The Curly Girl

Happy Wednesday!

I have been doing a lot of travel recently for work (and some play!) so Audible has become my best friend! Since January, I have read or listened to 21 books, all listed below. I added a one sentence thought to each of them but am happy to provide a more thorough summary if you have any specific interests! I have loved the opportunity to read some really lighthearted options as well as more significant works and everything in-between. I am jumping back and forth between fiction and non-fiction, fantasy and self-help, and the range keeps me engaged during long drives. Next on my list are Pachinko by Min Jin Lee and Dune by Frank Herbert. Please post your recommendations in the comments below and follow me on goodreads!

• The Tattooist of Auschwitz – Heather Morris
  • Heartbreaking and thought-provoking true story of the prisoner who was assigned the task of tattooist in Auschwitz during WWII.
• The Light We Lost – Jill Santopolo
  • I found the main female protagonist to be annoying in her pathetic-ness but also thought the concept of different kinds of love to be interesting, resulting in Adam and I discussing what type of fire we are (I am hoping fire pit but more likely hearth fire!)
• The Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom – Corrie Ten Boom
  • Incredible story of a Christian during WWII and the power of faith and prayer during even the darkest of years.
• Postmortem – Patricia Cornwell
  • Oldie but gave it a shot and was unfortunately disappointed, although admittedly it may have been the performance of the reader on audible more than the story that made it very over-dramatic.
• Mastering Your Mean Girl – Melissa Ambrosini
  • I heard so many good things about this book but just found Melissa to not be at all relatable and too much of an extreme, it was painful to get through this repetitive self-help book.
• Girl, Wash Your Face – Rachel Hollis
  • Compared to Mastering Your Mean Girl (or even not comparing), I loved this book and found Rachel’s message to be so needed in today’s world, it even made me cry two separate times!
• Something in the Water – Catherine Steadman
  • This was a fun and light read that tried to be suspenseful and had a bit of a twist at the end but I did see it coming.
• The Alice Network – Kate Quinn
  • I am a sucker for WWI and WWII books and this one did not disappoint and did a good job jumping back and forth between eras and primary characters in a way that even as a listener, I was able to follow.
• Little Fires Everywhere – Celeste Ng
  • I was excited to read this one and found pieces to be endearing and interesting but overall I did not love any of the characters and did not feel super engaged in the story.
• Children of Blood And Bone – Tomi Adeyemi
  • Another one that I was excited to read but ended up not loving as a book, although I must note that I am not the target audience and perhaps as a teen would have found this story to be more compelling.
• You Think It, I’ll Say It – Curtis Sittenfeld
  • This was one of the books selected as part of Reese Witherspoon’s book club or I never would have selected it and I have to say that while short stories are not usually my thing, some of these made me cry, some really angry and others filled me with warm fuzzies!
• The 5 Love Languages – Gary Chapman
  • Super easy read and I recommend it to anyone in a relationship; it has changed how I perceive myself and how I interact with Adam on a daily basis!
• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking – Susan Cain
  • Another book that I never would have picked up on my own but my sister selected as part of our family book club and I loved it (and may have cried at how much I identify with some of the characters), but I will note that it was long and could have used some editing as it started to feel repetitive.
• After I Do – Taylor Jenkins Reid
  • Recommended by a friend (thanks Cory!), this was an easy read that made me both sad, hopeful, and thoughtful on the purpose of marriage and how relationships can look differently for everyone.
• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Taylor Jenkins Reid
  • Did not fully realize I read two books by Reid this year but I enjoyed this one as well, I find her dissection of relationships to be really intriguing, honest, and relatable.
• The Immortalists – Chloe Benjamin
  • Another book selected for our family book club, this one was not necessarily my favorite, I hated how the siblings were so disconnected from each other, but I did find the overall concept to be interesting.
• All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr
  • This book was long but beautiful, another one that jumped around in time and point of view and was set during WWII, I recommend checking it out if historical fiction is your jam!
• Station Eleven – Emily St. John Mandel
  • I have a soft spot for apocalyptic stories and this one was a really intriguing look at what life could be like after a mysterious illness knocks out a vast majority of the population.
• Golden Son – Pierce Brown
  • Second in the Red Rising Saga, and a nod to my love of fantasy, this is another young adult series that I would not necessarily recommend but found entertaining.
• The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
  • I actually read the book before watching the TV show and enjoyed the book much more (which is not surprising!), it lived up to the hype and really made me think about how broken our world currently is and how easily we could keep slipping.
• Weddiculous: An Unfiltered Guide to Being a Bride – Jamie Lee
  • If you are getting married and planning a wedding, read this book!

Now you tell me:

• What is the best book you have read recently?
• Do you prefer to read old school (with an actual book), digitally, or audio?