Finished Digital Fortress by Dan Brown. Pretty smooth, especially last 70 pages were quite exciting..I did not finish in a month but wanted to record it here. 6 months ago

Say I move to Italy, someplace by the sea, but someplace not too touristy. I could spend the afternoon on the tiled terrace reclining under the pink bougainvillaeas, which happen to be the exact color of the dress I wore to Eddie Iado’s grandmother’s 65th birthday party when I was just 17.

Maybe while I’m lounging, a Moroccan boy named Simo would bring me cheese and wine (and the Reese’s pieces I had sent from America). Simo would read to me then, the Tales of Joujouka. He would tell me the tale of the man who plowed his land with lions and became the Healer of Crazy Minds. I would imagine myself in a pale green caftan bringing my Crazy Mind to this farmer who would play music for me and I would suddenly think clear thoughts. For the first time. Ever, apparently.

Maybe instead of reading more books, I should just write one. 9 months ago

by Veronica Roth.

Good, quick read. Recommended for those who loved The Hunger Games, it’s the first book in a not-yet-published trilogy about future-world Chicago. The author wrote the book during her senior year at Northwestern… what the hell did I accomplish during my senior year of college? ;) I enjoyed the book a lot and I’m very excited to see where the story will lead.

Insurgent (book 2) comes out this May! 14 months ago

by Hilary Winston.

I chose this book because it was short, inexpensive, had good reviews, and was recommended for people who liked Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling’s books. I read most of it over the past two days. It was a VERY easy read. It was entertaining. Not QUITE my taste but it did make me laugh. It almost made me cry, too, which I do NOT want from a comedy book. But, all in all, a worthwhile read. 14 months ago

by Rachel Bertsche.

Dammit, I started this in EARLY January but just finished last night. Guess I’ll have to make February a double month to make up for it!

Anyway, the book chronicles a year in the life of the author, who sets out to find a new BFF in her “new” town by going on 52 friend dates. It appealed to me because I’m in a similar situation (in a new-ish town, having difficulty meeting new people). At first, I was hooked… I can’t pinpoint why, but it was a definite page turner. But as I read on, it became slightly monotonous, repetitive, and difficult to follow (when she gives you the names of EVERY.SINGLE.PERSON she’s encountered over a year’s time, it’s more than challenging to keep everyone straight – even with the guide she provides in the back). She mixed in “friendship facts” with her own tales, as well. Informative, but overboard. About 3/4 through, I found myself just reading to be done with it. Once I did finish, though, I was glad I’d stuck with it. At the very least, it’s inspired me to take bolder steps to find new friends.

On to the next book… 15 months ago

Read one book each month. It does not have to be a long book but something i like something interesting 16 months ago

by Mindy Kaling. I’m FINALLY done! Mindy says early on in the book that if it takes you more than a couple days to read it, you have a problem. It took me a month and a half :-/ I guess I just didn’t have much time over the past six weeks.

Loved it.

I went from kind of liking Mindy Kaling to LOVING her. The book was a great mix of humor and honesty. And I can really relate to her in some ways. I’ll reread this book again someday, that’s how much I enjoyed it. 16 months ago

by Tina Fey. A very good, quick read. I am not always the greatest with comedy books (you’ll rarely find me reading and laughing out loud) but I enjoyed her story AND found many parts to be pretty humorous. And I just love Tina Fey! Worth the $13. 18 months ago

by Jessica Valenti. Written to a younger crowd, quite a lot of vulgar language, but still interesting. Gained some knowledge, glad I read it, but I’m ready for something much lighter. 18 months ago

by Suzanne Collins. I finished The Hunger Games trilogy. And I think I might cry now ;-)

Such a good series. Highly recommended. Not sure what to move on to next… but I’ve got a list a mile long, and I think I’ll have to start on that tomorrow. 20 months ago

by Suzanne Collins. The second book in The Hunger Games trilogy.

I had to wait about 8 hours between finishing book 2 and moving on to book 3, and that was agony. That’s how much this book sucked me in. 20 months ago

by Suzanne Collins.

LOVED it. Came home from work yesterday and read it until I fell asleep. I woke up a short while later and stayed up until midnight reading more. And instead of a morning workout, I finished the last 40 pages. I can’t wait to read the next. 20 months ago

by Delphine de Vigan.

This book was right up my alley. About a teenage girl who befriends and older homeless girl in Paris. Since I used to work with homeless and at-risk youth, I found it intriguing and even enlightening. And I enjoyed the story.

(So, I’m cheating. I finished the book this morning, but I read 95% of it in August :-) 20 months ago

by Frances O’Roark Dowell. YA book, easy read, exactly what I needed.

(For the record, I didn’t finish a book in May, June, or July. Now I feel like I’m on a roll, but we’ll see…) 21 months ago

A book I got for free at a recent work training. Related to work and of personal interest to me. Not sure if I can finish it in nine days, but it’s worth a shot. I’d like to be a little more well-read, and instead of getting overwhelmed by the number of books on my to-read list, I might as well just start somewhere. 1 year ago