2014 Book Report | June

At the start of the year I set a goal to read at least ten books with five being from the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge. To most, that is a measly goal but in January it seemed daunting. I have spent so many school years reading all kinds of junk I was assigned that I had forgotten than reading can be fun. When I graduated college in 2011, I stopped reading books. I needed a break. I was still browsing magazines, reading blogs, and studying cookbooks, but I rarely touched anything in book form with a real story to it. So when I decided I wanted to try to get back to reading for fun, I just wanted to give myself an easy goal and Ten seemed to be a good number. So far, I am up to 12 that I can remember.

Gone Girl // Last fall I made a list of books I wanted to read before the movies were released. This was one of them that has been recommended to me numerous times. And I am recommending it to everyone else. It is long, twisted, and intense but in a good way. I felt a whole range of different emotions and that is how I like my books. I am currently adding more of this author's titles to my reading list.
The Fault in Our Stars // Another on the hugely popular books getting turned into movies list. If you are an avid reader, this one will be a breeze. I finished it in less than two days. It was a touching story, but a lot less gut wrenching and heart breaking than I thought it would be. I am very interested to see how they adapted it.
Faking It, Ordinary World, and She Has Your Eyes // I got these through my Kindle. That one click buy option will be the death of me! These were easy read romance novels. Not super lusty, sex everywhere type of romance. The storyline was nice and I like me a series. I think I finished them in a week. I think having them on the Kindle aided in that. These would be nice for a summer read.
Franny and Zooey // This one is on the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge. I thought I had not read it yet, but it was something I had picked up in high school after reading Catcher.
Living History // Interesting but I struggled through it. I normally like non-fiction but I had a hard time getting into this one. I picked it up because it was on the Challenge list.
Fire Season: Field Notes from a Wilderness Lookout  // Boring! I think I might have liked it more if I didn't have knowledge of how the Forest Service and lookouts and all that stuff works. It was slow going at first and I struggled to finish this one as well.
The Gnostic Gospels // Another from the Challenge list. This one was more for learning and understanding than it was for fun. The author produced an insightful and clear introduction to the subject of Gnosticism, a different form of Christianity that was declared heretical and virtually stamped out by the orthodox church by the start of the second century after Christ.
The Bielski Brothers: The True Story of Three Men Who Defied the Nazis, Built a Village in the Forest, and Saved 1,200 Jews // Another list title. I love this one. Usually, I love historical fiction but not so much history, but this book shares the story of three brothers that helped rescue 1200 people during the Holocaust. So informative and interesting.
Soy Sauce for Beginners // The foodie in me loved the behind the scenes look at the soy sauce industry. The mid-twenties gal in me loved the protagonist Gretchen and her journey through coming back home, familial obligations, and a complex love life.
Orange is the New Black // This one has been on my list for awhile and I was on the library hold list for six months. I am a little annoyed that I waited for it. In my opinion, the show is exponentially better. The book seemed dry and superficial.