Do you use Goodreads? Once upon a time, I made notes about books I’d read in a small notebook designated for that purpose. Goodreads is so much better, with images of the books, summaries, and access to others’ short reviews.
They also do a fun page at the end of the year that summarizes my reading for the year: how many pages I read in how many books, shortest and longest, the ones I liked most and least, and how their ratings measured up on Goodreads. See my results here.
My specific goal for this year is to read at least four books each month, for an overall total of 55 books. Yes, I know, that math doesn’t work, but I know that some months I will read less and others more, so I do expect to be able to exceed the four books per month.
Except I didn’t make it this month. I am currently reading my fourth book, Look Alive Out There by Sloane Crosley. That review will appear in next month’s reading post.
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Love this book, a magical (“m-word”) ode to stories, to story lovers and story tellers. She even weaves in the storytelling involved in video games, a field with which I have little experience. I rarely reread, but the stories within stories and the connections between them that eventually become apparent deserve another go.
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
My husband and son decided to celebrate BIG birthdays by climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. While they were away, I decided to take a virtual quest with Bill Bryson up the Appalachian Trail. I’m not a backpacker and this book confirmed my inclination to stay off tall mountain trails, but I enjoyed reading about his trek. I was surprised at how much I learned…not a simple memoir, he weaves history and natural science into almost every chapter.
Year of the Monkey by Patti Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I received this as a giveaway from Alfred A. Knopf by entering a contest on Goodreads.
I have never read a book like this- memoir, poetic prose, tribute to lives well lived, dream… To be honest, I knew the name “Patti Smith,” knew that she was a musician, but I had to google to find out more about her. In fact, I had to google a lot of names and books and places to keep up with the narrative. Smith is clearly a super-smart cookie and creatively open to listening to the directions and whims of the universe. I admire that.
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Cover image by Lubos Houska from Pixabay
