15 in '15 August Update

I am officially done the 15 in '15 list! Whoo hoo! I always enjoy creating this list (well this and the '14 list haha), it's a great way for me to read some books that have been in my "To Read" pile for a while and I find that it also motivates me to read more. 

Clan of the Cave Bear

This month I "read" Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel. I attempted to physically read the book and got 3 pages in and gave up. It was just too descriptive for my taste, but Dave's grandmother gave me this book and raved about how much she loves it, so I felt like it was important to attempt to finish it. To do that, I rented the audio book from the library, and I'm so glad I did. I would have never gotten through the book trying to read it, but the descriptiveness of the story lent to a really great audio book. 

Clan of the Cave Bear tells the story of Ayla, an "other" who looks and sounds like a modern day human (as much as you can for someone from the very distant past) and her interactions with a clan of people who are the more traditional cavemen that we think of. Auel clearly spent a copious amount of time researching cave people for this story, and that lends to a very very interesting read. I learned so much more about cavemen from reading this one book than I've learned in school. However, there are times when the book reads like a textbook, for example, she lists different plants in ridiculous detail. Let's just say there were a few times that I skipped a track or ten. But with all that aside, the story was very enjoyable and I definitely recommend picking it up, but I would recommend audio versus regular book.  

Here's the complete list (links will go to the post that I wrote about the book):

1. Sharp Objects

2. TV Gods
3. A Discovery of Witches
4. The Thousand Dollar Tan Line
5. The Serpent of Venice
6. I Don't Know What You Know Me From
7. Big Fish
8. Orange is the New Black
9. American Gods
10. Dead Until Dark
11. The Great Gatsby
12. The Glass Castle
13. Pride and Prejudice
14. Insurgent
15. The Clan of the Cave Bear
16. Paddle Your Own Canoe

I'm on Goodreads, if you'd like to add me.

15 in '15 July Update

Another month down, another book read off the list. There's just one book left, I tried to read it this past week but between my grandma passing and this book being very descriptive I had a hard time concentrating so I ordered the audio book from the library to help me get through it. Normally I wouldn't go through all these measures to try and read a book but Dave's mom-mom really wants me to read it so we can talk about it together so I'm going to give it more effort. 

This month I finished The Great Gatsby. 

I can't believe it took me this long in life to read it. I normally am not a fan of classic books but I really enjoyed this one. Not only was it a quick read but the story was very interesting and timeless. It was neat to see how the 20s were portrayed but also to see how the story could still be relevant in the present. This is definitely a must read if you haven't gotten around to it. 

Here's the complete list (links will go to the post that I wrote about the book):

1. Sharp Objects

2. TV Gods
3. A Discovery of Witches
4. The Thousand Dollar Tan Line
5. The Serpent of Venice
6. I Don't Know What You Know Me From
7. Big Fish
8. Orange is the New Black
9. American Gods
10. Dead Until Dark
11. The Great Gatsby
12. The Glass Castle
13. Pride and Prejudice
14. Insurgent
15. The Clan of the Cave Bear
16. Paddle Your Own Canoe

I would love to hear about what you read this month!

I'm on Goodreads, if you'd like to add me.

15 in '15 June Update

Books have been pretty comforting to me this month, among other things. I read three books off this list, plus a few others. There's only two books left to read on the 15 in '15 list, and I'm reading The Great Gatsby now so we should be done any month now!

Orange is the New Black

I love the TV show and many friends warned me that the book was nothing like the show and that they didn't enjoy it as much as the show. Going in with those expectations I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the book too, albeit not as much as the show. Memoirs that read like a story instead of smaller chapters often become a bore to me but the way this was written it was a quick and enjoyable read. Treat the book separate from the show and I think you'll enjoy it too!

Dead Until Dark

Another show I really loved (barring the last few seasons), I did like this book but I'm pretty sure if I read it prior to watching the show I probably wouldn't have. It's not that its a  bad book or a terrible story, it's just not what I typically enjoy. Being able to replay scenes from the first season in my head while I read this took me back to the show that I enjoyed so much. 

The Glass Castle

I'm not going to lie, I'm not sure how I feel about this book. So many of my friends loved this book and I walked away just feeling "meh". What Walls' parents did was so atrocious and it was hard to believe that anyone would allow that. I still would recommend this book to others, it is a unique memoir to read. 

Here's the complete list (links will go to the post that I wrote about the book):

1. Sharp Objects

2. TV Gods
3. A Discovery of Witches
4. The Thousand Dollar Tan Line
5. The Serpent of Venice
6. I Don't Know What You Know Me From
7. Big Fish
8. Orange is the New Black
9. American Gods
10. Dead Until Dark
11. The Great Gatsby
12. The Glass Castle
13. Pride and Prejudice
14. Insurgent
15. The Clan of the Cave Bear
16. Paddle Your Own Canoe

I would love to hear about what you read this month!

I'm on Goodreads, if you'd like to add me.

15 in '15 May Update

Hello Friends! Sorry for the absence over  the past week, I've been feeling a bit of a brain drain lately and decided to take a quick break from writing. This normally means the kiss of death for blogs, I promise you that is not the case, I'd just rather not write than write crap. 

I did want to share with you that I did finish a book on the 15 in '15 list! 

The Serpent of Venice

Christopher Moore is one of my favorite writers, however his last few books have fell flat for me, this one included. It's not because it's a bad book it's because I liked Moore's previous books. His recent ones have been inspired by the French art movement in the 1800's, which doesn't interest me, or Shakespeare, which I feel has been lampooned enough. The Serpent of Venice is Moore's retelling of a mishmash of The Cask of Amontillado, Othello, and The Merchant of Venice. I had a tough time getting through this book and even thought I was going to have to give up another book on this list. I ended up finishing it but I wasn't super enthralled with it. 

I would definitely recommend a Christopher Moore book to someone to read, but I definitely would not recommend this one. 

I'm in the middle of The Glass Castle now, it's a bit of a slow read for me. The contents of the book are insane but the short chapters make it hard for me to be hooked. We'll see how it turns out when I finish it for next month's post! 

Here's the complete list (links will go to the post that I wrote about the book):

1. Sharp Objects
2. TV Gods
3. A Discovery of Witches
4. The Thousand Dollar Tan Line
5. The Serpent of Venice
6. I Don't Know What You Know Me From
7. Big Fish
8. Orange is the New Black
9. American Gods
10. Dead Until Dark
11. The Great Gatsby
12. The Glass Castle
13. Pride and Prejudice
14. Insurgent
15. The Clan of the Cave Bear
16. Paddle Your Own Canoe

I would love to hear about what you read this month!

I'm on Goodreads, if you'd like to add me.

15 in '15 April Update

It's insane that it's April already. That is all I have to say about that. Here's what I read from my 15 in '15 list in April:

The Thousand Dollar Tan Line

I am a huge Veronica Mars fan. I loved the TV show when it was on and I made Dave buy the movie on demand the moment it became available. The book was right in line with the series (it helps that the writer/creator of the series co-wrote the book) and I really enjoyed it. I'm normally not good with reading mysteries, I want to know whodunnit right away but this time I just read the book faster to figure it out. If you're a fan of the series, this is definitely a must read! Plus, I just found out they released a second book. 

TV Gods

The only way I would be able to read this book would be to purchase it on my Kindle. Before I took the plunge and bought it I decided to read the sample first. TV Gods is supposed to be short stories about different gods (Norse, Egyptian, Greek) inserted into TV shows. It seemed so promising but the two stories I read were terrible so I decided not to waste my money and buy the whole book. I have to say this one I was super disappointed about, I loved the concept of it so much. 

I bought The Glass Castle from Barnes and Noble when it was on sale for bargain book priced, so I have a feeling that will be the next book I read. I also think that I might not have a post for this list next month. I was given a few books from friends to read and I feel like I should read them first. But last year I also took a month or so off and was still done by October! 

Here's the complete list (links will go to the post that I wrote about the book):

1. Sharp Objects
2. TV Gods
3. A Discovery of Witches
4. The Thousand Dollar Tan Line
5. The Serpent of Venice
6. I Don't Know What You Know Me From
7. Big Fish
8. Orange is the New Black
9. American Gods
10. Dead Until Dark
11. The Great Gatsby
12. The Glass Castle
13. Pride and Prejudice
14. Insurgent
15. The Clan of the Cave Bear
16. Paddle Your Own Canoe

I would love to hear about what you read this month!

I'm on Goodreads, if you'd like to add me.

15 in '15 March Update

As of this month I am halfway through the reading challenge, even with an extra book thrown in the mix, unless you count the fact that I didn't finish two of them....anyway, here's what I read from the challenge list this month:

A Discovery of Witches

This book started out so slow, like first 200 pages slow but once it started to pick up, I really enjoyed it. It took me a while to get through this book, probably because it had such a slow start. It reminded me a bit too much of Twilight which made me not like this book as much as I probably would if I hadn't thought that. I'm interested enough to pick up the second book eventually and see where the story goes. 

Insurgent

It took me a full year to pick up the second book in the Divergent series and I have no idea why because I really enjoyed the first one. The second book was just as good as the first and since I finished it just in time for the movie to be released, it'll all be fresh in my mind to see how the film adapts the story. 

Here's the complete list (links will go to the post that I wrote about the book):

1. Sharp Objects
2. TV Gods
3. A Discovery of Witches
4. The Thousand Dollar Tan Line
5. The Serpent of Venice
6. I Don't Know What You Know Me From
7. Big Fish
8. Orange is the New Black
9. American Gods
10. Dead Until Dark
11. The Great Gatsby
12. The Glass Castle
13. Pride and Prejudice
14. Insurgent
15. The Clan of the Cave Bear
16. Paddle Your Own Canoe

I would love to hear about what you read this month!

I'm on Goodreads, if you'd like to add me.

15 in '15 February Update

I used to have a problem with putting a book down if I didn't enjoy it. I felt like all books that I started had to be finished. Now, I give each book I start a fair chance. Each book gets about 100 pages to catch me, and if I don't like it I don't finish it. So far this year I haven't finished two books on my list and I wondered if technically that was cheating since I didn't finish them. But the more I think about it, the more that I realize that a.) I don't care b.) I gave it a fair shot and that's all that matters. 

American Gods

I know my friend Sherrie is going to be disappointed in this but I couldn't finish American Gods. I really like Neil Gaiman and I've enjoyed all his other books I've read, and this one definitely has not turned me off of reading future Gaiman novels, however I did not like this book. I gave it a good 150 pages and I found myself dreading picking it up. To me, that's a surefire sign to abandon it. 

Like most typical Gaiman novels, it was very dark. I'm slightly intrigued to know specifically what the book was about and how it ends, but I'd rather someone tell me than to have to pick it up again. 

I Don't Know What You Know Me From

Although it would have been nice to read some stories about antics on set, or stories about her costars, I didn't expect to read anything like that from Greer. She doesn't play everyone's best friend in movies because she's a blabber. With that being said, I did still enjoy her stories and thought this book was a good read. Ironically enough, Greer comes off as being your friend who just happens to be sharing some memories over a cup of coffee or tea, which I really liked. It definitely endeared me towards her. 

Here's the complete list (links will go to the post that I wrote about the book):

1. Sharp Objects
2. TV Gods
3. A Discovery of Witches
4. The Thousand Dollar Tan Line
5. The Serpent of Venice
6. I Don't Know What You Know Me From
7. Big Fish
8. Orange is the New Black
9. American Gods
10. Dead Until Dark
11. The Great Gatsby
12. The Glass Castle
13. Pride and Prejudice
14. Insurgent
15. The Clan of the Cave Bear
16. Paddle Your Own Canoe

I would love to hear about what you read this month!

I'm on Goodreads, if you'd like to add me.

15 in '15- January Update

I may know how to read, but apparently I don't know how to count. I didn't realize until I started to write this post that I chose 16 books for 2015. No worries, I always like bonus rounds. 

The gist of 16 in '15 is simple. I'm going to read a lot more than 16 books in 2015 but I'd like to make it a point to read these books in particular. 

Pride and Prejudice

I've only ever said twice in my life that a movie was better than it's book. Both times I uttered this phrase was during the past month. This was one of those books. It's not that P&P was a bad book, it's just not what I enjoy reading. I understand that this book is a classic and I can see why but I just could not enjoy it. I attempted to read it and couldn't so I borrowed the audio book from the library and even that I couldn't finish so I watched the movie. I enjoyed watching the movie but I just could not with this book. Sorry guys!

Big Fish

The second time I uttered that phrase was during this book. I think I have to confess that Big Fish happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time. The book wasn't bad at all and I would still recommend it to others, its just that the movie and it's characters resonated more with me than the book did. The book seemed a bit scattered and I don't think that it had the same magic to it that the movie did. It's a short book and a quick read, maybe if I hadn't seen the movie first I would have enjoyed it more. 

Paddle Your Own Canoe

I think Chelsea Handler's books ruined me for all celebrity memoirs because they always fall short of my expectations. Nick Offermans' book is broken down into two parts in each chapter. The first part is the memoir and the second is lessons/advice. Honestly, I skipped over the second part of each chapter, it was too long winded and didn't interest me. It was really sweet hearing him talk about how he met his wife Megan Mullally, but the book wasn't as funny as I'd hope it would be.

Sharp Objects

Gillian Flynn has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I loved Gone Girl and Sharp Objects was no different. I was hooked on this book and finished it in two days. Flynn writes very dark novels so as much as I want to pick up Dark Places, I'm pacing myself for now for two reasons: 1. to break up the darkness with some humor/lightheartedness 2. because once I'm done her third book I'll have nothing to look forward to from her. This was definitely my favorite read from this month. 

Here's the complete list (links in this post will take you to the book, future posts will link to the post that I wrote about the book):

1. Sharp Objects
2. TV Gods
3. A Discovery of Witches
4. The Thousand Dollar Tan Line
5. The Serpent of Venice
6. I Don't Know What You Know Me From
7. Big Fish
8. Orange is the New Black
9. American Gods
10. Dead Until Dark
11. The Great Gatsby
12. The Glass Castle
13. Pride and Prejudice
14. Insurgent
15. The Clan of the Cave Bear
16. Paddle Your Own Canoe

15 in '15

It's that time again! I really enjoyed picking out 14 books to read last year, even if I didn't enjoy all the books I chose. This year I chose to mix in some books that I haven't read from my own shelf with books on my "To Read" list on Goodreads. 

1. Sharp Objects

Gone Girl left me obsessed. I really hope the rest of her books are just as good, I love a book that sucks you in and won't let go even after you're done reading it.

2. TV Gods

I love mythology, and I really enjoy when writers put a twist on the stories and set them in modern times. I'm intrigued to see how this book will play it all out. 

3. A Discovery of Witches

The VP of my department insists I read this book. He's suggested some really excellent books for me to read previously including The Alchemist, so I'm sure this will be good too. 

4. The Thousand Dollar Tan Line

I love Veronica Mars (both the show and the movie), so reading this book was a no brainer. Hopefully it'll live up to the series. 

5. The Serpent of Venice

One of my favorite authors, I got this book when it was released in April and I can't wait to delve into it. 

5. I Don't Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star

I love memoirs, and I like Judy Greer so I'm hoping this book is worth the read. 

6. Big Fish

One of my all time favorite movies, I've wanted to read this book for so long. No more excuses!

7. Orange is the New Black

I love this show. I know that the show is very loosely based on this book, but I still want to check it out. 

8. American Gods

Ever since I read The Ocean at the End of the Lane, I've started to become very attached to Neil Gaiman so it's my goal to read all of his books, hence adding one to this list!

9. Dead Until Dark

I really liked True Blood when it was on TV, so I figured I'd see where it all began.

10. The Great Gatsby

Believe it or not, I've never read this book. I think it's time to get myself acquainted. 

11. The Glass Castle

Everyone that reads this book tells me how good it is, time to find out for myself!

12. Pride and Prejudice

Another book I've never read (please don't hurt me!), this needs to be read before I hit 30, next September. Eeek!

13. Insurgent

I read the first book this year, I figured it wouldn't hurt to finish out the series.

14. Clan of the Cave Bear

Dave's grandmother has been telling me to read this book for the past 8 years, I think it's time I finally listened to her. 

15. Paddle Your Own Canoe

I really like Nick Offerman, so I'm sure this book will be good to read. 

What's on your list to read for 2015?