Books I’ve read so far this year

It was my goal last year to read 12 books, which I just about did and so this year, my goal was pretty much the same. Imagine my surprise, then, to find that I have already read 12 books and it’s only a little more than halfway through the year. GO ME. (Although I must credit the library, this previously-imagined mythical place where they just give you books for free. That place is amazing.)

Here’s what I’ve read so far this year. I’ll do another update at the end of the year, as well.

13 Steps Down, by Ruth Rendell
This book came from my dad years ago and I never got around to it, but then I started reading it at the end of last year and finished at the beginning of this year. It’s a good murder mystery-type book and I enjoyed it. It was a little silly and ridiculous in some parts (the main character is just NOT VERY BRIGHT), but I’d read more books by her.

Rockabye, by Rebecca Woolf
Holly gave me this book to read and I enjoyed it. I love Rebecca’s blog and I thought her book was just an extension of that. It didn’t feel contrived or over-edited, like other blogs-to-books I’ve read and I always appreciate her honesty. I get the impression from reading her blog now, though, that she is pretty embarrassed about the book, which is too bad. When the book finishes, her son is about the age LG is now, and I could relate to a lot of what she wrote about, so props to her! No embarrassment needed.

Wild Fire, by Nelson DeMille
This was another book I randomly found on our bookshelf (I love when that happens!) I also love Nelson DeMille and his character, John Corey, so this book wasn’t a stretch for me. It’s your typical DeMille: Good plot, good dialogue, enjoyable characters, satisfying ending. I’ve yet to find a DeMille I didn’t like, so there you go. That being said, I did try to start Spencerville, which I found on my parents’ bookshelf and I just couldn’t get into it. The antagonist is just too much for me and it was making me mad. It’s still on my nightstand, though, so I’ll probably give it another go.

Alex Cross’s Trial, by James Patterson
This is your typical James Patterson: Short chapters, which make you feel really accomplished as you breeze through the book, and a good story. This was a little different than his usual Alex Cross books, as it was written as though Alex Cross was writing it (telling a story from early-1900s Mississippi), but it basically read the same as all James Patterson’s books do.

Dedication, by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
This was my first library book and that is a good thing. This book was good, not great, but an entertaining chicklit-type read nonetheless. It switched back and forth between high school and then present day for our main character and that was kind of fun. The ending was also satisfying, which I like. Nothing like getting all the way to the end and being pissed off.

Rules Of Civility, by Amor Towles
This is (so far) my favorite book of the year. It made me want to be a young working gal in 1930s Manhattan, drinking too much gin and chain-smoking cigarettes. I’m sort of dying for the author to write something else (I think this was his first book), so suffice it to say: Highly recommend.

Wild, by Cheryl Strayed
I read this at the recommendation of everyone and their mother and I did love it. First, I always love a local story, where I have either been to the places the author is talking about or at least know of them. Also, there is a map at the beginning and MAN do I love maps or family trees or whatever at the beginning of a book. That’s a guaranteed read for me. Anyway, I think the book worked well. If it was just, “Here’s what happened while I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail,” I might not have liked it as much, but with the flashbacks, it worked.

Dark Places, by Gillian Flynn
I enjoyed this, as much as one can enjoy a book that is still affecting them so much they cannot get up to pee in the middle of the night anymore, but I am sure that’ll pass. But no, it was good, I enjoy Gillian Flynn’s dark mind and this was an entertaining read with a nice little twist at the end. I have Sharp Objects, so I’ll be reading that soon, as well.

Drinking & Tweeting, by Brandi Glanville
This is a Real Housewife’s book and it is GOOD. Lots of dirt talked about LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian and I know it’s Brandi’s book and all, but let me show my allegiance now: Team Brandi. Anyway, this was entertaining and honest and I loved the part where she was taking her kids to visit her parents in Sacramento and they asked if they were flying on a private plane and she was like, “No! We’re flying Southwest!” I mean, it is the most efficient was to go from LAX to SMF. (With the exception of a private plane.)

Prep, by Curtis Sittenfeld
I liked this fine, not as much as American Wife, but okay. Maybe because I never went to prep school/I’m not from the east coast/etc., so I have no frame of reference for anything she’s talking about. BUT, Curtis Sittenfeld can weave just the very best analogies ever, I’ll give her that. I appreciate an author who makes me go, “Yes! That is exactly it!” so hey, I guess she made me relate more to prep schools/the east coast/etc. than I would have thought. The ending was very meh, though.

The 9th Judgment, by James Patterson
Do I even need to review this? No. It was his usual ridiculousness and of course the 10th book is now on hold for me at the library.

The Island, by Elin Hilderbrand
This was a nice summer read. It follows the lives of four women (a mom and her two daughters, as well as her sister) and each chapter (although there were no real chapter) followed one of the women. There was no mystery or anything, but it was entertaining and the ending was good. It made me want to go to Nantucket and also had me Googling that show Wings, from the ’90s, and who is Tom Nevers, anyway?

That’s what I’ve read so far this year! Anything good you’ve read lately?