Winter is in full swing here in Reykjavik (and I can’t stop taking picture of all the snow!) and all I want to do is two things. One, walk around playing in the winter wonderland the city has become. Two, lay on the couch curled up in my favorite blanket reading.
Winter is the perfect time to get some reading in, I already have a list of books I want to tackle over Christmas holiday. And, the winter weather is a good excuse to finish up those reading goals you may have for the year! Speaking of reading goals, I have an update from my reading goal I made as apart of my goals for 2015.
I have completed my goal of reading 50 books with almost a month to spare!
When I made this goal last January I really wanted to use this goal as a way to get back into the habit of reading at night instead of watching tv. I have always loved reading but somewhere after college and all those textbooks I had to read I stopped reading for myself. What better way than a challenge to get back into the swing of things with reading?! I am so glad I made this goal, it helped me make reading a priority, and it gave me a good excuse to jump into bed a bit earlier to read which easily is my favorite time of the day!
During this past year I have read some wonderful books that I can’t stop raving about. These books are ones that I probably never would of chosen if I wasn’t trying to find 50 to read. To keep me accountable for my reading goal I have been sharing the books I have read along the way (you can find my book recaps here and here). Now that my goal is met I have one last book round up and I can officially mark my reading goal off my 2015 bucket list.
This last round up for the year, I have to admit it wasn’t my favorite batch of books. Work and life has been really busy lately and I found myself going for more of those lighter easy reads that I can’t say I would recommend, but they were perfect for the time. If you are looking for some new books to curl up with this winter check out the list below!
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The Wronged Sons by John Marrs - ★★★★ - Catherine’s husband, Simon, disappears without a trace and she is left to pick up the pieces of her falling apart family. Fast forward 25 years later and Simon shows up at Catherine’s front door with a story to explain the last 25 years. The book jumps between the time of Simon’s disappearance and his return 25 years later, leaving you guessing the entire time what the reason was why he left. I love a good mystery but more often than not I find that you solve the mystery way before the ending. This book though, I had no idea what to expect and it kept me guessing until the end!
The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness - ★★★★ - The last book in the All Souls Trilogy, I really loved this series! Book number three wasn’t my favorite book in the series but it was a story that I could get completely lost in. “Equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense” Goodreads describes this series perfectly with that statement! Add this series to your list and enjoy getting lost in the magical world of witches and vampires this winter.
The Magician by Lev Grossman - ★★★★ - I found this book on a book list with the description, “adult books for those who loved Harry Potter,” so ya in case you didn’t know I love reading books about magical worlds! From Goodreads, “An enthralling coming-of-age tale about magic practiced in the real world-where good and evil aren’t black and white, and power comes at a terrible price.” I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown - ★★★ - This book isn’t one that I would normally pick up, but something about it intrigued me. The story of the American rowing team on their quest for gold in the 1936 Olympics completely sucked me in. Following the lives of the boys on the rowing team with chapters mixed in from what was occurring in Germany under Hitler this story is one I would definitely recommend to a friend. One thing I couldn’t help thinking throughout the entire book, kids today, we have it so good, the children in this time period, they worked hard for everything!
The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Liane Moriarty - ★★★ - Imagine meeting a great guy and the discovering that he comes with some baggage, as in a stalker ex-girlfriend. I found this twist in the story so interesting, especially reading the story from the stalker’s point of view. I really enjoy Liane Moriarty books and have read almost all of them now. I find her stories are all quite similar, but they are still such fun reads and I always find the characters really easy to relate to. If you are looking for a love story with a twist add this to your list.
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - ★★★ - “A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.” When I read this description on Goodreads the fan fiction thing didn’t have me sold on the book, but so many people had been raving about it that I figured I should give it a shot. Nope, I was right, not for me, I ending up skimming over a good chunk of the book when it switched to the “fan fiction” stories. Even though I didn’t really like the book I found myself really relating to the parts about moving away to college, making new friends and stepping out on your own. So this book, it wasn’t a total waste of time for me, and I think it is a good book, just not for me.
Sushi for Beginners by Lisa Edwards - ★★★ - For all my e-readers out there, do you ever just missing holding a real book? I know I do and that is really the only reason I picked this one up when I found it in our office bookshelf. A “The Devil Wears Prada” type of story about life at a fashion magazine and the mean scary boss versus the nice girl, this book is an easy read, and completely silly at times, but I found myself really enjoying it and it was the perfect book to end a busy day with.
Summer Sisters by Judy Blume - ★★ - A story about childhood best friends who spend their summers growing up on Martha’s Vineyard this is another one of those stories I picked up since it seemed to be on everyone’s reading list. It is definitely a beach read but something about the story I just didn’t enjoy and couldn’t seem to really get into the story.
Beautiful Broken Rules by Kimberly Lauren - ★ - The first thing I thought when I finished this book, “that was just bad.” A story about college love I just couldn’t get over how ridiculous the plot line was. The story went from two people meeting and falling in love basically overnight, to a super intense and controlling relationship that seemed to involve daily fights and breakups. I don’t know why I kept reading, I think I was really hoping it would get better since I liked the idea of the story, but I can’t say this is one I would recommend.
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While I didn’t enjoy many of my past reads I think I am about to end my poor book choices with my upcoming list. Next up is one recommend to me by my cousin that both the Viking and I are about to start, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. Also on my list, the next book in The Magicians series, I can’t wait to start reading it!
I have really enjoyed doing these book recaps and am thinking of continuing on with them. Let me know what you guys think, do you like reading these posts or do you just skip over them???
And, now that I am hooked on reading I need some more suggestions for my winter break reading list?! I am trying to see how many books I can fit in this last month of 2015, and really what else should I be doing during all these snow storms other than reading? :)
Happy Friday everyone! I am looking forward to a snowy weekend with lots of holiday activities! Follow along with what the Viking and I get up to over on Snapchat @kaelene.
Question of the Day?
What is your favorite book? What is on your winter reading list?
