New year, new goals for books.

I was able to get through three this month which was one more than I had planned on. So, go me.

Sonny decided that this year he wants to have a book club with me, I know. It’s adorable. So we decided on reading two books a month, he picks on, I pick one. We each read it then switch.

I picked The Girl on The Train. Which I hated. Haaaaaated. Hated it so much that I didn’t make Sonny read it. And made him read Gone Girl instead.

The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins: 1 star
Besides the fact that the writing was all that great, it was the most repetitive book I’ve ever read. If I had to read one more time that the girl was an alcoholic, I was going to loose my mind. I felt like it just dragged on, with an obvious end in sight. Without giving it away, I knew who it was from the very beginning. I found myself just trying to finish the book to just do that. Finish it and be done with it. Too many times I wondered what the back story the author was telling had anything to do with the main story line itself. It’s really dark too and I didn’t enjoy a certain part as a mother. If you’ve read it, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t read it. I wouldn’t suggest it.

The Whistler by John Grisham: 3 1/2 stars 
This was Sonny’s pick for the month, he’s a big John Grisham fan. I enjoyed this book a lot for it being my first JG. He’s an excellent writer, so it was a giant breath of fresh air from reading the book listed above. The story line was really interesting and had my brain going in ten different directions, which I really loved. Things I didn’t love: all the legal jargon, the absurd amount of characters (we met THREE in the epilogue), the quick ending. It seemed like the story developed and developed and then just ended. But. I’d recommend this book if you’re into him or his writing.

Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed: 5 stars
I got this book for Christmas from my very best friend which I think adds to any book you read. Dear Sugar used to be an anonymous advice column, turns out it was Cheryl Strayed the whole time. Whom I love. Wild is one of my top books I’ve ever read so as soon as I saw who wrote the book I was excited. Here’s the thing, while I can’t relate to a lot of the questions asked (about marriage problems or growing up gay or having friends who hate you) I loved her advice for every. single. letter. Each one had this rounded out advice for life that made me go, “Yes and amen girl. Yes and amen”. It’s easily a book you can find something to highlight or write down on every page. I would highly recommend this book.

Obviously this is out of 5 stars.

What did you read in January!?

I am all about the library these days. We have the cutest farmers market every Friday and Em I get a donut then hit up the library.

Also, if you don’t have the app Good Reads, get it. You can keep track of books you’ve read and want to read, they give you suggestions based on what you’ve read too. It’s nice because I don’t always have an hour to just peruse the shelves in the library.

Back to books in August.

I’m actually finishing The Aviators Wife right now, and technically read a book I had on my September list. But since I’m ocd I’m reviewing that next month. So, while I finished four books, it’s not the four in the picture.

Moving on.

Paris Letters by Janice Macleod
The whole book mirrored the beginning, middle, and end of Eat, Pray, Love. Which I’ll learn later is totally ok (if you’ve read Big Magic you get it). I loved that the author took a while to prepare for her big trip, planning and saving. Not just up and going. The realistic approach. It’s your typical American girl meets Parisian man love story, but I loved it anyways. Because in my mind you can never have enough of those. She paints the most beautiful letters which she started doing in Paris, obviously where the title comes from.
Would I recommend this book: yes. It was a quick and light read, it’s a happily ever after ending about love and Paris. Can’t go wrong.

Bare Bones: I’m not Lonely if You’re Reading This by Bobby Bones
My little sister turned me onto the Bobby Bones Show (a radio show you need to start listening to if you don’t already) a couple months ago and I heard him talk about the book he wrote. I put it on my list but didn’t think I’d find it at the library anytime soon, but I obviously did. Whoop, whoop. His story is incredible. The classic raised with nothing and worked his way up to the top. With so much hard work. That’s America y’all. He’s really funny so I found myself laughing out loud a ton. I also finished the book in one day. Like less than 24 hours, done. It helped that I had heard a couple of these stories on his show, but it also made me appreciate it so much more.
Would I recommend this book: yes yes yes, why are you still reading this and not getting the book? Also. Start listening to his radio show. It’s a “country music” radio show but I promise it’s not all about country music. In fact I love it so much because it isn’t all about country music.

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
THIS BOOK IS AMAZING. If you’re a creative person…no, if you’re a HUMAN, I need you to go get this book now. It’s incredible. Her entire idea about how creative we all are is amazing. It’s a book about honing in on what’s already in you, the creativity we’re all born with. She has the most amazing thoughts on creative ideas, in that they come to us and if we don’t use them they leave and find someone else. Dang. She talks a lot about how creativity often get’s put in this little box. If it’s not taking pictures or writing or painting, it’s not creativity. Which is so not the truth. Whatever makes your heart beat faster, gets you excited, that can be your creative outlet. I wanted to underline the whole book, but couldn’t because it’s a library book so I’m going to go buy it myself. If you put it down and don’t and have the biggest urge to create something, than you’ve missed the whole point.
Would I recommend this book: YES.

I got through three books this month, and pretty much enjoyed them all. One was a little long, but I got through it.

Bread and Butter by Michelle Wildgen
I really liked that I got a lot of the “lingo” in this book because it’s about three brothers who have competing restaurants. I understood what the writer was talking about the whole time, but wondered if anyone who hadn’t worked in a restaurant would. With that being said, I thought the book dragged on just a little too much. There was a lot of information being told to the reader that I didn’t think you needed to know. The plot took a little while to take off, but once it did it got pretty good. I did very much enjoy all the food talk. The book goes into serious details on what each restaurant serves which I loved. And found myself reading a lot while I was either a)eating or b)cooking.
Would I recommend this book: eh. I can’t decide. If you’re into restaurants and the behind the scenes then yes. If not, I’d say no.

My Life in France by Julia Child
YES TO EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK. I love Julia Child. Love, love, love her. I’m not sure what’s taken me so long to read this book, but I’m so happy I did. I also love the movie Julie & Julia, which took some of the real life scenes from this book apparently and put them in the movie. So as I read I could picture it all perfectly. Julia Child is really funny. She’s super witty, a girl after my own heart. Her story is so much about perseverance. She wrote her first cook book for twelve plus years. That’s a really long time. But she was determined for it to be perfect. I’m actually heading to the store to get it this week. I loved this book so much, and mostly because it’s awakening this huge passion I have for cooking.
Would I recommend this book: Yes absolutely 100%. 

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd 
I finished this in three days. It’s a beautiful story that kept my hooked the whole time. I eat up that whole runaway finds hope thing. Sign me up, every time. Apparently this is a big known book, which I did know going into it, but I know understand the hubbub around it. Lily is a young lady that knows what she wants, in a crazy mixed up world. I loved her character through and through. The setting is the 60’s so there’s a lot of things that just make you so sad to read about regarding segregation. I often wonder how on earth things were ever like that. The author also does a wonderful job of explaining the workings of keeping bees. To the point that I now want to be a bee farmer. Seriously. I learned more about bees than I ever would have thought I could in my life. And I’m actually fascinated by them.
Would I recommend this book: again, Yes absolutely 100%.