books of 2018 so far
last year, i set up an account with goodreads and set a reading challenge for myself. i wanted to do 24 books in my 24th year of living and i almost did it! when 2017 ended, i had only finished 21. sure, i was going to school full-time and could have counted my textbooks to make it to 24 but that just felt like cheating. so this is going to be it. 2018 is going to be the year that i reach my reading goal: 9,000 pages over 25 books. to put it into perspective, last year i read 6,724 pages over 21 books. the shortest was 123 pages and the longest was 1,168. if you want me to do a quick recap of all the books from last year, just let me know.
ok so now the point of it all. it is now march and i am currently working on reading my 8th book and according to goodreads i am 3 books ahead of schedule...whatever that means. another little goal of mine is to read a book from each major genre. so if the book list seems scattered and without any sort of logical pattern, it is because i'm trying to push myself out of my reading comfort zone (historical fiction and detailed fantasy novels). i was very fortunate to have teachers growing up that did their very best to cultivate a love of reading and how it can open my eyes to worlds that i don't know about, both fictional and real.
why did i choose today to write about this? because today is the day that people will take to their social media to post their #shelfie. the national education association has a year round program called "read across america". growing up we all have books that we remember reading whether it was in school because we were forced to, or the ones we tricked our parents into thinking we learned to read but really we had just memorized the whole thing. i used to hide the harry potter books under my pillow so my mom wouldn't know i was reading them. when i heard her coming, i would put my pillow over top and have my bible sitting out so she would like i was reading the bible....yes my mom already knows this story but she has forgiven me. reading is apart of all of our histories, its important that it stays a relevant part of children's futures too.
alright, alright, alright...now on to the books that i have read thus far! (*clicking on the photos or the book titles will bring you to amazon through an affiliate link*)
Author: Philip K. Dick
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 244 pages
if you are looking for something that will get you thinking about the future from a technological standpoint, this is it. you follow a man who is a bounty hunter trying to find human androids. you get to thinking about what the world would be like if all of the animals are extinct and finding a live animal is a novelty. it is an easy read that is great for lunch breaks, train rides, or sitting by the pool. oh and yes. this was the inspiration for the movie blade runner.
Author: Sue Monk Kidd
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 336
this book tells the story of a young girl who is cast aside by her father after her mother was killed. she and her black caretaker unexpectedly have to leave town and try to pursue the truth about her mother and her past. this will show you the love between women, the power that they hold, and how sometimes the most unexpected people can become family. this was on the new york times bestsellers list for over 2 years and was turned into a movie.
Author: Khaled Hosseini
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 367
i read kite runner last year and loved the writing style of the author so i just picked up this book without even looking into what it was about. don't do that or else you would be confused as to what the whole book is about until halfway through it. you get to see two different stories and how they intertwine. you get to see the effects of war and how much a city can change over 30 years. it is a small glimpse into afghan history. i will say that i enjoyed kite runner more. from the moment it started, it was fully invested. a thousand splendid suns just took too long for me to be really invested. if part 1 and 2 was as captivating as part 3, it think i would have enjoyed the book more.
Author: Kristin Hannah
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 564
this. this was my favorite book that i have read this year. it is easy to read, page turning, and causes you to try and guess what's coming next. you start out by hearing the story of an older woman in present day and then the majority of the story takes place as a flashback of two sisters during the start of the second world war in france. one is an activist who wants to make as much change as she can. the other sister is just trying to keep quiet and survive. you get to see the struggles of both tactics on dealing with the war and how no matter which path you choose, it is never easy. it was on the new york times bestseller list and is set to be released as a film next year.
Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 211
ok so disney is releasing this book as a movie next week. when watching the previews for the movie, i was really confused because i clearly was not remembering the book from my childhood. so i figured i would give it another go! even though it is technically a children's book, it does have a theme that resonates with a more young adult crowd. it is such a super easy, quick read, i highly recommend giving it a read before seeing the movie.
Author: Estée Lalonde
Genre: Nonfiction
Pages: 256
i had never read this type of nonfiction book before so i figured i would give it a go. estée lalonde is a blogger turned youtube star who left her small town in canada to move to england. honestly, i didn't really enjoy it. maybe it was because it wasn't what i was expecting, but if i was going to read about a blogger and how they reached their success, i was looking for something that i could learn about rather than an extremely brief insight to what makes them happy.
Author: Reni Eddo-Lodge
Genre: Nonfiction
Pages: 249
this is the type of nonfiction that i want to read. i want to read something that helps me view the world in a way that i haven't before. it was written by a black british journalist who discusses race and racism in england specifically but also from a global perspective. this was a book that forced me to come to terms with the idea that no matter how hard i try to be understanding and respectful, there are just some things i am never going to experience. the most that i can do is try to learn, listen, and be a friend. definitely a book i would recommend to everyone.
Author: Ken Follett
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 973
i am only halfway through this book and i think it is incredible. yes, it is a lot and definitely for the more experienced reader, but worth it. it is a story of a cathedral being built during the early 12th century and all of the obstacles in its way. there are a lot of different storylines and characters that are each given a detailed backstory. there are a variety of adult themes and scenes so if you are sensitive to reading that, then maybe this isn't for you.
the next book on my list is i am malala but after that i haven't thought too much into it! if you have any recommendations, let me know!
