  And because they did, she got the correct diagnosis and the correct treatment.

(Book, donated to LFL)

***The Year of Less (Non-Fiction, Cait Flanders)

This is a memoir of sorts about a Canadian woman who stopped shopping, gave away 70% of her stuff, lived on less than half of her income, and basically changed her whole life in one year.  But it was substantial…she had a big drinking problem (that’s where most of her money was going) and she tackles that, eating, relationship issues, etc.  I enjoyed it, she was very REAL about her struggles.

(FREE Hoopla audio book)

***Commonwealth (Fiction, Ann Patchett)

Ann Patchett is just an EXCELLENT writer.  Bel Canto, Run, State of Wonder….oh….State of Wonder was SO GOOD.  Commonwealth….not my favorite by her.  However, I still gave it 3 stars just for the writing and for the first chapter alone.  In the first chapter she describes a party in Southern California in 1964 so incredibly vividly that I could almost taste the oranges and gin.  But…..the story was kind of all over the place for me and there were a LOT of people to keep track of.  Basically, the book follows 6 adult children that are step-siblings as a result of a single incident that happened at the above mentioned party.  So while I wasn’t captivated by this book (as I was her others), it’s still a three star read for me because of her phenomenal story-telling skills.

(Book, donated to LFL)

4-Stars (2)

 ****Beartown (Fiction, Fredrik Backman)

I've only ever read one other book by Backman, A Man Called Ove.  I liked it okay, but it was nothing earth-shattering.  I've heard the same about his other books as well, with one exception:  Beartown.  Now....I'll just say this now....this book has some swearing.  And some other things (think....high school boys locker room talk).  Triggers galore.  Which is why I didn't give it five stars.  The whole time I was reading it, I just kept thinking, this CAN'T be the same author that wrote A Man Called Ove!  His writing is AMAZING.  There were so many times that I wish I had my highlighter on me so I could highlight some passages.  

The premise of the book is a small Norwegian or Danish town (it doesn't really specify) that lives/breathes/dies hockey.  And then a tragedy occurs that puts everything and everyone in jeopardy.  There is LOADS of hockey stuff in the book, but you do NOT have to know a lot about hockey to enjoy this book.  I am a 'hockey wife' (meaning...we subscribe to the NHL Network and when the Blackhawks are playing, they trump all other television programs.)  I know more about hockey than I ever thought I would.  But, again, you don't need to know about hockey to enjoy this book.  It was amazing.  I look forward to his next one.

(Book, keeper)

****A Simplified Life (Non-Fiction, Emily Ley)

I enjoy books about housekeeping, simplifying, etc.  This one was nice because it's actually kind of a workbook as well.  Although I didn't fill anything in, I did highlight some things that I thought were great tips.  It's a very easy read.

(Book, keeper)

5-Stars (2)

*****I Could Chew On This (Non-Fiction, Francesco Marciuliano)

This was a fantastically quirky book that my brother and sister-in-law sent me.  It's a book of poems written from a dog's perspective.  It was laugh out loud funny.  The poems would start off all serious and you would think that they were going to make you cry and be sad, but then all of the sudden they took a turn and were hilarious.  It was brilliant!

(Book, keeper)

*****The Little Grumpy Cat That Wouldn't (Fiction, Little Golden Book)

This one was one that my sister sent me.  It was fantastic because the Little Grumpy Cat was of course grumpy throughout the whole thing and you think that by the end she will become happy or something but she doesn't!  Which makes it fantastic.  The Little Grumpy Cat remains the Little Grumpy Cat.  Awesome!

(Book, keeper)

Total Books Read:  13 (6 fiction, 7 non-fiction)

Formats

E-Books: 0

Audio Hoopla: 2

Audio CD: 0

Real Books:  11 

Abandoned books: 0

I was actually surprised that I didn't get through more books this month, especially because of my surgery and down-time.  But it turns out that the first week and a half after my surgery I was still taking my pain killers and I was drowsy and just wanted to watch TV.  I actually think that next month my count will be higher.  I am off work the rest of this week and all of next week as well, so I plan to make a dent in that library stack I picked up!