Autobiography of a Bibliophile: December

It's a new year and I have new book goals! I'm so excited for all the adventures I'll be taking between the pages of a book from the comfort of my couch. December was busy with parties, wrapping presents, etc., but I still made time for my happiest pasttime. 

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Ghosted by Rosie Walsh

5 stars

This was one of those novels that raises question after question until all I had was questions and I wondered if this author would ever provide any answers!! It didn’t frustrate me, but rather raised the intrigue factor. Girl meets boy and it’s love after a mere 6 days. Except then boy disappears and girl doesn’t know if he’s in danger, dead, or is just a prick. It kept me guessing until the very last pages and I almost feel like I need to reread it knowing what I know now after the ending.

It’s Not Okay: Turning Heartbreak into Happily Ever After

By Andi Dorfman

2 stars

I have a confession: I didn’t watch Andi Dorfman’s season of the Bachelorette. To be fair, I didn’t know her since I was in Scotland for Juan Pablo’s season and was spared the horror of sitting through week after week of “It’s okay.” Perhaps I would have enjoyed her book more if I knew more about her through watching her season, but since I didn’t I listened to this book as one might watch a horrific car crash. I couldn’t turn it off, but it wasn’t because the writing was that riveting. I would rate this one R for language and B for bitterness. Andi’s engagement failed and this is her story of the breakup. She never once mentions her ex-fiance’s name (it’s Josh by the way), perhaps because she feared being sued for libel and defamation of character? We’ll never know.

Save the Date by Morgan Matson

3 stars

A story of a big family and backyard wedding, this book did not rock my world. There is very little that would set it apart from any other beach read, aside from the unusual occupation of the mother (national newspaper comic strip artist!!). The premise and subsequent plot of the novel is the family’s depiction in the comic strip and how realistic they appear. It was fast and fun, but held very little meat and will not be one that sticks with me for any length of time.

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

5 stars

If you loved The Woman in Cabin 10, but In a Dark, Dark Wood fell flat for you (like me), then this Ware book will keep you on your toes. As soon as I thought I knew the mystery, something else would happen and I’d be plunged into confusion once again. The main character was flawed just enough to be likeable and I couldn’t put the book down long enough to get anything productive done.

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore

5 stars

WOW. I told everyone I knew to read this book when I was just a few chapters in. I knew NOTHING about this part of American history and was astounded at the fate of these women who worked directly with radium. In the early 1900s, radium was touted as a miraculous substance and these women painted watch dials with the radium paint so as to make them glow in the dark. They were taught to point the paintbrush with their MOUTHS so as to keep a fine tip so these women were ingesting radium on a extremely regular basis. It’s no wonder now that hundreds of them died as their bones literally disintegrated from radioactive damage, but it was a mystery at the time. This book tells the story of real women and their fight against the companies that poisoned them. Read it and then call me because I need to discuss this ASAP.

Cage of Stars by Jacquelyn Mitchard

3 stars

Although it’s not a true story, this book gave me Glass Castle vibes. The novel opens on a gruesome murder scene and follows a Mormon family as they work to survive a family tragedy. I rooted for the main character and her tumultuous journey to offer forgiveness. The plot was slow for my taste and there were a couple chapters that failed to completely capture my attention, but overall it was worth the read!

A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown

3 stars

This story is crazy enough that my jaw dropped several times! I saw a snippet of a 60 Minutes show several years ago that touched on Jonestown and when I stumbled across this book I knew I had to read it. I knew very little about the community, besides the tragic ending, and the build up to the mass murder/suicide was so interesting. The story led me down a rabbit hole to the events in Waco which then led me to a documentary on Netflix of the OKC bombing because I know embarrassingly little about it for someone that’s lived in OKC for nearly 10 years. Despite being incredibly informative, it was more factual than engrossing which explains my average rating.

Chosen by Chandra Hoffman

3 stars

The synopsis on Goodreads told me this novel was “written in the spirit of Jodi Picoult” so maybe my expectations were too high. I wanted to love it, but I struggled to connect with any of the characters. The plot follows several private adoptions and the families on either side. I found the main character’s romance to be immature and predictable and the writing itself was mediocre at best. Jodi Picoult’s name shouldn’t have been anywhere near this summary.

Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith

3 stars

A riveting tale this was not. I listened to this book on countless walks around the neighborhood and a road trip to Houston and back and it still wouldn’t end. It took me nearly a month to get through the whole thing, making it the longest book I read in 2018. Was it informative? Absolutely. I have a new respect for the monarch across the pond and her dedication to her role, but you couldn’t pay me to read it again.

The Royal We by Heathers Cocks

4 stars

I aspire to be close personal friends with Meghan Markle and/or Kate Middleton (whichever wants to meet me first is fine) so I enjoyed this book more than the average person, I’m sure. This is the fictional story of an American exchange student who meets the fictional equivalent of Prince Harry during her study abroad semester #goals. They obviously fall irretrievably in love and the story follows their trials in evading the paparazzi and navigating a stuffy royal family. It was an enjoyable read, but If I lived in Buckingham Palace as a true member of the royal family I’d be calling Cocks’ lawyer for royalties (pun intended -- I’ll be here all year, guys).

The Plum Tree by Ellen Marie Wiseman

3 stars

What sets this WWII book apart from the others is the perspective. Christine, a German girl in a small village, tells the story of WWII and her family. Her Jewish boyfriend disappears, her father is drafted to fight for the Nazi army, and her family is constantly hungry due to the increasingly small rations. The lower rating from me is due to the Dickens-esque writing style. For me, the descriptions of place and scenery detracted from the overall story.

Christmas at Tiffany’s: A Novel by Karen Swan

4 stars

This was a charming holiday read of self-discovery and included settings in some of my favorite places in the world: Scotland, New York, Paris, and London. It’s chicklit to the max, but thanks to top-notch writing I identified with Cassie’s struggle to discover who she is after her carefully constructed life implodes.

The Antelope in the Living Room: The Real Story of Two People Sharing One Life by Melanie Shankle

4 stars

Despite only being a dog mom, I loved Melanie Shankle’s book on motherhood, Sparkly Green Earrings. When I saw she had written a book on marriage as well I jumped onto the audiobook waiting list. I giggled and nodded along to her quips on home renovation and husbands who want to hang their hunting trophies in the living room (I can relate!). There were no earth-shattering revelations or tips, but it was satisfying to hear about her own experience in a marriage with someone that is her complete opposite.

The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle

4 stars

This book has a big reputation and I was thrilled to finally get the Overdrive notification that it had been borrowed for me. I was intrigued by the synopsis built upon the age-old question of “if you could have dinner with 5 people, living or dead, who would they be?” Main character Sabrina arrives at her 30th birthday dinner to find all 5 people from her dinner list are there to celebrate, including Audrey Hepburn. I was captivated by the story and the romance, but the ending was stunningly abrupt and I would have appreciated a little more backstory on why Sabrina chose these five people for her dinner list.

The Bucket List by Georgia Clark

4 stars

Lacey Whitman is blindsided to find out that at age 25, she is diagnosed with the BCRA1 gene mutation AKA “the breast cancer” gene. She has choices, either increased appointments to monitor her progress, or opting for a preventative double mastectomy. She juggles the choices throughout the novel while attempting to forego support from friends and family. This book was a page-turner, but was somewhat graphic for my taste, especially when it came to Lacey’s “Boob Bucket List.”