Start Date: 6/28/2017 End Date: 3/24/2020 Total Books Read: 182
UPDATE (8/31/20): The last few books on this list didn’t receive a proper review because, to be honest, between the pandemic and having a baby, I just didn’t have the time. I am continuing to read audiobooks and listening to podcasts, but will no longer be updating this page. However, you should still check out some of the recommendations below!
UPDATE (8/9/2018): I finished my 101st book… and decided to keep going! It had only been about 410 days by that point anyway, so why not? I’m still passionate about audiobooks and now I truly want to see how many I can read before my original 1001 day deadline. So keep on reading, friends! And follow me on Instagram for more details and for my most up-to-date reading adventures.
I’ve always wanted to do one of those “101 things in 1001 days” type of challenges that I have seen frequently on other blogs but was never inspired enough to actually come up with an idea worthy of trying. That is until I recently confessed that my biggest shame as a writer is that I don’t read — and finally embraced a newfound love of audiobooks and podcasts.
So, in order to conquer the self-imposed myth that I don’t read and don’t have time to read, I am challenging myself to read 101 books in the next 1001 days or 33 months… which amounts to roughly 2 2/3 years so I expect to be done around my 34th birthday.
The books on this list will come from a variety of sources. Some I will read thanks to a movie tie-in bookclub that I co-founded, some I will read because I recently saw an article recommend it and put them on my Amazon Wish List, and most I will read because I bought the book on Kindle but am giving up on the idea of reading it that way (for now). So here goes!
1. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
Cheryl Strayed
Narrated by Bernadette Dunne
This memoir by one of my favorite writers (and co-host of the Dear Sugars podcast, which I love) chronicles Cheryl’s journey to find herself again after the death of her mother and divorce from her husband in her early 20s. Wild primarily is the story of her 1100-mile solo hike that took a broken young woman and built her up again. I loved reading this book (very quickly, in fact) for my book club, and then discussing it. Watching the movie, though, didn’t quite give me the same pleasure. However, I would definitely recommend doing both! (Started: 6/28/2017, Finished: 6/30/2017 — via Audible)
2. Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman
Anne Helen Petersen
Narrated by author
I saw this book on a couple “must read” lists for books that came out in June 2017 and the title appealed to me instantly. This book is broken down into 10 chapters of different female celebrities and how they are each pushing the boundaries of what it means to be an “acceptable” woman—and how society often deems them each “too much” or something. The chapter on Hillary Clinton in particular was fantastic, and made me very sad for everything we have lost since the 2016 election. Still, it was a fantastic read that made me appreciate all of the brave women that have dared to be “unruly.” (Started: 7/2/2017, Finished: 7/9/2017 — via Audible)
3. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
L. Frank Baum
Narrated by Tavia Gilbert
Who doesn’t know and love The Wizard of Oz movie? The book was very similar, and I was thrilled to read the original story and see some of the differences in the text. I read the unabridged version, which was less than four hours long. We covered this one in my July book club and, for once, actually talked deeply about some of the things that surprised us from the book-to-movie adaptation. It was definitely a good time to read this, and I would love to someday tackle the rest of the series. Did you know this book is just one of several? I surely didn’t! (Started: 7/10/2017, Finished: 7/14/2017 — via Overdrive)
4. Bad Feminist: Essays
Roxane Gay
narrated by Bahni Turpin
This book has been on my Must Read List for forever, and I was thrilled to find it in my library’s audiobook app after owning the Kindle version for over a year and failing to read it. This collection of essays, which spans politics, criticism, and feminism, was a fascinating read about how we view women, race, and what it means to be a feminist today. It’s definitely a must-read for any woman, man, child… Anyone. Roxane Gay has a beautiful voice and eye for detail and tells the stories that we need to hear today. Plus, ya know, who can’t relate to being a “bad feminist” for watching trashy movies but still wanting to fight for equal rights? I know I sure can. (Started: 7/16/2017, Finished: 7/23/2017 — via Overdrive)
5. The Art of Memoir
Mary Karr
Narrated by author
Mary Karr is a well-known memoir author, and her latest book is part memoir about her life as a writer and as a reader of memoirs and part instruction manual. She read the book herself, and I found her voice calm and knowledgeable. My only real complaint here is that I actually think this book would have been better had I read my physical copy of it and could take notes on the instructional part. Thankfully, I own this book in hardcover AND in Kindle, so there is time for me to reread it someday. (Started: 7/24/2017, Finished: 7/29/2017 — via Overdrive)
6. Modern Romance: An Investigation
Aziz Ansari
Narrated by author
I have been meaning to read this book for ages, and I am thrilled that I finally was able to. Aziz, a comedian, narrating his own book was a joy. Besides the little asides and jokes throughout, it was actually a very good investigation into modern dating. In particular, I was fascinated by the chapter on international dating (in which he talked about dating in Paris, Tokyo and Buenos Aires). I highly recommend this one for anyone dating in today’s world… or who is simply interested in what it’s like. (Started: 7/31/2017, Finished: 8/2/2017 — via Overdrive)
7. Me Before You
Jojo Moyes
Narrated by Susan Lyons, Anna Bentink, Steven Crossley, Alex Tregear, Andrew Wincott, Owen Lindsay
I watched this movie last year, and fell in love. I had always meant to read the book, and even bought the book and its sequel on Kindle. But since I’m now doing audiobooks, I thought “reading” it via my library would be best. As predicted, the book was great. Similar to the movie, but with a lot more family drama, it’s a sweet and heartbreaking novel — my favorite kind. In fact, I loved it so much that I needed to pick up the sequel right away… (Started: 8/6/2017, Finished: 8/9/2017 — via Overdrive)
8. After You
Jojo Moyes
Narrated by Anna Acton
Sequels can honestly be a hit or a miss, and this one falls squarely in the middle. To be honest, I was frequently annoyed with the things that our main character was doing and the way she was reacting. But in the end, it was a happy ending and she made the right choice, so all is good. I also appreciated the the sequel pretty much kept to one narrator, versus having mostly one but sometimes others throughout the first book. I wonder if this one will be made into a movie too? (Started: 8/9/2017, Finished: 8/11/2017 — via Overdrive)
9. Why Not Me?
Mindy Kaling
Narrated by author, Greg Daniels, B.J. Novak
I didn’t listen to a book due to a busy weekend, but I started out strong with Mindy’s second memoir. Just as with my previous book, however, I didn’t love the sequel as much as I had loved the original. Although having Mindy herself read the book was great, and she is always funny and has a surprising amount of insight, this one just didn’t have the depth or hold my interest as much as Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? had… Which I did, indeed, read back in my days of reading actual paper books. I do hope she will keep writing, though, because her voice is an important one for us to have in our culture. (Started: 8/14/2017, Finished: 8/14/2017 — via Overdrive)
10. The Handmaid’s Tale
Margaret Atwood
Narrated by Claire Danes
I’ve been looking forward to reading this book for a while now, basically since I heard of the Hulu series and what a huge splash it was making. Luckily, it was chosen as our book club book for August, so I had a great excuse. The narration by Claire Danes was phenomenal and reading the book was almost as thrilling as seeing the series (which I had done back in June). I’m very much looking forward to the series continuing the tale, to be honest, because the book did indeed have a jarring ending. None the less, it’s a must-read for today’s world. (Started: 8/15/2017, Finished: 8/24/2017 — via Audible)
11. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
Sheryl Sandberg
Narrated by Elisa Donovan
Yes, I read Lean In several years late (better late than never!) and all in one day. Between running errands and cooking lunches for the week, I had plenty of time and absolutely devoured the audiobook. Although I wish that Sheryl Sandberg herself had read this one, I thought the book was so much more than what others have described it as. I took quite a few tidbits with me for the future and am even encouraging my partner to read it soon. Can’t wait for her second book, Plan B (which I will be waiting for a while since my library has a LONG queue line for it!). (Started: 8/26/2017, Finished: 8/26/2017 — via Overdrive)
12. #Girlboss
Sophia Amoruso
Narrated by Sara Jes Austell
Right on the heels of Lean In, and because I had another day of errands to get done, I dove straight into #Girlboss. I mostly enjoyed this quasi-girlpower book by the founder and CEO of vintage clothing company Nasty Gal, but I didn’t find her advice nearly as thrilling as the previous book. She had good things to say about work and ambition, but at times I found it vapid and a bit too self-congratulatory. Her focus on not attending school and not taking out a loan to start her business were also quite unrealistic and, I am afraid, possibly sending a bad message to young girls. Overall, though, I am glad I finally read this one too. (Started: 8/27/2017, Finished: 8/28/2017 — via Overdrive)
13. The Carrie Diaries
Candace Bushnell
Narrated by Sarah Drew
Although I was excited to read the story of Carrie Bradshaw’s final year of high school, I was a little disappointed by this book. I found her more vapid than in the show and was shocked by some of the missing details from the show and visa versa (like, in Sex and the City, there’s NO mention of Carrie’s two younger sisters or her dad and in this prequel book there’s no mention of her HS boyfriend Jeremy). Overall, though, it was a fun and easy read, which I guess is precisely what I needed after some heavier reading this summer. (Started: 8/29/2017, Finished: 9/1/2017 — via Overdrive)
14. Esperanza Rising
Pam Munoz Ryan
Narrated by Trini Alvarado
In an effort to read more Latinx stories and more young adult novels (which I love, but had fallen out of the habit of reading when I fell in love with memoir too), I began this book with excitement. The story was a bit slow and difficult for me to relate to, but it was a great look at what life was like for Mexican immigrants working in California farmlands in the 1930s. The historical novel taught me a lot (including reminding me about Mexican Repatriation), and I am excited to read more of these types of stories. (Started: 9/2/2017, Finished: 9/4/2017 — via Overdrive)
15. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
Elizabeth Gilbert
Narrated by author
I’ve been a fan of Elizabeth Gilbert’s ever since I read her out-of-this-world bestseller Eat, Pray, Love, but this book about creativity and conquering your fears has been on my To Read List since it came out. I was hoping that the book would be inspiring and finally kick my butt into gear with some of my more creative projects, and it definitely was and has. Though the one thing I am finding from reading books like this (and Mary Karr’s The Art of Memoir) is that I might absorb more if I actually did read these in a regular print format. But still, it was good reading! (Started: 9/5/2017, Finished: 9/7/2017 — via Overdrive)
16. The Happiness Project
Gretchen Rubin
Narrated by author
I honestly cannot remember when I first heard of Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project, but I’ve been following her work for years now. The funny thing about that, though, is that I actually follow her writing online and subscribe to her podcast but have never actually read the book that started it all. Reading this one was an absolute joy and gave me lots of ideas on how to improve my own life. In fact, I pretty much decided to go straight to the sequel afterward… And I will definitely be picking up the two books after that, too. (Started: 9/9/2017, Finished: 9/10/2017 — via Overdrive)
17. Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday
Gretchen Rubin
Narrated by Käthe Mazur
Pretty much right after finishing The Happiness Project, I went into the sequel. This was a really weird weekend for me, though, as I was dealing with Hurricane Irma prep in my home of Fort Myers, FL. I found Happier at Home a great listen as I finished hurricane prep, but was soon distracted and couldn’t pick the book up again until I got back from a big trip a few weeks later. However, once I finally finished, I am glad I did. There were a lot of great tidbits about happiness in the home that I am going to try incorporating in my life as well… especially some things about photographs that I am psyched to try. (Started: 9/10/2017, Finished: 10/1/2017 — via Overdrive)
18. The Hate U Give
Angie Thomas
Narrated by Bahni Turpin
I have been waiting to read this book for a WHILE. Although I bought it on ebook, I never got around to it. Then when I finally decided to start reading audiobooks, I went to get this one from the library… only to be faced with a HUGE waitlist. So, after two months of waiting, here I am. This book is still #1 on the NYT bestseller list at the time of my reading, and I can absolutely see why. It’s the #BlackLivesMatter movement in a YA novel and it is phenomenal. I can’t WAIT for the movie! (Started: 9/20/2017, Finished: 9/27/2017 — via Overdrive)
19. Mean Girls: A Novel
Micol Ostow
Narrated by Susan-Kate Heaney
I am going to fully admit right now that I am extremely biased about this book: Not only am I a huge fan of the 2004 movie penned by Tina Fey but this book adaptation was also written by my former YA writing teacher, Micol Ostow. It was very, very fun and satisfying to read a book by someone I admire and know personally, and I really enjoyed this novel retelling of one of my favorite movies. It had just the right amount of details and different perspectives to add something to the movie while also honoring Tina Fey’s original vision. (Started: 10/6/2017, Finished: 10/7/2017 — via Audible)
20. Refugee
Alan Gratz
Narrated by Michael Goldstrom
I read this book in a day because it is absolutely impossible to put down and completely phenomenal. As an immigrant whose family sought political asylum, I somewhat related to this story of three refugee teens: Josef (whose family is attempting to escape Nazi Germany), Isabel (a Cuban girl—like myself—whose family is on a raft sailing to America) and Mahmoud (a Syrian boy whose homeland is torn apart by Civil War). Intriguing and heartfelt, I highly recommend this YA novel. (Started: 10/8/2017, Finished: 10/8/2017 — via Overdrive)
21. Committed
Elizabeth Gilbert
Narrated by author
It might seem strange to read a book on marriage from a woman who has now divorced the man she so lovingly talked about in this memoir, but I actually very much enjoyed it. Not only am I myself getting married soon, and thus am feeling the need to explore this topic, but I found her stories lovely. My biggest insight from the book was the fact that we have traded to have the choice to marry for love and with that comes the possibility of divorce (because, as she says in the book, love can be impermanent). When traditional Western marriages were based on family status or community or finances, it was easy for couples not to divorce because love simply didn’t factor into it. But these days, we demand more of our lives and more of our lovers (such as a true partnership), and with that must come the acceptance that things can change over time. I actually found this a refreshing, beautiful thought about holding on to love while we have it… though, hopefully, we will have it for a lifetime. (Started: 10/12/2017, Finished: 10/13/2017 — via Overdrive)
22. You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life
Jen Sincero
Narrated by author
I am sad to say that this is the first book on my list that I honestly didn’t love or even like very much. It’s not that there was anything necessarily wrong with it, but I was clearly not the audience for this memoir/self-help book. For one, it drives me absolutely crazy whenever anyone says to “trust in the Universe” or that “the Universe loves you” or to “have faith” and talks about that whole law of attraction thing made famous by The Secret. I’m just not into that, personally. This book talked way too much about connecting with “source energy” and the Universe, and that’s just BS advice to me. What she did get right (in my mind) is all of the advice to be proactive in your life, stop F-ing around and go after what you want. The only problem? I already do that. There’s no major thing I want to change in my life, really, and this book meant to motivate was completely filled with advice I had heard a million times before. I understand the book’s appeal to those who need to make a dramatic leap to lead the life they want… But that’s just not me. (Started: 10/14/2017, Finished: 10/17/2017 — via Overdrive)
23. The Rules Do Not Apply: A Memoir
by Ariel Levy
Narrated by author
I had a business trip to travel to and, luckily, this book came through on my library app just in time. It was an absolutely lovely, beautiful, heartbreaking memoir of one journalist’s unconventional life of love and loss. It was a really great read, and I very much enjoyed this one. In fact, I basically read the whole thing on my flight and then finished it when I checked into my hotel. The memoir is haunting and, as someone who hasn’t had children yet, terrifying (because the author talks about losing her son when she was five months pregnant). It’s tough to read, but also great at the same time. (Started: 10/18/2017, Finished: 10/18/2017 — via Overdrive)
24. Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Other Four-Letter Words
by Michael Ausiello
Narrated by author
In a similar turn of events, I decided that the next book I would read is this memoir that I’ve been wanting to get through since I first heard about it. Michael Ausiello is one of my favorite writer/editors who I have been following for a decade. He writes about entertainment and has worked for TVGuide, Entertainment Weekly and started TVLine. I honestly love his writing, so I was heartbroken to find out that he lost his partner to a very sudden and terminal cancer. This memoir, which was a beautiful read about their relationship and last year together, is definitely worth a read. And in case you’re wondering: Yes, I cried. (Started: 10/18/2017, Finished: 10/24/2018 — via Audible)
25. Alex & Eliza: A Love Story
by Melissa de la Cruz
Narrated by Cassandra Campbell
I read this book very quickly on the way to Los Angeles with my partner. I had actually started reading it on my Kindle earlier this year, but didn’t have time to finish it… so I thought tackling it on audiobook would be perfect. We were going to see Hamilton the musical in L.A. and, since this book is about the beginning of the love story between Alexander and Eliza Hamilton, I thought it would be a perfect read. This book by one of my favorite YA authors was absolutely fantastic. It was sweet, fairly accurate (historically) and also gave me deeper insight into what a strong-headed woman like Eliza may have been like back then. And yes, I definitely sang “Helpless” afterward. (Started: 10/25/2017, Finished: 10/26/2017 — via Overdrive)
26. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body
by Roxane Gay)
Narrated by the author
On the plane ride back from L.A., I decided to finally read the latest from Roxane Gay. It’s a memoir about there body and how she and the world views it. It was definitely a very powerful read and, as someone who has lost a lot of weight, a subject very near and dear to my heart. Her struggles with why she gained weight (she was gang raped at age 12) and the subsequent invisibility and abuse she has endured due to her large/fat body (what she calls it throughout the book) is insightful. She talks openly and candidly about how others see her, how she sees herself and her past and current struggles. There’s a lot I related to, even though I am no longer “fat” or “large” and was never anywhere near her size. The thing I took away from it was to be kinder to strangers. Even more impactful, though, was what she said about fiction and life in general: It is all about the pursuit of desire… And so the ways in which she talks about hunger (both for food and for other, etherial things) was beautiful. (Started: 10/30/2017, Finished: 10/31/2017 — via Overdrive)
27. Turtles All the Way Down
by John Green
Narrated by Kate Rudd
I wasn’t fully prepared for this book, which I knew dealt with mental health issues, so I actually put off reading it for almost an entire week. However, John Green’s latest YA novel was a work of wonder. I have been a huge fan of his ever since The Fault in Our Stars made me cry over and over again, and was looking forward to his latest. This book — in which a young girl suffering from severe anxiety meets a boy, fights with her best friend, and solves a mystery — was a beautiful, heartbreaking read. It gave me a real insight into what those suffering from far worse anxiety than I have deal with every day. It’s definitely a must-read. (Started: 11/7/2017, Finished: 11/10/2017 — via Overdrive)
28. They Both Die at the End
by Adam Silvera
Narrated by Michael Crouch, Robbie Daymond, Bahni Turpin
In my effort to read more young adult novels and, in particular, Latinx literature, I came across Adam Silvera’s work on Twitter over the summer. It’s the first time I found an author this was, but I soon learned that he had this new novel coming out in September. I immediately put it on my To Read List and, finally, got ahold of it through my library. This beautiful, haunting novel was absolutely incredible. I couldn’t put it down because of the moving prose and because, honestly, I’m kind of a sucker for romantic but tragic endings. And in case you’re wondering: Yes, the title holds up. (Started: 11/12/2017, Finished: 11/13/2017 — via Overdrive)
29. Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives
by Gretchen Rubin
Narrated by author
I’ve been seriously thinking about forming new habits lately, in particular with healthier eating and exercising, so this book seemed like the perfect one to read right now. I already follow Gretchen’s podcast, though, so a lot of the information here was very familiar to me. I love her Four Tendencies framework (her latest book, but also something covered extensively in the podcast), which was initially discussed here. There were a few things that this book made me realize about my own habits and why I am having such a hard time with some of them, and that was really valuable information. It’s definitely a great read for anyone who wants to be “better than before”. (Started: 11/14/2017, Finished: 11/17/2017 — via Audible)
30. Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It
by Gary Taubes
Narrated by Mike Chamberlain
I read this book largely based on the recommendation of Gretchen Rubin’s last book (she mentioned it quite a bit when talking about forming the habit of eating a low-carbohydrate habit). I enjoyed the information but found some of the conclusions that the author came to… problematic. I’ve also done some research into his books and it seems that they’re not only controversial but also that the author uses convenient studies and resources to “prove” what he is saying, but not taking anything that argues against his point into account. This is completely contradictory to how scientific studies go, and I very much had to read this book with a HUGE grain of salt because of this. Although he had good stuff to say about eating less carbs and definitely a lot less sugar and refined flour, there was no real “evidence” to show that eating tons of meat was good for us either. In the end, I basically felt like this book argued that the Western Diet is what makes us fat but it’s entirely the fault of carbohydrates… When he talked about how eating a vegetarian/vegan diet of no sugar, refined flours or starchy vegetables (meaning mostly leafy greens, nuts and pulses/beans) won’t make you lean, I had to call B.S. Have you ever met an obese vegan whose diet mainly consists of sweet potatoes, black beans and kale? Yeah, I didn’t think so. Simply saying “calories in, calories out is wrong” (as the author did many, many times) or using studies that only prove your point while ignoring other scientific evidence doesn’t paint the complete and complicated picture that is the obesity epidemic. (Started: 11/19/2017, Finished: 11/21/2017 — via Overdrive)
31. What Happened
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Narrated by author
After I saw Hillary Rodham Clinton speak in Fort Lauderdale last month, I knew I had to pick up her book ASAP. I was on the Wish List to get the book from my library for months, but it finally came through. It is quite lengthy, actually, but was a wonderful read. She talked about all that you would expect: The election, the policies she wanted to enact, the Russia investigation, her past, wondering why people hate her so much, and more. I found her to be incredibly inspirational as she talked about the state of our country and, especially, towards the end when she talked about not having any tolerance for intolerance (something I say ALL THE TIME!) and that what we really need right now is more love and kindness. I agree, Secretary Clinton, and I will forever be sad that you couldn’t take our country forward. Oh and yes, it was really hard to read this and not be completely depressed about the current state of the presidency… but we shall see. She has inspired me to get more involved, and that’s a great thing for everyone to want to do. (Started: 11/22/2017, Finished: 11/30/2017 — via Overdrive)
32. Spinster: Making a Life of One’s Own
by Kate Bolick
Narrated by author
I first heard about this book when it came out in 2015 and became a bestseller. I was single at the time, and the topic intrigued me. Although I am no longer single, it’s been on my To Read List ever since and I am still fairly intrigued by the topic of making a life for yourself. However, I was somewhat disappointed by the book. The author didn’t really talk all that much about how to make a life of one’s own as much as she just talked about her own life struggling to make peace with the desire to be single (which I found interesting) and the five women writers who influenced her, each of whom was single for a significant amount of time throughout her life. It was interesting to hear about these women, most of whom I didn’t know much about, but it seemed as if writing was the only way to “make a life of one’s own” and the author seemed biased towards saying that these women’s best work was produced while they were single. While that may have been true, I found this book very much still not really answering the question of how to be single or, even, how to make your own life (whether or not you are coupled up). (Started: 12/1/2017, Finished: 12/3/2017 — via Overdrive)
33. The All-or-Nothing Marriage: How the Best Marriages Work
by Eli J. Finkel
Narrated by Mark Deakins
Since I am getting married in a few weeks, I decided that the next logical book to read this book on why the best marriages work. There was a really good amount of history about marriage and love in this book, and how the current marriage evolved to what it is today. Great insights, and many, many things and tidbits that I shared with my husband-to-be Adam. One of my favorite things about this book was that it was very approachable and had a lot of information to share about what it is that we want and expect out of our partners these days. Listening to this book gave me a lot of hope that the best marriages do indeed take some work but that this work (and love, of course) is definitely well worth it. (Started: 12/4/2017, Finished: 12/7/2017 — via Audible)
34. Option B
by Sheryl Sandberg & Adam Grant
Narrated by Elisa Donovan
I was hoping to read Sheryl Sandberg’s second book right after I finished Lean In, but it had a VERY lengthy waitlist. Well, I finally got it! Funny to go from a book about being single to a book about being married to a book about what happens when you unexpectedly lose the love of your life. But anyway… Option B is really a book about resilience and overcoming diversity. I found it to be heartfelt and heartbreaking at times (especially at the end, when she read some of the words spoken at her husband’s funeral), but mostly it was about how to get through the difficult things in life and how we can keep going—even maybe find joy again. Even though it made me sad and kind of terrified me a bit to think about going through similar things, I’m glad I read this one. (Started: 12/9/2017, Finished: 12/11/2017 — via Overdrive)
35. A Christmas Carol: A Signature Performance by Tim Curry
by Charles Dickens
Narrated by Tim Curry
I am a huge fan of Tim Curry, so I was thrilled to find him performing this audiobook version of the classic A Christmas Story. My friend and I chose this book as our December book club book and I am really thrilled to have read it. It was a fun tale and, to be honest, pretty much the way I imagined it to be. It’s a story that I was very familiar with but it was made all the better because of Tim Curry. I now definitely need to rewatch the movie before my book club, but I’m glad to have finally read a book I’ve always meant to read. Perhaps you shall see more classics on this list in the future! (Started: 12/12/2017, Finished: 12/13/2017 — via Audible)
36. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
by Marie Kondo
Narrated by Emily Woo Zeller
I never really thought I would read this book, since I am a fairly tidy person already, but it came up as a recommended title on my library’s app and I decided to give it a chance. Since this book was such a huge bestseller, I had already heard many of the tips featured here. Her emphasis on first getting rid of anything that doesn’t “spark joy” in your life is good advice, though I found it impractical when thinking about some of the things in my daily life that are necessary but don’t necessarily give me joy (such as the yoga pants I wear when I work or the special shampoo I put in my hair to keep my hair healthy). The book, overall, was helpful and gave me some new ideas for when I do spring cleaning this year. (Started: 12/13/2017, Finished: 12/14/2017 — via Overdrive)
37. How to Fall in Love with Anyone
by Mandy Len Catron
Narrated by author
After reading her essay in The New York Times, I became intrigued by this topic to the point that, eventually, Adam and I read the 36 questions that supposedly lead to love. Of course, for us, we were already in love and planning to get married — so it wasn’t such a big deal. However, I’d meant to read the memoir that spawned from the Modern Love column, and I have to say that I was absolutely NOT disappointed. In this memoir-told-through-essays, the author meditates on love and how it is presented in our culture. She made me think deeper about the Cinderella myth and how eponymous it is (seriously, everywhere!) and how pick the right person, especially if we know that there may be many potential “right” people out there. In the end, it was a lovely book about a fun topic that I too spend a lot of time thinking about (and possibly even more so just before I walk down the aisle). It made me think more about what it means to love and, more importantly, how to choose to have good love in your life. (Started: 12/14/2017, Finished: 12/16/2017 — via Overdrive)
38. American Street
by Ibi Zoboi
Narrated by Robin Miles
I found this book based on the recommendation of others, and it is wonderful. This is a YA novel set in Detroit about a young Haitian girl who moves to the U.S. but is separated from her mother and living with new cousins. The book was beautifully written and read quite well, so I enjoyed it. The immigrant story is well done and, as Fabiola struggles to figure out her new American life, find a way to reunite with her mother, and understand what it means to pursue the American dream, I can feel her pain and her hope. I think my favorite part was some of the magical realism in the book, which is not usually something I go for. All in all, though, the new world presented in this is exciting and definitely a story many of us can relate to. (Started: 12/17/2017, Finished: 12/18/2017 — via Overdrive)
39. Reading Like a Writer
by Francine Prose
Narrated by Nanette Savard
I bought this book in paperback, but still haven’t read it (which is, as you know, the story of this audiobook challenge). Finding it on my library app, I was thrilled. The book was a really interesting examination into what we can, as writers and readers, learn from some of the great works of literature. Although she made really good points, I was turned off by the beginning of the book where she poo-poo’d feminism and acted as if the fact that white men have been in power throughout history hasn’t influenced the way literature, what we read and what we learn has developed. Despite this heinous oversight, I enjoyed this work and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking to write great novels. (Started: 12/19/2017, Finished: 12/23/2017 — via Overdrive)
40. The Commitment: Love, Sex, Marriage, and My Family
by Dan Savage
Narrated by Paul Michael Garcia
I absolutely LOVED this book. Although it was written quite a while ago and took place over the summer of 2004 and winter of 2005, there were a lot of relatable things here. In this book, one of my favorite writers (who has a phenomenal advice column and great podcast) talks about his family and his commitment to his partner and now-husband. There’s a lot of talk about marriage and love, what it means to be a family, how they manage other’s expectations, what marriage means to society… and, of course, gay marriage. Thankfully, the debate over gay marriage is now over, which was one of the more fun results of reading this book. I also enjoyed it because I learned a bit more about love and marriage, and even got some insight about having kids (since Dan Savage has a son who was 6-years-old during the time of this book’s narrative). It was very beautifully written, and surprisingly even made me tear up in a few parts. REALLY glad that I got to read this just before getting married myself! (Started: 12/26/2017, Finished: 12/26/2017 — via Overdrive)
41. You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth
by Jen Sincero
Narrated by author
As with the first book, I have to admit: I was not really that impressed with this one. Here’s what I will say about it: The author is really friendly and enjoyable. The advice she gives is mostly good, I admit, though there was a bit too much pushing about “hiring a coach” (which she is now too) for my taste. However, the part that really didn’t jive with me is that she really emphasized that we all were born with unique talents that the universe wants us to nurture and pursue. Well, here’s the thing: I’m an atheist in that I don’t believe in ANY sort of divine or universal power and I certainly don’t believe that there is a “universal intelligence” that cares about what I do or don’t do with my life. This feels a bit too powerless to me and completely against the whole… empower yourself to make more money thing. Basically, it’s just way too hokey for me. I did, however, learn a few tips and tricks to changing my mindset about money and why I think the way I think. I also got excited and set some real financial goals for myself, which felt good. If you enjoyed her first book, this is a good follow up. But for me… it’s just not what I enjoy reading, I guess. (Started: 1/6/2018, Finished: 1/7/2018 — via Overdrive)
42. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
by Becky Albertalli
Narrated by Michael Crouch
I cannot speak highly enough of this book, honestly. I started it on a Monday and finished it on a Monday… which is inconvenient, at best, since I also had to do things like work and get back to my regular life after the holidays/honeymoon. Well, I couldn’t. This book moved me and drew me in so quickly that I ended up staying up until one in the morning in order to finish it. It’s being made into a movie called Love, Simon that is coming out in March and I cannot WAIT for that either. This tale of a young teen who is gay but not out yet is sort of like a modern YA version You’ve Got Mail… but even more charming and adorable. Seriously SO good! (Started: 1/8/2018, Finished: 1/8/2018 — via Overdrive)
43. Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing
by Jennifer Weiner
Narrated by author
I’ve always admired Jennifer Weiner for being an outspoken writer who wasn’t afraid to stand up for so-called “chick lit” and the merits of contemporary women’s fiction (and its lack of reviews and respect in the world of people who write about books and authors). I had also always meant to read some of her books and, although I was a fan of the movie version of In Her Shoes, I simply never got around to it. And then I found out she was writing a memoir and… well, as a memoir lover (and writer myself), I had to jump at the chance. And I absolutely LOVED it. This insight into her life, how she became who she is today, her early publication journey and everything else, was a truly delightful read. I’m now completely inspired to read more by her! (Started: 1/9/2018, Finished: 1/12/2018 — via Overdrive)
44. It Was Me All Along: A Memoir
by Andie Mitchell
Narrated by author
I have been meaning to read Andie Mitchell’s weight loss memoir for a while, and I am so happy to have finally done so. Her writing is beautiful and I deeply, deeply related to her craving for food (especially during her turbulent childhood years). She writes with such eloquence about calming her anxiety and the stresses of her life with food, making peace with being the “fat girl”, and eventually losing 135lbs for vanity… only to realize that she suffers from disordered eating and still needs help. I related to SO MUCH of her story. Basically, all of it really. I lost 100lbs almost nine years ago and it is still a journey. I am still dealing with some of the emotions that led me to overeat, that led to my addiction to alcohol after I could no longer be addicted to food… Truly, truly beautiful book. (Started: 1/13/2018, Finished: 1/14/2018 — via Overdrive)
45. How to Murder Your Life: A Memoir
by Cat Marnell
Narrated by author
For those that are not in-the-know about Cat Marnell, here is how I first heard of her: From a friend who was fascinated by the beauty editor’s antics on now-defunct site XO Jane. Those “antics” were pretty much her obvious and unwavering addiction to popping pills and using drugs. She was pretty open about the whole thing online and, after leaving the site in a blaze of glory, spent a few years writing her memoir. Well, I thought it would be fun to read but, in all honesty, this book was really difficult, scary, and torturous. Cat’s story of how she started her pill addiction was fairly horrifying, primarily because in the end there is no point where she realizes why she does what she does. There is absolutely no internal thought in this book about why her life became what it is… and, as a fan of memoir writing, I was extremely disappointed by this. I would recommend the book to anyone who wants to live vicariously through someone else’s insane life, but I for one am not that person. (Started: 1/16/2018, Finished: 1/18/2018 — via Overdrive)
46. Baby Proof
by Emily Giffin
Narrated by Christine Marshall
I wanted to read something light after my last book, so this chick lit novel by one of my favorite authors seemed perfect. With my wedding just three weeks behind me and thoughts of the future (yes, babies), this novel about a couple that implodes after the husband decides he wants kids and the wife definitely does not seemed perfect. It was a really fun, enjoyable read and I found myself constantly wondering how in the heck it was all going to work out for our heroine. There were some fun surprises throughout the book, and it was a really great light read that I enjoyed. Nothing too heavy, really, but sometimes you just need to be immersed in someone else’s fictional life (that’s not SUPER crazy). This book didn’t have as much relatability to me as some of Giffin’s previous novels, but I still really enjoyed living in her world. (Started: 1/19/2018, Finished: 1/20/2018 — via Overdrive)
47. Surpassing Certainty: What My Twenties Taught Me
by Janet Mock
Narrated by author
I really can’t speak highly enough of this second memoir by trans rights activist Janet Mock. I absolutely devoured her story, from growing up in Hawaii and her first forays into love to her move to New York City. The way she spoke of NYC really reminded me of the many reasons I wanted to move to the city, and how I also eventually did so in order to attend New York University (she got her M.A. there while I went for my Bachelor’s degree and, while our paths never crossed, we were there around the same time). She also spoke about her internship at InStyle, my first place of employment, and People, where she worked as an editor just after I was an intern. Although I am neither trans nor black, I related to so much of her story — not just our geographical similarities, but in the way that she spoke about not allowing men in and taking a long time to accept that she too is deserving of love. SO much of it resonated with me, and this moving, capturing, beautiful, revealing, and all-around wonderful memoir was an incredibly read. I am so glad to have finally gotten around to it, honestly. (Started: 1/21/2018, Finished: 1/22/2018 — via Overdrive)
48. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
by Stieg Larsson
Narrated by Simon Vance
I’ve been meaning to read this book ever since I saw the movie when it first came out, which is why we picked it for our book club book this month. I didn’t actually finish it before book club (though I got most of the way through it), but I did finish it the day after. I really enjoyed the book but, to be honest, I was also a little bit bored by it because I had seen the movie and knew what was happening. Originally, I hoped to get more out of the book than out of the movie but it didn’t fully feel that way. To be honest, I barely enjoyed this one. I think the reality is that this is definitely not the kind of novel that I would typically want to read, so it didn’t thrill me as much as I remember the movie originally thrilling me. I’m not sure I will read more of the series, though I might want to see the movies still. (Started: 1/23/2018, Finished: 1/27/2018 — via Overdrive)
49. My Fair Junkie: A Memoir of Getting Dirty and Staying Clean
by Amy Dresner
Narrated by author
I am absolutely BLOWN AWAY by this addiction memoir. It is by far better than the one I read a couple weeks ago (see above) and was an incredible ready. It’s a phenomenal book that was absolutely an enthralling combination of funny, dark and oh-so-REAL. Towards the end, she talks about wanting to get back to the “real world” and I’ve never related to anything so hard. She also talked a LOT at the end about recovering addict culture and basically had the same thoughts I always have about why it’s… kind of broken, honestly. All in all, there were so many grueling details in this and I loved it. Honestly, I could read this book again. It was just so very incredible. She has a great voice and I would highly recommend this to anyone, even if you’ve never really dealt with addiction at all and ESPECIALLY if you have. (Started: 1/28/2018, Finished: 1/31/2018 — via Overdrive)
50. Every Day
by David Levithan
Narrated by Alex McKenna
I first heard about this book by prolific YA author David Levithan when I read that the movie is coming out later in February. I put it on my To Read List and it finally came through the waitlist… and I *loved* it. This was such a fantastic read and so much more emotionally complicated than I thought. It is about a type of ethereal spirit person who wakes up in a new body every day… but then everything changes when he/she/it falls in love with a girl, and risks everything to be together. It was a beautiful and complicated love story, and I truly cannot WAIT to see it on the big screen. (Started: 1/31/2018, Finished: 2/1/2018 — via Overdrive)
51. Another Day
by David Levithan
Narrated by Kathleen McInerney
After reading Every Day, I had to immediately go into the sequel… the sort-of sequel? Really, it’s the same story but told from the perspective of Rhiannon. Hearing the story from her perspective was fascinating. The story, even though I already knew it, captured me just as much as before. And, to be honest, the sort-of cliffhanger ending had me rolling in happiness. Turns out there is an actual sequel, Someday, coming in October of this year. Now I am even more excited for the movie and even more excited to see how A’s story turns out… and whether Rhiannon will find him/her again. (Started: 2/2/2018, Finished: 2/3/2018 — via Overdrive)
52. Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology
by Leah Remini
Narrated by author
My husband is really fascinated by Scientology and how batshit crazy it is that the people in it don’t realize it’s a cult… and I’ve gotten a bit sucked into his interest. So when I saw that Leah Remini, who I know has a TV show about her leaving the “religion”, had a memoir — I knew I had to read it. This was an absolutely fascinating look at the star’s life inside of Scientology and Hollywood. Her mom actually joined the “church” early on, so Leah had been in it since she was a child. She had SO much to say and it was really, really interesting, fascinating and completely disturbing. So much worse than I imagined and already knew, but it was a good read. The fact that she was high up in the organization and had a lot to say about Tom Cruise was really interesting, too. Really, it was a great memoir and a great read for anyone interested in the topic of Scientology. (Started: 2/7/2018, Finished: 2/8/2018 — via Overdrive)
53. Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage
by Dani Shapiro
Narrated by author
I have to admit: I have never read any of Dani Shapiro’s work before, but I had always heard good things and was thrilled to find her (relatively short) memoir on marriage and memory in my library’s Overdrive app. It was a really beautiful, poignant, short tale. She reflects over her 20+ year marriage and everything that has gone on since the beginning… starting with rediscovering the journal she forgot she kept about their honeymoon. The memoir masterfully weaves in and out of time, from their courtship to their child’s early days to their current life. It was a quiet, sweet book. (Started: 2/9/2018, Finished: 2/10/2018 — via Overdrive)
54. The Wedding Date
by Jasmine Guillory
Narrated by Janina Edwards
I got this book from the library on a whim after seeing one of my friends read it on Instagram. I honestly had NO idea what I was in for but I absolutely adored this novel about an impromptu wedding date that turns into more. There was so much to enjoy about the relationship and the story of how it developed. And, I have to be honest, it’s been a while since I read a non-YA novel in which the protagonist was a woman of color. It was really interesting to delve into some of her image issues when surrounded by tall blondes (things I can definitely relate to) and how she appreciated her body with her “date.” Here’s to reading more books like this by and about WOC! (Started: 2/11/2018, Finished: 2/13/2018 — via Overdrive)
55. Getting Off: One Woman’s Journey Through Sex and Porn Addiction
by Erica Garza
Narrated by Joy Osmanski
This memoir is absolutely FANTASTIC. Wow, just… wow. I was really intrigued by the topic personally, because I love writing about sex and relationships, and after I heard Erica Garza’s interview on one of my favorite podcasts, I had to start her book (which had been in my queue since it came out). It was, well, enthralling, gripping, detailed, and an all-around fascinating read. I honestly never thought about sex and porn addiction for women and loved hearing her development. Her journey is definitely one that I could relate to, as an alcoholic and someone who suffers from anxiety, even if it’s not exactly the same. I loved this one so much, in fact, that I recommended it to my husband… and he’s not even a big reader, but he’s on it. That’s HIGH praise, people. (Started: 2/14/2018, Finished: 2/17/18 — via Overdrive)
56. All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation
by Rebecca Traister
Narrated by Candace Thaxton
This book was absolutely a GREAT read. If you like books like Lean In, then this has to be next on your list. Honestly, put this one first on your list. There was an astounding amount of information in this book, from the history of single women to how they are viewed today. She goes into politics and intersectional feminism. There’s tons of information about marrying early, marrying late, not marrying at all… Having kids, not having kids, being a single mom, and so much more. It made me think deeply about my time as a single woman living in New York City in my early 20s to now being married, living in a suburb in Florida, and about to turn 32 years old. But it’s not about me, it’s about how much single women have brought to society and to our culture and the way that being single (or delaying marriage) has changed our world. Truly, truly a MUST read for everyone. (Started: 2/19/18, Finished: 2/21/2018 — via Overdrive)
57. Bossypants
by Tina Fey
Narrated by author
I checked this book out on a whim and was SO surprised by how much I loved it. I’m a big fan of Tina’s but didn’t really connect to 30 Rock all that much. However, now I want to give the show another shot because her writing is really just truly phenomenal. Plus, hearing her life story a little bit more was really fun. And, of course, because she is a comedian, the book was absolutely hysterical. It’s always really interesting to hear your favorite celeb talk about how they really got to where they got and a bit about their life. I enjoyed this one for sure. (Started: 2/22/2018, Finished: 2/23/2018— via Overdrive)
58. Startup
by Doree Shafrir
Narrated by Eliana Marianes
I picked up this book on a random recommendation, and was surprised by how good it was. I honestly don’t really know much about the world of start-ups (except for what I have seen on the HBO show Silicon Valley), so this was a fun read into that world… except in NYC. It’s an interesting take into work, with drama surrounding sexual harassment, journalism ethics, and so much more. I enjoyed living in the world of men in tech and women trying to make their way. One of the side stories was of a marriage on the rocks, and that was fascinating too, especially because the couple worked at companies that were sort of in opposition against each other. (Started: 2/25/2018, Finished: 2/26/2018 — via Overdrive)
59. Achtung Baby: An American Mom on the German Art of Raising Self-Reliant Children
by Sara Zaske
Narrated by author
I received a copy of this book for review but, me being me, I decided I wanted to read it in audiobook — so here we are. This book was an absolutely fascinating look into the differences between German and American parents. I’ve never read one of these books before (though I know there’s a bunch), but it was really, really interesting and I learned a lot. To be honest, it mostly made me want to move to Germany before I have kids. There’s a lot of really great information in this book that’s basically against American helicopter parenting. Plus, it’s backed up with tons of research and makes a great case for how we can raise self-reliant children and why that’s so important. (Started: 2/26/18, Finished: 2/28/2016 — via Overdrive)
60. Still Me
by Jojo Moyes
Narrated by Anna Acton
This follow-up to Jojo Moyes’ previous two novels, Me Before You & Me After You, was a delight. I very much wanted to read more of Louisa Clarke’s story and was not disappointed… mostly. Her tale of finding a new life for herself in New York and her usual misadventures in figuring it all out was a bit predictable but still very much enjoyable. There were parts of the novel that I think we could have done without (like the pre-Christmas scene with her boyfriend Sam) but other parts that were great (her surprising bond with the old lady at the end). It was a fun venture into that world, though I doubt this sequel will be made into a movie. But one always dream, right? (Started: 2/28/18, Finished: 3/2/2018 — via Overdrive)
61. The War Of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle
by Steven Pressfield
Narrated by George Guidall
I’ve been struggling lately with working on my memoir and a few writer friends recommended I read this book. I actually bought it ages ago and finally got around to reading it… but, honestly, was underwhelmed. There were a few helpful tidbits, in particular the differences between professionals and amateurs, but other than that, I didn’t find this book particularly inspiring. There was especially a lot at the end about calling to the muses and how the Almighty blessed you to be a creative soul and I just don’t relate to that stuff. I was honestly disappointed that this book didn’t help me much, though, because I really want a kick in the @$$ to deal with my resistance issues. It probably helps some people but, oh well, that’s just not me. (Started: 3/3/18, Finished: 3/4/2018 — via Audible)
62. The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country’s Foremost Relationship Expert
by John Gottman PhD
Narrated by Nan Silver
This was an absolutely incredible book about one and marriage. Honestly, I am really glad that I read this one (and so did my husband) because we both learned quite a bit in this one. Probably my only complaint would be that it’s hard to do the exercises at the end of every chapter when you read it on audiobook… But that can be easily fixed, right? Otherwise, there were a lot of really good tidbits — some of which made me see a lot of the good parts of my marriage and some of which made me understand that there’s always something to work on. I think that I am much better equipped now to have some tougher discussions and figure some stuff out, thanks to this book. The principles he talks about are definitely worth exploring for any couple, and I am excited for my husband and I to tackle some of the exercises down the line. There is absolutely a lot to learn as a couple for any kind of marriage at any stage of your life. Definitely, positively a must-read for anyone who’s married. (Started: 3/5/18, Finished: 3/9/2018 — via Overdrive)
63. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
by Erika L. Sánchez
Narrated by Kyla Garcia
This book has been on my To Read List since I heard about the New York Times bestseller… and it was very, very worth the wait. The story was beautiful and absolutely enthralling. I really enjoyed living in Julia’s Mexican-American world, in Chicago, in her internal monologue as she struggles to overcome the sadness of her sister’s death and the depression and anxiety living within her. I very much related to her story in many ways, in particular a lot of the anxiety she experienced about not being the perfect daughter. I think that’s very prevalent for those of us who are children of immigrants and this beautiful book definitely nailed that experience. (Started: 3/9/2018, Finished: 3/11/2018 — via Overdrive)
64. Allegedly
by Tiffany D. Jackson
Narrated by Bhani Turpin
This book was a terrifying, suspenseful, beautiful, poignant read that made me think… a lot. I’m still not absolutely sure how I feel about the ending, but the story was really intriguing. It’s about Mary, who allegedly killed a baby when she was just 9 years old and has been in “baby jail” and then a group home ever since. Not only did this made me question the injustices of our incarceration system (the protagonist is black, the baby she allegedly killed is white, and it’s pointed out more than once that if this wasn’t the case… perhaps she would have gotten a much less harsh punishment) but also who lies and how they lie and what those lies reveal about us. (Started: 3/12/2018, Finished: 3/12/2018 — via Overdrive)
65. The Power of When: Discover Your Chronotype – and the Best Time to Eat Lunch, Ask for a Raise, Have Sex, Write a Novel, Take Your Meds, and More
by Michael Breus
Narrated by author
Recently, I tried to go to wake up at 6am (which was not so successful) but it led me to an exploration into what sleep/wake times are best for my body type, and I found this book. Reading it was like opening my eyes for the very first time to the fact that I am not, in fact, a night owl and that I can’t really become a morning lark either. According to Dr. Breus, I am a “bear” (one of four categories that he puts people into). This book featured not only great information about my chronotype, but a breakdown of what times it would be best for me to go to sleep, wake up, do productive work, do creative work, play team sports, have sex, eat meals… and so much more. It was an absolutely fascinating read that I definitely related to. There were so many things that I realized about myself, about why I feel most energetic after lunch or why I go to bed at a certain time. It’s seriously a great read for anyone who wants to work with their internal clock to do what’s best for them — and in my opinion, that should be everyone. (Started: 3/13/18, Finished: 3/15/2018 — via Overdrive)
66. A Wrinkle In Time
by Madeleine L’engle
Narrated by Hope Davis
With the movie out, I have been meaning to read this book for a few weeks but had to wait for my library to get it. Well, I have to admit, I wasn’t as impressed as I thought I would be. Perhaps I just don’t totally get it but I think I just have a hard time relating to a third person narrator. I am so used to reading first-person novels or memoirs that I really had a hard time connecting to this story because it wasn’t told in the format that I usually prefer. Even the non-fiction books that I read lately have some first-person element to it… Still, the story was interesting and I am still very into seeing the movie version of this. Especially cause, you know, Oprah. (Started: 3/15/2018, Finished: 3/16/2018 — via Overdrive)
67. The Only Girl in the World: A Memoir
by Maude Julien
Narrated by Elisabeth Rodgers
This was an absolutely haunting memoir (translated from the French) about a girl who was rained in… a unique family. It details Maude’s upbringing with a dad that “foresaw” her coming and that he would be the father of a great woman. But that’s not as cute as it sounds. There’s a lot of really weird stuff about the way he raised her, the way she was homeschool by her mother, the way they kept her sequestered from virtually everyone else… All of these insane things that they taught her. Conspiracy-theory type stuff and even worse. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around what it must have been like for this poor little girl in this family but, in the end, she finds unexpected salvation and, eventually, comes to terms with her family and the way she was brought up. It’s a really incredible read. (Started: 3/21/2018, Finished: 3/23/2018 — via Overdrive)
68. How to Be Married: What I Learned from Real Women on Five Continents About Surviving My First (Really Hard) Year of Marriage
by Jo Piazza
Narrated by author
I really, really thoroughly enjoyed this look into marriage and how to be married. One of the things that I particularly enjoyed about this book is that the author is not only in her first year of marriage but she also gets to travel a lot, so there is tons of wisdom gleamed from other countries and nations. It was a fun look into how to make a marriage work but also, ultimately, how different cultures expect and explore different ways of staying in love , most importantly, and staying married. To be honest, this book also made me have a serious case of wanderlust as Jo and her husband visited Copenhagen, Paris, and pretty much all over… I kept telling my husband about various places, the marriage lessons learned, and also how much I wanted to go here or there. It’s a fun read and there’s definitely some good advice here about marriage. (Started: 3/26/2018, Finished: 3/30/2018 — via Audible)
69. The Healthy Writer: Reduce Your Pain, Improve Your Health, and Build a Writing Career for the Long Term
by Joanna Penn & Dr. Euan Lawson
Narrated by Joe Penn & Caroline Holroyd
I’ve been toying with the idea of starting to write about my personal health struggles as a writer… I’ve written a lot about my weight loss and health in general, and looking at my problems as a writer (such as the need for a mental health day) intrigues me. Well, in my research for my OWN idea, I came across this book by Joanna Penn (and a doctor), who runs the great writers blog The Creative Penn. I knew I had to buy it immediately, and so I did. And guess what?! I read it in a day, too, taking copious amounts of notes. There’s really some great information here that I’ve never considered, such as dictating your first draft and various information about overcoming back issues as a sedentary writer. Of course, the biggest one is about movement and fitness… something that I admit I am still struggling with. But really, for anyone who is a writer, this is a MUST read. (Started: 4/2/2018, Finished: 4/2/2018 — via Audible)
70. The Financial Diet: A Total Beginner’s Guide to Getting Good with Money
by Chelsea Fagan & Lauren Ver Hage
Narrated by Chelsea Fagan
I’ve been on a kick lately to learn a bit more about finances and to get our financial life in order, so I bought a few books and decided to start with this one. To be honest, I didn’t find a ton of the information helpful but ONLY because I already had a generally good sense of a lot of the topics that they talked about. However, one thing that I found really helpful is that they had “the rule of four” about diversifying your happiness — meaning that there should be at least four things in your life that give you happiness that are NOT just your money. I found that incredibly helpful and it made me think about the things in my life that create happiness. This book also reminded me about the importance of having emergency savings, and I am happy to report that I am now well on my way to saving for a 3-6 month emergency fund with my husband. Feeling good about tackling this financial life! (Started: 4/3/2018, Finished: 4/5/2018 — via Audible)
71. 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found a Self-Help That Actually Works
by Dan Harris
Narrated by author
I’ve heard some of Dan Harris’ story before I went to read this memoir / self-help book (sort of?). The ABC News anchor talks about his career, how he ended up taking drugs and having a panic attack on the air, and his subsequent journey into meditation. It is a really interesting foray into the world of meditation from a skeptic, which I really appreciated as I am an atheist and find some of the guru stuff pretty cringe-worthy. However, Dan’s story is a fascinating one to me as both a journalist and someone with an interest in meditation. In fact, I have been trying meditation on/off for a couple of months and have had an interest in it for a couple of years. In fact, I wrote about my trials in meditation during my early recovery, but I have been unable to keep up the habit. Now, with Dan’s book, I am encouraged again. I’ve been listening to some of his podcast episodes and have his next book in my queue. So, we shall see… (Started: 4/6/2018, Finished: 4/9/2018 — via Overdrive)
72. Not If I Save You First
by Ally Carter
Narrated by Brittany Pressley
I’ve seen a handful of friends post about this book on Instagram for weeks and so I finally decided to read it. It was a really interesting and fun story about the friendship between the president’s son and his best friend (who happens to be a girl). Something happens in the beginning of the book when they’re both 10 years old, which separates the two until they are 16… and then more chaos and getting kidnapped and lost in Alaska, with the girl being the only one who can really save them. It was honestly a really fun read, and I enjoyed getting caught up in this world. I was especially interested in all of the wilderness of Alaska, which is not something that I am personally very familiar with but loved being in this world. Though, of course, it was a BIT annoying that the bad guys were Russian. Why are they always Russian? (As a Russian person, I find this mildly offensive). Otherwise, though, great read! (Started: 4/10/2018, Finished: 4/11/2018 — via Overdrive)
73. The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck: How to Stop Spending Time You Don’t Have with People You Don’t Like Doing Things You Don’t Want to Do
by Sarah Knight
Narrated by author
I read this book in a single day on the day before my shoulder surgery, and boy am I glad I did! There were a lot of lessons to be had here, primarily about how to “not give a fuck”. And, yes, the word “fuck” (one of my personal favorites) was featured pretty prominently throughout the book. Despite the crude name, though, it’s actually a lesson in how to prioritize doing what is best for you and how to stop spending time, energy, and/or money on things and people you don’t want to actually be spending any of that on. It’s basically a “mental decluttering” in a similar fashion as the Marie Kondo book, but you know… with a whole other purpose and a whole lot more cursing. Definitely great lessons for those of us who need to stop caring what others think of us and let go of some of the guilt. (Started: 4/12/2018, Finished: 4/12/2018 — via Overdrive)
74. The Art of Waiting: On Fertility, Medicine, and Motherhood
by Belle Boggs
Narrated by C. S. E. Cooney
I had my shoulder surgery the day before I started this book and, for some reason, I woke up with some pretty insane baby fever. I even bought a couple actual books for it! But anyway, this book has been in my queue for a little while and I decided now was a good time to get to it. I’ve been thinking a lot myself about waiting to start trying to have a child, and listening to what my doctors have recently told me about my chances and what happens as I age. It’s all made me a bit nervous, to be honest, and I thought that the best thing to do would be to read a bit about infertility in order to learn a little more. In fact, I am going to be doing a lot more reading about this topic in general but this book had a lot to say about infertility and the desire for a child. It goes through all of the different options that couples go through, including adoption and not having a child at all. There was a lot of information and, to be honest, I might have to read this one again. It’s packed with so much good stuff, that I had a hard time keeping up! (Started: 4/14/2018, Finished: 4/18/2018 — via Audible)
75. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
by Matthew Walker
Narrated by Steve West
This book is SO, SO incredibly fascinating. SLEEP IS SO IMPORTANT! That is the #1 lesson I learned here, and it is one that has been incredibly valuable in my life. Now, I admit that I am someone who always appreciated a full night’s sleep and I have typically made it a priority in my adult life to get 7-8 hours of it (sometimes 9 hours, even)… but hearing concrete, scientific evidence as to all of the numerous benefits of sleep, now I want to become a sleep evangelist. It felt, as I was reading this, as if there isn’t a single area of human life that sleep doesn’t touch: From depression and mental health, to dementia and cancer, to creativity and problem solving… to so many more things. It’s really a crucial aspect of our lives, and one that our modern age has been taking for granted for far, far too long. I sincerely hope that tide will start to turn, though, because nothing is more important than a good night’s rest. As a side note: One of the WORST things you can do is drive drowsy. DO NOT DO IT! Simply don’t. Basically even just a few hours of drowsiness (such as waking up at 7am, going out after work and not driving home till 2am) can have the same impairment as a legal quantity of alcohol in the bloodstream. If you have to drive home tired, stop for a 20 minute nap, wake up and have coffee and relax for another 20 minutes (to let the post-nap drowsiness wear off), and then keep going. And remember: The whole “power nap” thing is a measure if you HAVE to, not as a replacement for an adequate night’s sleep. (Started: 4/20/2018, Finished: 4/25/2018 — via Overdrive)
76. The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living
by Meik Wiking
Narrated by author
I visited Copenhagen a couple of years ago for my 30th birthday, and it was an absolutely joyous trip. So when hygge (pronounced “hoo-ga”) became a big thing, I was curious. I had read some of the posts and even done some stories about the “coziness” associated with the Danes, but when this book came up in my queue, I was happy to read further. The interesting part about this book is that it comes from the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute, which happens to be in Copenhagen, and he had a lot to say about seeking happiness. Unsurprisingly, one of the reasons the Danes are happy is because of the comforts they receive as a society from their socialist democracy government. But other than that, the emphasis of this book on hygge is mainly about connecting with friends and family in a special environment. There’s a lot of talk about warm drinks (coffee especially), candles, atmosphere, but most of all, it’s about socializing. And the book makes it clear that even introverts can get in on this, since hygge-style socializing focuses on small, intimate gatherings that introverts tend to prefer anyway. Really a fun read! (Started: 4/26/2018, Finished: 4/27/2018 — via Overdrive)
77. Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen
by Donald Miller
Narrated by author
This book was recommended to me when I took a memoir workshop, because my new friend felt that it had a lot of good things to say about telling stories — and boy were they right! Although I’m not a marketing writer, I definitely learned a LOT about how good marketing works and the power of stories in your copy. It taught me a great deal that I think will benefit anyone who is interested in writing, but particularly those who write for pay (like, for brands). There was a great deal of helpful information in how to market your business to help others, and why crafting the right kind of story can be extremely helpful. It taught me a lot even about my own business as a freelance writer and editor, and how I want to take it to the next level. I have some thinking and planning to do still, but I am excited to get started! (Started: 4/30/2018, Finished: 4/30/2018 — via Overdrive)
78. I’m Judging You: The Do-Better Manual
by Luvvie Ajayi
Narrated by author
I really can’t say enough good things about this book. I never really followed Luvvie Ajayi’s blog or her other work online, but I’ve always heard good things and read something here or there. But when I found out that my library has this book, I simply had to pick it up. It’s filled with SO MUCH progressive humor that I had a hard time listening to it while driving because I was laughing so hard. There’s so many great nuggets of wisdom, including things about racism and feminism, that I truly enjoyed. The subtitle for this book is “the do-better manual” and that’s really the theme throughout the book, especially towards the end. I especially found it interesting that she wrote a post-script after the book… since clearly the bulk of it was written pre-Trump. So she had a lot to say about that, too, but the ultimate message of the book is don’t be an idiot or an asshole. I like that message, and I especially like it delivered by a funny, snarky, awesome black woman. She talks about writing a sequel called I’m Judging You, America and I AM ALL HERE FOR IT. (Started: 5/1/2018, Finished: 5/3/2018 — via Overdrive)
79. The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play
by Neil Fiore, PhD
Narrated by author
Like many writers, I have a serious problem with procrastination so when I saw this book recommended in one of my writers groups on Facebook, I decided to get it right away. Ironically, of course, I procrastinated on starting it… but am ultimately glad that I did because I learned a lot about how fear of success and fear of failure is affecting my work. There was a lot of talk about choice (which I appreciated) and how to purposefully schedule in “guilt-free play” into your day. In fact, he encourages procrastinators to create a calendar that first and foremost prioritizes play. He says that the reason this is important is because procrastinators often think they have 24 hours in a day to do what they want to do, but this is not true. Once you subtract sleep, time for breakfast and lunch and dinner, and time for breaks and socializing, there’s a LOT less of it. And that’s important to note. There’s many other great nuggets in here and, to be honest, some stuff I need to work out with my therapist. But, all on all, I don’t know if I am over my procrastination issues but I am definitely on my way there! (Started: 5/4/2018, Finished: 5/8/2018 — via Overdrive)
80. Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence
by Rick Hanson
Narrated by author
I have to be honest: I wasn’t super excited to start reading this book. It wasn’t the book’s fault, though, I was just not feeling it for some reason that I couldn’t quite figured out, but I started reading it anyway — I’m only telling you this because it likely clouded my opinion of it a bit. Well, I thought that I would actually really like this book on the brain science of “contentment, calm and confidence” but I actually found that the book was mostly lacking in science. There was some in the beginning, yes, but most of the latter half the book was different exercises and mind meditations and I just wasn’t in the mood for that. For one, I listen to audiobooks while driving so any kind of exercise wasn’t really possible. And for second, I already know about CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and the exercise seemed focused on that, which is great for those that needed it but it’s just not what I was personally hoping to get out of this one. Oh well, I guess. On to the next! (Started: 5/9/2018, Finished: 5/12/2018 — via Overdrive)
81. The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time
by Arianna Huffington
Narrated by Agapi Stassinopoulos
After reading Why We Sleep, and then this book, I am officially a sleep evangelist. I just can’t even begin to talk about all of the things I learned and why I have come to understand that SLEEP IS SO IMPORTANT! I highly recommend to anyone who wants to, you know, live a better life that they start getting 7-9 hours of sleep. No. Matter. What. That’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned here, and a great one. I’ve always appreciated good sleep, but now that I know so much more about what it does for our mental, physical and emotional health, it is CRUCIAL to get a good amount of sleep every single night. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is curious to learn more, whether or not you believe in the power of sleep. After reading this, you’ll understand why I’m #sleepproud though. (Started: 5/13/2018, Finished: 5/15/2018 — via Overdrive)
82. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
by Susan Cain
Narrated by Kathe Mazur
I’ve been meaning to read this book about introverts for a while. In fact, it was one of my first Audible purchases but I just now am getting around to it. I’ve seen Susan Cain’s Ted Talk and listened to her podcast, so I already knew a bit of information about introverts, but still this book was VERY helpful in understanding those who are different from myself (I’m definitely an extrovert!) and in particular in understanding my husband, who’s is very much an introvert. There were many fascinating chapters, but in particular I loved a chapter that talked about “reward sensitivity” that actually explained a big thing about myself. This book has ultimately helped me to understand the world of introverts and how to continue to honor and respect the people in my life who have these needs that are very different from my own. It also helped me to understand why my needs are my needs, and how to honor that too. Definitely HIGHLY recommended for, well, everyone. (Started: 5/16/2018, Finished: 5/20/2018 — via Audible)
83. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
by Neil DeGrasse Tyson
Narrated by author
Who doesn’t love Neil DeGrasse Tyson? And, most importantly, who doesn’t love his calm, soothing, deep voice? But anyway… this is a book review, after all. I’ve been on the waitlist for his latest for QUITE some time. Months, really. He is in high demand at my library, which is quite thrilling to see! This book was definitely written for the average among us to understand and I loved every minute of it. However, although I very much enjoyed it and felt like I was learning while I was reading it, I didn’t really retain much. There was just SO much information that I found it very difficult to keep up. There’s some basics that I already knew but, although there’s plenty more to learn, I just wasn’t absorbing it for some reason. I couldn’t really tell you why, but I can definitely tell you it has everything to do with me and nothing to do with this phenomenal book. I’d recommend it to anyone who is interested in space science, for sure. (Started: 5/21/2018, Finished: 5/22/2018 — via Overdrive)
84. Leah on the Offbeat
by Becky Albertalli
Narrated by Shannon Purser
In this sequel to Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (the book that the movie Love, Simon is based on), we follow his bestie Leah during her senior year as she tries to navigate life and her bisexuality and what turns out to be a crush on an unexpected person. It’s a really great look and sequel, and I was practically falling over myself to finish reading this book. I was absolutely hooked on it and, if it had been a weekend, I am absolutely sure that I would have read it in a day. But because it wasn’t, and I still had to work, it took me a bit longer to read through this one. Regardless, this book was fantastic and I couldn’t put it down. It was also absolutely lovely to see a realistic bisexual character (as the main person!) in a book for once. It really made me wish that books like this existed when I was a bisexual girl coming out in high school but, well, at least this book is out there for me to enjoy now… and for others to fall in love with, too. (Started: 5/23/2018, Finished: 5/24/2018 — via Overdrive)
85. Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-to Book
by Dan Harris with Jeff Warren and Carlyle Adler
Narrated by Dan Harris and Jeff Warren
I read Dan Harris’ other book, 10% Happier, recently and was excited to get to this one right away. Of course, I had to wait a little bit because my library had a long queue for this book but I am excited to have finally read it. Like many of the people that Dan and his team talks to during the road trip that informed some of this book, I have been trying to form a meditation habit for a few years. But, unfortunately like also many people, I’ve had a lot of things stopping me, including not having time, not being sure it’ll actually be good for me, and just not knowing where to start. I’ve tried a few apps in the past, but nothing stuck. Reading some of Dan’s more realistic insights (the type for fidgety skeptics, such as myself) made me feel good about what has been holding me back and how to move forward. I’m definitely inspired and planning to try out the 10% Happier app and see if that’ll make a difference for me. The best piece of advice he gave, though, was about giving myself a break and starting over if I break the habit. So maybe I’ll do it for a week or two, and then stop, and then start again. He reminds us, over and over, that we need to just be able to start again. That’s pretty good advice for everyone, isn’t it? (Started: 5/25/2018, Finished: 5/30/2018 — via Overdrive)
86. Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist
by Franchesca Ramsey
Narrated by author
I’ve had this book on my To Read List ever since I first heard that it was coming out. Primarily, I know Franchesca’s work through her podcast (Last Name Basis, which she co-hosts with her husband) and work on MTV’s Decoded. Since I am a fan of her work, I requested that my library buy this book and they did! Primarily, this was a memoir about her rise to fame and how she became an “accidental activist.” There were so many things that I learned, not just about her life but also about the different forms of activism, call-out culture, and so much more. I would definitely highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in… I dunno, internet fame? But not just that. It’s really more about activism and the different forms it takes. In a way, it was similar to Luvvie’s book (which I also loved) but a lot less snarky. There were so many tidbits and nuggets that I learned that I am not sure where to be begin. Probably the biggest one is that there was a study conducted by NYU that essentially proved that people listen to those that look like them. So, basically, a racist who is confronted with his own racism by someone that looks like them (usually, a white male) will actually listen and become less racist — whereas he is likely to become more racist if confronted in the exact same way by a black male. Crazy, right? Crazy and not surprising, but still depressing. Anyway, the point is this: READ THIS BOOK! (Started: 5/30/2018, Finished: 5/31/2018 — via Overdrive)
87. You Need a Budget: The Proven System for Breaking the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle, Getting out of Debt, and Living the Life You Want
by Jesse Mecham
Narrated by author
I very excitedly bought this book right when it came out, since I had been reading the blog on/off for a little while and had even heard quite a few of the YNAB (short for You Need a Budget) podcast episodes. But I wasn’t completely sold on using the software or the system yet, so I felt like reading the audiobook might be a good way to start… And boy was I right! There were a handful of truly useful nuggets in this book, but in particular was the four finance rules that YNABers live by. The main rule that I really appreciate and am striving towards achieving is the one about True Expenses, though my husband and I are also trying to get off the cycle of living paycheck-to-paycheck. We definitely have a long journey ahead of us but I feel more and more confident every day that we can do it. It’s not going to be easy, but a good chunk of what I learned with YNAB I already putting to good use. In fact, I may have more news to share on that front soon… But for now, I will definitely say this: For anyone looking to learn the basics of budgeting and read a book that’s totally realistic and all about YOUR lifestyle (he says over and over that he won’t and can’t tell you what to do with your money, which I totally appreciate), pick this up ASAP. (Started: 6/1/2018, Finished: 6/2/2018 — via Audible)
88. The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life Is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store
by Cait Flanders
Narrated by author
Since I was on a budgeting roll with my last book, I decided to tackle this one in hopes that it will get me closer to where I want to be financially. I already learned a bit about budgeting, and now I wanted to learn about not spending money so much since my husband and I are actually doing a No Spend June this month. Well, this book was absolutely fabulous for that. It’s definitely a memoir and very little self-help (which is totally fine by me) but in telling us her story, Cait Flanders has inspired me to live with less too. She has some pretty strict rules about not spending money, but I actually found them pretty reasonable and easy to live with. It’s not as sad as it sounds, honestly, and I could definitely relate to the judgement she felt from friends about not shopping. She’s actually a person in recovery as well, so I super hard related to some of her stories surrounding alcohol and drugs too. This was a good find, honestly, and I’m really glad that I got to tackle it just after reading about how to budget better. (Started: 6/3/2018, Finished: 6/3/2018 — via Audible)
89. Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living
by Manjula Martin
Narrated by Robin Eller & Sean Crisden
I read about this book a little while ago, and was intrigued by the topic of money, writers, and how the heck we can make a living doing what we love. This was a collection of essays that was, for the most part, pretty interesting. Some of the essays were actually interviews between the editor (Manjula Martin) and notable authors, such as Cheryl Strayed, Jonathan Franzen, Roxane Gay, etc. It was really interesting to hear what they have to say but I was quite disappointed that the only writer who talked actual numbers was Cheryl Strayed. I had actually read her interview previously, and enjoyed reading it again but was disappointed that most other writers didn’t really talk numbers in the same way that she did. She was, to be frank, the only brave one to say things like “This is how much debt I had before selling my book, this is what the advance was, this is how we lived before and after,” etc. I wish there had been more helpful information, more interesting tidbits, and more actual nuggets on the numbers of money such as the ones that came from her. Although I did find some good and insightful things in the book otherwise, I’m not sure that I can really recommend it for others because… Well, I just didn’t get much out of this one. (Started: 6/4/2018, Finished: 6/7/2018 — via Audible)
90. Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions
by Russell Brand
Narrated by author
I was really excited to read Russel Brand’s book on recovery. As my husband says, “He has such an interesting point of view on the world.” I was SO excited that I, in fact, bought this book. Typically, I only buy the books that I think I will really love and reread. Otherwise, I get them out from the library… But, well, apparently Brand’s interesting point of view on the world didn’t translate into recovery. This entire book is basically a rehashing of the 12 step program in his own words and I could not have been more disappointed. Although I know many people who found recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and the like, I did NOT buy this book in order to be lectured on the 12 steps by a celebrity. He is usually so unique that I truly expected something wonderful and interesting to happen in this book. And, well, it didn’t. This book was the blandest thing I could imagine, and coming from someone who can be so innovative and creative, it was a huge disappointment. There, I said it again. And I’ll say it one more time for everyone in the back: This book is a HUGE disappointment. We don’t need yet another 12 step book (cause, seriously, I hate that shit anyway). What we needed was to hear his unique take and perspective on recovery, his life in active addiction, how he crawled out of it all, how he feels about it now… and what we got was a bland “here’s what AA says, here’s how I interpret it.” It’s not new or interesting or creative. And for that, I am incredibly angry at myself for spending money on this one. I never say that, but it needed to be said here. (Started: 6/7/2018, Finished: 6/11/2018 — via Audible)
91. How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence
by Michael Pollan
Narrated by author
My husband sent me a recent interview with Michael Pollan on a podcast, in which he talked about this book. We got to talking about psychedelics, and I got curious… So what do I do when I get curious? I read, of course! I got this book from my library right away because I am very interested in what I heard and read from Michael Pollan (who initially talked about the cancer/psychedelics study done recently at NYU, which is what he based his The New Yorker article on a few years back, which led to this book). There was a lot of science and history in this book, and it was a good read. Unlike what it might seem, Pollan doesn’t spend the entire book tripping. It was really much more deeply about the history of psychedelics in the U.S., along with past and present science, and where this very interesting drug might go in the future. I was particularly interested in the recent research into psychedelic therapy, and sincerely hope that there is more to come. (Started: 6/11/2018, Finished: 6/18/2018 — via Overdrive)
92. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
by Mark Manson
Narrated by Roger Wayne
I’ve been on the waitlist for this book for several months so… you can probably understand my disappointment when I say that I didn’t like this book. It’s a bestseller, too, which makes me even more sad that so many people read it and found it valuable. But, well, to each their own. Although I did enjoy a bit of the wisdom in this book, especially the whole “don’t have shitty values” message, but otherwise it wasn’t for me. There was some casual homophobia in this book, which really bothered me, and even worse some casual sexism, which bothered me even more. The sexism was pretty blatant, too. Every time he gave an example of a woman’s problem, it ALWAYS had to do with relationships. Meanwhile, all the men’s problems had to do with work… Like seriously? This guy is clueless, despite acting like the good guy throughout the whole book and attempting to get some pretty lame sympathy when talking about his parents divorce. I didn’t buy into it. Also, at the end, he says “they say” and talks about the butterfly causing a tsunami at the other side of the world… Well, that’s not a “they say”, that’s actually called chaos theory. Ugh. (Started: 7/2/2018, Finished: 7/3/2018 — via Overdrive)
93. How to Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety
by Ellen Hendricksen
Narrated by author
I read this book because I know some people who are socially anxious, and I also have some anxiety and shyness. It was a really interesting read, too, and I was fascinated by so much of the book. The biggest thing that I got out of it is that social anxiety is a learned behavior and CAN be worked on, as opposed to regular anxiety which is ingrained. But she talks a lot about all of the different ways that we can tackle our social anxiety. Also, I learned about a famous 1960s experiment in which the researchers basically found that who people like most is someone who is confident but also makes mistakes (such as spilling coffee on themselves). And this book talks a lot about practicing social things and building on confidence. Confidence is key, and it can be learned! (Started: 7/4/2018, Finished: 7/6/2018 — via Overdrive)
94. I Was Told There’d Be Cake
by Sloane Crosley
Narrated by author
I remember wanting to read this book years ago when it first came out but, honestly, I just plain old forgot. However, going through some notes the other day, I remembered that I had meant to check out some of Sloane Crosley’s work, and decided to start here. And boy, did I love it! I’ve been exploring the essay form in my own writing lately, so reading her work was fun and joyful. She talks about a lot of topics with such ease and clarify that I was in awe of her writing. I immediately put her other work on my To Read List and am very excited to check it out. There’s a lot of little gems in here, but I particularly loved her moving story in New York City because… Well, as she says, we all have a crazy one. Hers was indeed one of the worst I heard, but it was a joy to remember some of my own tales as I read hers. (Started: 7/8/2018, Finished: 7/10/2018 — via Overdrive)
95. Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy
by Angela Garbes
Narrated by Roxana Ortega
I recently heard a podcast interview with this author, which my husband sent to me, and I was very intrigued. I had actually read something about her book previously, so it made me even more excited to pick it up from my local library. And boy, was I right! This book is a phenomenal and intriguing journey into pregnancy and motherhood. I learned so much, from what the placenta is (or, rather, how little science knows about this organ that our body literally grows) to how breastfeeding works and why it is so miraculous. There was no right or wrong way to do pregnancy here, which is another reason to love this book. Despite the author’s own plans, she had to have a C-Section, and she speaks about it with candor. Also, her story of first-time sex after giving birth is… hilarious and traumatizing. As someone who has never been pregnant (yet), I learned a TON and would definitely recommend this to anyone — man and woman alike. Please read! (Started: 7/11/2018, Finished: 7/13/2018 — via Overdrive)
96. Water for Elephants
by Sara Gruen
Narrated by David LeDoux & John Randolph Jones
I picked up this book because it is my book club’s pick for July (we do books that have been turned into movies) and I was delighted. I’ve never seen the movie, though I will now, and this was a really sweet and cute story. It wasn’t as shocking or surprising as I expected, I guess, and I had a few issues with the novel as a whole… But all in all, it was a good read. I do wonder how it compares to the movie, and I’m excited to find out soon. I think my only big complaint is that I wish there had been a bigger or more obvious development of feelings between the main character and his object of desire. It definitely felt like he wanted to be the savior in a way, and loved her… why? I’m not totally sure, other than that she is pretty and broken. But it was still a sweet story, I guess. It’s not really my kind of book typically so I don’t have a ton to say about it, to be honest. (Started: 7/14/2018, Finished: 7/16/2018 — via Overdrive)
97. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer
by Michelle McNamara
Narrated by Gabra Zackman
I’m not hugely into crime (as you can see by pretty much everything else on this list), but I was fascinated by the story of this book and this author. In case you don’t know, Michelle McNamara was Patton Oswalt’s wife until her tragic and sudden passing in April 2016. She was a crime writer and, at the time of her passing, in the middle of writing this book. At the time of her passing and the book’s publication earlier this year, the Golden State Killer was still at large. He was caught a few months ago. I had to wait quite a bit for this book to come from my library’s queue, but I finally got it. Although I don’t enjoy crime as a genre, Michelle is a fantastic writer and this book (especially what she pieced together before her untimely death) were fascinating and very, very well written. It’s definitely a really interesting case and now I am excited to read a bit more about the capture of this criminal. I’d like to think that Michelle had quite a bit to do with it. (Started: 7/17/2018, Finished: 7/20/2018 — via Overdrive)
98. Between Breaths: A Memoir of Panic and Addiction
by Elizabeth Vargas
Narrated by author
I read this book in two quick days because it was super enjoyable and I hardcore related to Elizabeth Vargas’ story. To be honest, I didn’t know much about her until I recently heard her interview on a podcast I love… and knew I had to read this book ASAP. The book had actually been on my list for a while, but I picked it up immediately because I realized that I had a lot in common with Elizabeth’s story of drinking. Like her, I drank for years without any consequences and didn’t even realize that I was using alcohol to calm my anxiety. It wasn’t until many years into my drinking life that it became a problem and I needed to go to rehab. She talks about her rehab experience so honestly, along with her earlier memories of anxiety and panic, that I really related to her story. So much of what she said were things that I related to or was terrified by (in a good way). Especially in talking about her divorce and kids towards the end of the book, it helped me to remember why I can never drink again. Definitely a great memoir, and I learned so much about how my anxiety and drinking were related. (Started: 7/20/2018, Finished: 7/21/2018 — via Overdrive)
99. On Edge: A Journey Through Anxiety
by Andrea Petersen
Narrated by author
I was very much impressed by this book, which I recently bought on a whim on Audible. I have been trying to read more books about anxiety, and this one was an interesting journey into anxiety that had a good amount of research. There’s something about books like this, which are half-memoir and half-research, that really speak to me. There’s so much to learn about anxiety still, and I really enjoyed this foray into it, especially as someone who has anxiety as well. The most interesting part of the book, for me right now anyway, was about how anxiety is transferred through genetics or in utero to your kids. Since both my husband and I have anxiety, this was really interesting. I read the book a bit slower than usual, though, because there were quite a few podcasts that were taking my attention as well. Still, I would definitely recommend this book to those interested in exploring anxiety and learning more. (Started: 7/23/2018, Finished: 7/30/2018 — via Audible)
100. I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World
by Malala Yousafzai
Narrated by Archie Panjabi
I’ve been meaning to read this book for several years now. In fact, it is one of the books that originally inspired the #101audiobooksin1001days challenge because it’s a book that I had in paperback… and never read. But once I realized that I love audiobooks, it became easy to read and so I added this to my queue. Sadly, I didn’t get to it till now — which I really wish I had gotten to sooner because the book was absolutely fabulous. It’s a great book, and I loved hearing Malala’s story up close and personal. I knew bits and pieces of it from before, but this deep-dive into how she stood up for education (and was shot by the Taliban) was fascinating. The book also included quite a bit of history of Pakistan, both past and more recent, and that was probably my favorite part. But really, the book was a great examination into what a single person can accomplish to change the world… and indeed, Malala has. (Started: 8/1/2018, Finished: 8/3/2018 — via Overdrive)
101. How to Write Non-Fiction: Turn Your Knowledge into Words
by Joanna Penn
Narrated by Caroline Holroyd
I read Joanna Penn’s excellent book, The Healthy Writer, a couple months ago and it was a revelation. I’ve enjoyed her blog for a while and also really like her podcast, so I was excited when this new book of her came out. I write primarily non-fiction as a journalist, but this book was an interesting take on the topic. To be honest, it wasn’t super relevant for me because I primarily write journalism and creative non-fiction (my memoir) but it was still a really good basic guide into the world of non-fiction. I think it’s more relevant for entrepreneurs and authors who want to self-publish their work, another reason why this book wasn’t really for me, but there was a lot of information. Primarily, I love Joanna’s attitude to do what you love. Her own story of authorship and success is pretty incredible and she details a good chunk of it here, including her marketing plan. There was a LOT to learn and I’d definitely say this is a good starter book for anyone interested in writing non-fiction books… especially if they want to self-publish them or build a business around their writing. (Started: 8/5/2018, Finished: 8/9/2018 — via Audible)
102. Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture
by Roxane Gay
Narrated by Roxane Gay, Brandon Taylor, Emma Smith-Stevens, A.J. McKenna, Lisa Mecham, Vanessa Martir, xTx, & Sophie Mayer
I’m not even sure where to start with this really important book. It’s an anthology that I first remember reading about a while ago, and I was excited to to finally get it. I mean, excited in a petrified way because this book was going to be heavy… And it definitely was. It was a difficult book to read, but had a lot of insights that really moved me. I’ve been lucky enough to have never experienced rape or serious sexual harassment but, like most women, I have experienced plenty of cat calls and all that. It’s pretty horrifying and I felt like I was living some of these experiences myself, but it was a great read. So visceral, so heart-wrenching. It’s definitely a great read for anyone who… I dunno, really anyone. And everyone. The book doesn’t really offer solutions but it does offer a deeper understanding of our current culture. (Started: 8/9/2018, Finished: 8/11/2018 — via Overdrive)
103. The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl
by Issa Rae
Narrated by author
I wanted to start a book immediately after my last one, though usually I take a quick podcasting break, but decided to go straight into this one because I needed something a bit on the happier side. I really loved reading about Issa Rae’s life, upbringing, her thoughts on everything from black culture to being awkward to relationships and everything in between. My only real complaint about the book is that it was not chronologically laid out. This isn’t usually an issue for me, but this book really felt like it could have been a bit easier to follow if it was chronological. Still, it was a wonderful read filled with lots of great and fun tidbits. She has a really interesting take on the world, and this was a fun read for anyone. (Started: 8/11/2018, Finished: 8/13/2018 — via Overdrive)
104. Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
by Trevor Noah
Narrated by author
I’ve seen a few of Trevor Noah’s The Daily Show videos, and especially lately, and have been really wanting to read his memoir… that I’ve actually owned for almost a year. So, finally, I decided it was time. I was just really in the mood for it this week, so I read it while finishing up packing and moving houses — and it was a thrill! To be honest, I don’t know a whole lot about apartheid or South Africa for that matter, other than just some basics. It’s a country that I would love to visit someday, but his book made me want to visit even more. The stories from his childhood are absolutely fascinating. He’s technically mixed race (his dad is white, his mom is black), so his insights into color, race, and society as a whole are absolutely fascinating. Because he grew up in that intersection, he has a lot to say and has observed a lot growing up. There wasn’t really much about his rise in his career or even a mention of The Daily Show, which is fine by me. The book was a fascinating look into his childhood and his past and, especially, into a country’s history and how it has tried to rise from it. I would absolutely recommend this book for anyone, especially those of us in the West who may not know all that much about South Africa. (Started: 8/16/2018, Finished: 8/18/2018 — via Audible)
105. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
by Brené Brown
Narrated by Karen White
I’ve been on the waitlist for this book at my local library for quite some time. Brené Brown’s work on shame and vulnerability has seriously EXPLODED in the past few years, so I was happy to finally get to delve into it (after watching her Ted Talk quite a few times). There was a LOT that I got out of this book, so I don’t even know where to start. Probably some of the biggest lessons were about the power of vulnerability… I learned why I tend to catastrophize in my head, why it’s important to demonstrate the behaviors that you want your kids to learn, and so much more. This book is definitely a must-read, and I am excited to get to her next couple of books soon. (Started: 8/20/2018, Finished: 8/22/2018 — via Overdrive)
106. Get Your Sh*t Together: How to Stop Worrying About What You Should Do So You Can Finish What You Need to Do and Start Doing What You
by Sarah Knight
Narrated by author
I listened to this book all in one day and, let me tell you, it was awesome. I spent the better chunk of my day cooking and taking care of errands while reading this book, and it was a great motivator for me. After having read her original book earlier this year (which I also loved), this was a good follow-up… and I am looking forward to her third book, which is currently in my queue. But anyway, this book was filled with really helpful tidbits on getting more out of life. Like her first book, a lot of it is about stopping the B.S. of doing stuff that you simply don’t want to do or don’t enjoy. There was a lot about letting go of worry but also time management. My favorite piece of advice by far was about creating a “To Do List” for the day, and then a “Must Do List.” The latter is a list of things that you HAVE to get done in order to feel good/productive about your day, because often we put too much on our original TDL and then feel as if we’re failures when we can’t get done all the things that it was unrealistic for us to do in the first place. That’s a lesson I will be taking with me in the future! (Started: 8/24/2018, Finished: 8/24/2016 — via Overdrive)
107. White American Youth: My Descent into America’s Most Violent Hate Movement — and How I Got Out
by Christian Picciolini
Narrated by author, Joan Jett (introduction)
“America has a domestic terrorism problem,” says the author of this book about the Neo-Nazi movement in the U.S. It was an absolutely fascinating read and, I am telling you now, EVERYONE in America needs to read this book. The problem is very, very real and very, very scary. Christian Picciolini was involved with this hate movement in the late 80s/early 90s, and has since getting out, trying to combat it. This memoir is mostly about his time (and how he got out) but also about the rise of this movement… There isn’t a ton on what it is today, but it is still alive and well. If nothing else, but the events in Charlottesville in 2017 showed that. But it goes so much deeper than that and is a much bigger problem than most people realize. It’s truly terrifying to me how this kind of hate could exist 73 years after the end of World War II. Didn’t the world defeat the Nazis? Isn’t that an agreement that what they did was wrong? You would think so, but these people are still out there, terrifying us all. Even though their numbers may be small, their hate is large. I really hope more people will read this book and recognize what is going on. (Started: 8/25/2018, Finished: 8/26/2018 — via Overdrive)
108. Small Animals: Parenthood in the Age of Fear
by Kim Brooks
Narrated by author
This book is absolutely MIND BLOWING. There are so many things I want to say about this book, but primarily that I think all parents (and parents-to-be) should read this. The amount of shaming that goes into parenthood and, even worse, how our ideas about parenting have changed in just a generation or two are both fascinating and disappointing. The things that are happening now, especially to marginalized peoples like women of color, is truly sad. I don’t know what life will be like for me when I become a mom. I don’t know if my anxiety will go up or down (or stay the same), if I will ever have to be faced with the choice to leave my kid in the car for a couple of minutes, or anything else for that matter. But I do know that this over-parenting and especially the emphasis on women to be perfect as Mothers (and their inability to be just regular human beings after they have a child) needs to be let go of. I’m increasingly intrigued by the idea of free-range parenting, and this book has inspired me to look into it further. It’s definitely a great take on what parenting is like today and, in particular, how “fear” has transformed our world. (Started: 8/27/2018, Finished: 8/28/2016 — via Overdrive)
109. Kintsugi Wellness: The Japanese Art of Nourishing Body, Mind, and Soul
by Candice Kumai
Narrated by author
I have to be honest and say that I don’t really much of Candice Kumai’s work. I know that she’s a wellness influencer and a pretty big deal on Instagram, but that was pretty much the extent of my knowledge. Reading her book, Kintsugi Wellness, taught me a lot about her and Japanese culture, and I was thrilled to learn. Although I feel like this book didn’t really present anything super new on the topic of wellness (the same “eat well, exercise more” advice is present), the things it did present I took to heart. One of the best parts about this book was the advice to do your best but also not be too hard on yourself. And, of course, the whole explanation of what kintsugi was (that I hadn’t really known about before) and how it relates to wellness. Primarily, it’s about how your scars make you more beautiful… And, ultimately, how to heal yourself. That’s what the majority of the book was about, along with Japanese culture and how it relates to wellness, and I loved it. Also, the last chapter of the book is about all of the different regions of Japan and it seriously re-ignited my desire to go there. (Started: 8/31/2018, Finished: 9/1/2018 — via Audible)
110. Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life From Dear Sugar
by Cheryl Strayed
Narrated by author
I was absolutely heartbroken when I heard a few months ago that my all-time favorite podcast, Dear Sugars, was going away. Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond no longer have time for it and want to focus on other projects, which is good for those of us who are a fan of their works but bad news for those of us who LOVE the podcast. Although I’m technically both, I was still sad to see Dear Sugars go… which is why, right after listening to their last episode, I decided to read Tiny Beautiful Things — a collection of Cheryl Strayed’s advice from the original Dear Sugar column. Reading this was really interesting. I absolutely loved the “Write like a motherfucker” entry but there were so many other gems that I wouldn’t even know where to start. Still, it made me feel really sad that Cheryl Strayed is officially out of the advice business… Bummer. (Started: 9/3/2018, Finished: 9/11/2018 — via Overdrive)
111. The Princess Bride
by William Goldman
Narrated by Rob Reiner
I decided to read my book club book this month earlier than usual, and am so thrilled I did. Like many people of my generation, I grew up loving the movie The Princess Bride. Reading the book of it was pretty satisfying as well, to be honest, though I will also admit that the movie was so similar to the book that I’m not even sure what to write in this mini-review. The biggest thing is that I had no idea that The Princess Bride was actually originally a much longer story and was cut down to become the tale we know today. I can’t wait for this month’s book club get-together so that we can discuss this book, the differences between the book and movie (very few, if any?) and what we think of the casting. It’s definitely a fun tale, and I think would be a great one to read to my kids one day. Yes, just like in the book/movie. (Started: 9/13/2018, Finished: 9/13/2018 — via Overdrive)
112. Nothing Good Can Come from This: Essays
by Kristi Coulter
Narrated by author
Just over two years ago, after moving to Florida to re-start my life and career after becoming sober, I read Kristi Coulter’s viral essay “Enjoli” and LOVED it. Now I’m thrilled to find out that she turned her work into a book, and waited anxiously until it was released. The essays in this book are all fascinating to me, as I very much appreciate her writing about what life was like not only during her drinking years but also afterwards. She speaks in a fascinating way about drinking, feminism, and life after you’ve finally decided to quit. It doesn’t sound like she had some crazy, huge “rock bottom” type of moment — just a revelation that enough was enough, and she needed to stop. And one day, she did. It was a fascinating story and especially fascinating to me because she has grown so much as a person since stopping her drinking, and I am very inspired by her story. Would definitely recommend this book to anyone who might suspect they have a tiny issue with drinking, or even just anyone who is interested in reading more about what it’s like to be a woman drinker… and what happens afterwards. (Started: 9/14/2018, Finished: 9/15/2018 — via Audible)
113. The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People’s Lives, Too)
by Gretchen Rubin
Narrated by author
I’ve already read Gretchen Rubin’s other three books (earlier on this list) so it should come as no surprise that I read her latest. Sadly, even though I bought this book almost a year ago when it first came out, I didn’t actually read it until now. To be honest, I actually had a lot of this information already (on the Four Tendencies — including that I am an Obliger and my husband is a Rebel) from listening to Rubin’s podcast Happier and reading just those sections in this book a few months ago. I find the information INCREDIBLY useful, and wanted to finally read the rest of the book. In fact, I read the two Obliger chapters twice and, to be honest, I might be reading them another few times… It has become incredibly invaluable information for me to have, and I absolutely love it. It’s SO useful to know that I am an Obliger as it has changed the way I work and the way I pursue work. Now I’m eagerly looking forward to Rubin’s next book (Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter and Organize to Make More Room for Happiness). In fact, I love this book SO MUCH that I am now signed up to take the Four Tendencies Course so that I can learn even more about myself. Seriously, I love Rubin’s work and I can’t wait to learn more. (Started: 9/17/2018, Finished: 9/21/2018 — via Audible)
114. Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness
by Ingrid Fetell Lee
Narrated by author
I honestly cannot remember now where I first heard about this book, but I am really glad that I did. It had a lot of run and surprising things to say about finding joy in “ordinary things.” Some of that includes a lot of what you would expect, like bright colors and nature and good light, but some of it is less than expected. There’s a lot of good research in the book, so all of the claims are backed up by studies. That was probably the most surprising part of the book, but I definitely found moments of inspiration and even got some ideas on how to add little doses of joy to my own life. It also helped to explain some things about myself, like why I feel calmer working in a clean and tidy house. And, most surprisingly, there was some truly fun and interesting information on circles and round things. Trust me on this, and go read this book. Maybe you’ll find some joy as well. (Started: 9/23/2018, Finished: 9/25/2018 — via Overdrive)
115. Pride
by Ibi Zoboi
Narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo
I had recently heard about this book from an acquaintance and was excited to pick it up soon, especially since I read Zoboi’s American Street earlier this year and loved it. However, last week I ended up writing a story on Zoboi taking down an “insulting review” that she received and it really ignited my desire to read this book ASAP. Luckily, my library had it and I snatched it right up. This book is a retelling of the classic Jane Austen novel Pride & Prejudice but set in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The main character is an Afro-Latina teen and her words are awesome. She’s a poet, super smart, and really, really hates the new Darcy family that moved into the mini-mansion across the street… And, well, you can kind of imagine the rest. But you really can’t because the language of this book is superb, and I loved the super smart retelling of a classic book. Definitely a high recommendation for this one! (Started: 9/26/2018, Finished: 9/28/2018 — via Overdrive)
116. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
by Anthony Bourdain
Narrated by author
This book has been on my “to read” list for ages. In fact, I am ashamed to admit that a friend let me borrow a paperback copy of this book maybe, say, 5 years ago and I never gave it back to her. I just never had time because of my whole thing with being a writer who doesn’t read. But anyway, I’m FINALLY getting around to it. It’s a bit of a bummer for me to say that it took Bourdain’s tragic suicide this past summer in order for me to FINALLY read this book but it seems that I am not the only one to feel that way just based on the wait that this book had at my local library. Reading this, though, was pretty much the way I thought it would be. I had heard a lot about the book already and was fairly familiar with Bourdain’s work based on his TV shows. It was a really fun read, especially because he has changed so much since this book was published in 2001. What really struck me, though, was how difficult it was to read. It took me several days and I had to keep taking breaks because, honestly, it made me sad. The book itself was great, though. I want to give it to my baby brother, who is a cook. It was a wonderful read and I only wish there was more. (Started: 10/1/2018, Finished: 10/5/2018 — via Overdrive)
117. Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger
by Soraya Chemaly
Narrated by author
Oh MAN. A lot of my friends and acquaintances are reading this book, which convinces me that I sure do know how to pick the right people to be around, so I jumped on board too. I definitely picked a difficult week to do so, though, since all of the Brett Kavanaugh stuff was happening at this time — and to be honest, it’s been ROUGH. Reading this book about women’s anger, especially the beginning part of it, actually made me feel more depressed than anything else. There is so much excellent research in this book about why women’s anger is seen negatively, but it just made me feel hopeless. Will things ever change? I’m not sure. So this book actually had the opposite effect on me — my anger turned into depression and hopelessness. But… I’m trying to get through it. Regardless, this book was wonderful. The ending, where she goes into ways we can channel our rage, is particularly helpful. (Started: 10/5/2018, Finished: 10/8/2018 — via Overdrive)
118. What If It’s Us
by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera
Narrated by Noah Galvin & Froy Gutierrez
After my last book, I really needed something a bit happier — and this young adult novel was the perfect book. Written by two of my favorite authors in the genre (I’ve read a few of their books already), the story of Ben and Arthur was one that I really, really needed to read right now. It was the perfect teen rom-com, filled with plenty of heartbreak, misunderstandings, drama, and also love and joy and funny moments. In fact, I cracked up reading this book more than once, including in the very first chapter. I think I am definitely an Arthur, despite being half Cuban and a very white Latinx person like Ben. It’s such a sweet story and a lot more surprising than you’d imagine so I would definitely recommend it to everyone. I’m especially happy because not only did I love this novel but it’s also being turned into a movie. With Albertalli’s last book-made-into-a-movie, Love, Simon, being such a big hit, I’m not surprised. And I can’t WAIT to see this on the big screen. (Started: 10/12/2018, Finished: 10/14/2018 — via Overdrive)
119. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
by Brené Brown
Narrated by author
I’ve been on the waitlist for this book from my library ever since I found out about its release, and I was thrilled to get it shortly after it finally came out. My only real complaint about this book would be that it really focuses on bosses and leadership, which to be honest isn’t really a complaint at all since that is clearly spelled out. I learned quite a bit from this book and very much enjoyed reading it, but a lot of it didn’t apply to me (since I am a freelance writer, so not “leading” anyone). As with a lot of her books, though, there is a lot of insight into shame and bravery. There were many tidbits that I ended up sharing with my husband because I felt they were pertinent to us. It’s definitely a great book and I would highly recommend it for anyone who loves her work and/or is climbing the corporate ladder. (Started: 10/23/2018, Finished: 10/25/2018 — via Overdrive)
120. Interview with the Vampire
by Anne Rice
Narrated by Simon Vance
My book club reads a book that has been made into a movie every month and for this October, we chose a classic: Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire. I’ve been meaning to read this book ever since I was younger so it was great to have an excuse to finally do it. I really enjoyed the book and even made my husband watch the movie but, to be honest, it felt pretty slow at parts. In fact, I fell asleep during Louis and Claudia’s trip to Europe (before they meet the other vampires). Still, it’s still a classic and worth a read if you loved the movie. It’s a really interesting history and a good look into one of the most popular vampire lores out there. Now, I’m not a HUGE vampire fan (Buffy the Vampire is my jam, though) but it’s still a classic for a reason. (Started: 10/26/2018, Finished: 10/29/2018 — via Overdrive)
121. It’s Okay to Laugh (Crying Is Cool Too)
by Nora McInerny Purmort
Narrated by author
It took me a little longer than usual to finish this book but that is only because I had a 5-day trip in between reading and no time to read during my actual trip. Well, guess what? This book turned out to be one of my favorites. Like, seriously, it has shot up into my Top 3 that I’ve read so far on this list. That’s how good it is! At first read, that might sound weird since this book has a fairly depressing story. It’s a memoir where the author has a miscarriage, quickly followed by the death of her dad and then her husband. Terrible, right? But the book is so well written (and so well read by the author herself!) that it was impossible to put down during those moments when I had time to read. It was lovely and complicated and hysterical in parts and incredibly sad in other parts. I highly, highly recommend it to others. In fact, it will likely be a long time before I can stop thinking about this one! (Started: 11/2/2018, Finished: 11/9/2018 — via Audible)
122. You Do You: How to Be Who You Are and Use What You’ve Got to Get What You Want
by Sarah Knight
Narrated by author
I was thrilled to FINALLY get this book from my library after quite a long wait. This is the right of Knight’s books that I have read during my #101audiobooksin1001days challenge and I am happy to report that I have also added her fourth (which comes out in December) to my queue. Anyway, I really liked this book a lot. It’s a great take on why you should basically give up the judgy bullshit that people say about you and especially the stuff you say about yourself. A lot of it deals in confidence and different situations during which you should continue to “do you” (such as at work or with family). It’s a really good primer after her last two books, though you wouldn’t have had to necessarily have read them. I think I still like her first the best but this one is great for anyone who needs a bit of a kick in the butt in the self-confidence department. (Started: 11/11/2018, Finished: 11/13/2018 — via Overdrive)
123. Becoming
by Michelle Obama
Narrated by author
I have to admit: I’ve been excited about this book ever since I first heard about it sometime in June. In fact, I stalked my library’s app until I saw that the book was available for them to pre-order and then I got promptly on the queue. Because I was the first to jump on board, I of course got the book right when it came out and… Well, it was very much worth the wait. This book is a beautiful, honest portrayal of the former First Lady. I didn’t really know much about her upbringing or her life before becoming FLOTUS, and I was thrilled to learn more about her life before she got into the spotlight. Her story of growing up on the South Side of Chicago was absolutely fascinating and I was enthralled learning about her education and how important it was to her. Of course, her and Barack’s love story is truly magical. The way she supported her husband is lovely and it was also additionally fun to get an “inside look” of what it’s like to be FLOTUS, including how she launched several of the initiatives she went after while in the White House. She also ended it on a positive note about being open to new people and experiences. I truly loved this. (Started: 11/14/2018, Finished: 11/26/2018 — via Overdrive)
124. Fed Up: Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward
by Gemma Hartley
Narrated by Therese Plummer
I pre-ordered this book a while back and have been anxiously awaiting to read it for months. However, I didn’t get a chance to do that until a few weeks after its release and I am SO glad that I finally did. For one thing, I appear briefly in this book and that was fun to see. For another, emotional labor is something that I am slowly starting to understand more and more and it is a topic of conversation that needs to happen more between men and women in relationships. In fact, it should happen in all relationships because this is not limited to hetero-normative relationships. So are women fed up? Hellz yeah, we are! But the only way to make things better for all of us is to read books like this and to open up the communication channels. I sincerely hope that this book is being read by more than just women like me but by the men who love them too. I bet they would learn a thing or two also. (Started: 12/1/2018, Finished: 12/2/2018 — via Audible)
125. Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility
by Sami S. David, M.D., & Jill Blakeway, LAc
Narrated by Chris Kayser
I got this book a while back with the obvious purpose of reading it before my husband and I decided to start trying for a baby and, well, since that time isn’t too far away now, it felt like the perfect time to read it. I have to say: Half of this book was very helpful and the other half I decided not to read. Now, I have never done this before during this challenge and I am not likely to do it again but hear me out. The first of the book is about the basics of conception and I found that information incredibly helpful, especially what they wrote about tracking your basal body temp and whatnot. However, the second part started to go into this whole Chinese Medicine thing about infertility and… well, I just can’t relate. Mainly, the second half of the book is about solving various infertility issues and I just didn’t feel that it was pertinent to me. And, to be even more honesty, I didn’t want to scare myself with worrying about all the shit that COULD happen. So, instead, I am going to say I finished this book and, if I truly need to, read the latter half a couple years from now. But hopefully I won’t. (Started: 12/3/2018, Finished: 12/6/2018 — via Audible)
126. The Impatient Woman’s Guide to Getting Pregnant
by Jean M. Twenge, PhD, & Sarah Appleton, MD
Narrated by Vanessa Daniels
I really, really enjoyed this book about getting pregnant as an impatient woman myself. My husband often jokes about me not having any patience and, well, it’s kind of true. I know this isn’t the typical book that I review during my #101audiobooksin1001days challenge, but it’s what I am reading right now so here it is. If you are looking to get pregnant, then this is definitely the book that I would recommend to others. There’s a lot of great details about the biology of it, which is very necessary of course, but also some great insight into the mental health aspect of getting pregnant and dealing with fertility issues. I don’t think that’s talked about enough, honestly, because so many people casually say “oh, you’ll get there!” or “just be patient” and that’s just NOT realistic. But this book really helped me to understand the basics. (Started: 12/6/2018, Finished: 12/9/2018 — via Audible)
127. Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Life and Reducing Your Waste
by Bea Johnson
Narrated by Henrietta Meire
I’ve been thinking a lot about how my husband and I want to lead our lives, especially because being eco-conscious is important to both of us. So it felt like the perfect time to read this book! I learned a good amount here. There were some thins that I was already doing and some things I wish she had talked more about (like cutting back on meat, which granted we already do as a vegetarian/pescatarian couple) but I also learned tons. My personal biggest takeaways here were about buying in bulk (especially with food), reducing our use of plastic and paper (like paper towels!), and generally just being more conscious of our consumption. The big thing I also want to now tackle thanks to this book is composting. I am excited to try it in 2019! There were also a lot of things in this book that felt too “advanced” for where I am right now, like her various recipes for homemade cleaner and stuff like that. But I may be rereading this one in the future for more ideas… So we’ll see. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is actively thinking about the kind of life they want to lead and what they can do to be more environmentally friendly (which I HOPE would be everyone someday!). (Started: 12/11/2018, Finished: 12/16/2018 — via Audible)
128. Smart Couples Finish Rich: 9 Steps to Creating a Rich Future for You and Your Partner
by David Bach
Narrated by author
I wanted to finish off 2018 with a book that would inspire a successful 2019, which is why I picked Smart Couples Finish Rich. This is actually a book that I bought this time last year, just as Adam and I were about to get married, and haven’t made time to read… Which has been obvious in the way our finances have gone this year. Despite it being written in 2002, the paperback book had an update earlier in 2018. But since I did the audiobook version, that was from 2005. It was evident when he talked about the booming economy and was, honestly, a little painful. However, the major lessons of the book still very much hold up — especially when it comes to planning financial goals together and all of his advice about getting your finances in order NOW. There’s a lot of invaluable tidbits and things that I want to incorporate into my own life and would HIGHLY recommend everyone who is married (or planning to get married) to get this book ASAP. (Started: 12/16/2018, Finished: 12/16/2018 — via Audible)
129. Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth and Get Rich Trying
by David Bach with Hillary Rosner
Narrated by author & Oliver Wyman
I very much enjoyed going from David Bach’s book on couples getting rich to this similarly-titled book on how to be rich by going green. It’s actually been something that my husband and I have been talking about a lot lately, so it was a joy to read this title. I got a lot of good advice from this book and certainly many things that I hope to use in the future. There was some older information, though, since the book is from 2018 and doesn’t take into account the rise of electric cars and whatnot… But still, many of the ideas presented here were top-notch and I can’t wait to incorporate them more into my life. Honestly, it’s a SUPER great read for anyone who cares even a tiny bit about the environment. Which, well, isn’t that everyone? (Started: 12/17/2018, Finished: 12/20/2018 — via Audible)
130. How to Be Everything: A Guide for Those Who (Still) Don’t Know What They Want to Be When They Grow Up
by Emilie Wapnick
Narrated by Allyson Ryan
I’ve been meaning to read this book ever since I watched Emilie Wapnick’s Ted Talk on how “some of us don’t have one true calling”, which was actually BEFORE this book ever came out. But her knowledge of multipotentialites is something that I was deeply interested in because I think that might be me… I am not one of those people who has ever been able to have a single goal. I’m always going after many things at once and reading about how others like me do it was totally enlightening. In fact, I highly recommended this book to two friends of mine who seem to be multipotentialites too. I am sure that they will enjoy it and I am sure that anyone else who doesn’t have “one thing” they want to do in life (or one thing they want to write about, as is the case for me) will especially find this helpful. It allowed me to delve deeper into what I want to do with my life and figure out how to use my multipotentiality to work for me. Definitely a great read. (Started: 12/20/2018, Finished: 12/23/2018 — via Overdrive)
131. Side Hustle: From Idea to Income in 27 Days
by Chris Gillebeau
Narrated by author
I wanted to follow up my last book with another one about work, which is why it felt like exactly the right time to read this Side Hustle book. Although I completely hate the word “hustle” (for things not having to do with this book), I very much loved this one. It had a lot of great ideas on how to develop, nurture, and succeed at side hustles. The book gave me a lot of ideas on things I may want to do and even more ideas on how to do it well. I think this is definitely one that I may want to reread a few times because it was just that good. If you’ve ever thought about starting a side business, I would definitely recommend this book. And, best of all, the author also has a podcast for anyone that wants more information. It’s called (duh) Side Hustle School. (Started: 12/23/2018, Finished: 12/30/2018 — via Overdrive)
132. Bad with Money: The Imperfect Art of Getting Your Financial Sh*t Together
by Gaby Dunn
Narrated by author
I have to confess that I actually forgotten that I had pre-ordered this book a little while ago based on my love of Dunn’s podcast of the same name, so I was surprised and thrilled to get an email from Audible letting me know that my book was ready for download on January 1st. Yay! Well, reading this book was fantastic. I absolutely love the way it combined a lot of the author’s tale so that it’s almost a memoir… but with good information about managing money. My only real complaint about the book is that it tended to skew on the younger side for me, talking a lot about college and unpaid internships. But what I was especially impressed by here is that the book talked about income inequality for women and people of color in a way that you NEVER hear other finance books talk about (which Dunn also points out). The author comes off as very realistic and knowledgeable in her money account and I very much love her honesty and admission of mistakes. Honestly, I’ve made a lot of similar mistakes so it was refreshing to hear. And, of course, it was filled with information I can now use to correct some of those mistakes. (Started: 1/1/2018, Finished: 1/2/2018 — via Audible)
133. Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness
by Richard T. Thaler
Narrated by Robert Bair
This book was one of the most fascinating books I have read during this reading challenge and, really, that’s saying a lot. I’ve read a lot of good ones so far but this one definitely takes the cake. It’s a really interesting account on decision making but what it really taught me is why people are afraid to make decisions or, even worse, why we make some of the decisions we make. Surprisingly, although it was written many years before, this book taught me a few things that helped me to understand why people voted for Trump (the whole “losing bias”). It was really interesting and I learned so much in this book. I’d definitely recommend it for anyone who considers themselves a choice architect. (Started: 1/3/2018, Finished: 1/6/2019 — via Overdrive
134. Dumplin’
by Julie Murphy
Narrated by Eileen Stevens
I’ve been meaning to read this book ever since I saw the lovely Netflix movie that was based on it. Actually, I’ve been meaning to read this book a lot longer but finally got to do it after wathching the movie for like the 10th time. The book is, as usual, better than the movie. There are a few things that I enjoyed about the movie more, though, like how the drag queens are a lot more involved. I also really loved seeing the visuals of the pageant rather than just hearing about it. But, as usual, the book was a lot better about portraying Willowdean’s inner thoughts and her relationship with Bo. Definitely a fun novel, I’d say. And I think I need to read the sequel soon. (Started: 1/7/2019, Finished: 1/11/2019 — via Overdrive)
135. Calm the F*ck Down: How to Control What You Can and Accept What You Can’t So You Can Stop Freaking Out and Get on with Your Life
by Sarah Knight
Narrated by author
This is the fourth book by Sarah Knight that I am reading and it is the fourth book by her that I am loving. So far, she and Gretchen Rubin are the only authors that I have red so much… and it has been well worth it. I didn’t even really know what this book was about. The only thing I knew is that I love her writing and I wanted to read it but, shockingly, I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be anxiety. Since I suffer from anxiety, I really loved this book in particular because she provided me with half a dozen helpful things. However, I definitely need to reread it a few more times so that I can absorb all of her advice and do it more often than not. (Started: 1/12/2019, Finished: 1/13/2019 — via Overdrive)
136. Atomic Marriage
by Curtis Sittenfield
Narrated by Diane Lane
I actually wasn’t really planning to read this book next but I wanted something short and easy, so this came up. It was an Audible original that I got for free this month and, really, it was super fun. I have yet to read anything else by Curtis Sittenfelt but I know that she is well-regarded for writing women’s literature. This one is really more of a fun short story based on a really cool concept. I think I would have love to see this book in a longer format but, in the meantime, it was a really enjoyable, short read. The fact that it was narrated by Diane Lane made it even more enjoyable, actually. It’s not every day that you hear a great actress narrate a book… So why not? (Started: 1/13/2019, Finished: 1/13/2019 — via Audible)
137. The Distance Between Us
by Reyna Grande
Narrated by Tanya Eby
I’ve been meaning to read more books by Latinas and so this year felt like the right time to start. I’ve had this immigration memoir in my back pocket for quite a little while, so it was a thrill to finally get to read it. The way that the author describes her physical and emotional separation from her father and then from her mother is touching. The whole book is one drama after the other but it’s her feelings of distance that really make it a great read. It’s so sad… and yet somehow hopeful, too. The distance between her and her parents is aptly felt and it’s surely difficult, but it’s also part of what makes her grow. I have to admit: For my first real immigration memoir, I think I did pretty damn well. (Started: 1/14/2019, Finished: 1/16/2019 — via Overdrive)
138. The Chronicles of Narnia:The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
by C.S. Lewis
Narrated by Michael York
As part of my book club, we read books that have been made into movies and decided to start 2019 with reading the first book in The Chronicles of Narvia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It’s a book that my friends and co-book club founder really loved as children and even have read the whole series… and I have not. I have to be honest and say that reading a children’s book as an adult is no fun. I know that some people will give me shit for this since I read a lot of young adult fiction but that’s just different. YA has a lot of adult feelings since these kids are coming into their own. There’s complex themes and issues… and that appears in children’s literature too, sure, but the story itself is usually pretty simplistic. Because of this, I didn’t personally really enjoy this book all that much. I watched the movie and felt the same. However, I do think it’s a lovely story and I am looking forward to re-reading it (and maybe even reading the whole series) once I have kids that are old enough to appreciate it. (Started: 1/24/19, Finished: 1/25/19 — via Overdrive)
139. Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 4
by Rachel Kramer Bussel
Narrated by Rose Caraway
I haven’t read erotica for years but, man, did I decide to get back into it with the right book! Full disclosure: The book’s editor is a friend of mine but that is not going to affect my review. That being said, I really loved the theme of the book was “risk,” which was clearly reflected in all of the short stories. It’s an alluring theme during this post-#MeToo age but one that I think a lot of women can relate to. The best part of this collection is that there is a lot of variety in it — from the type of sexy risks women take to the voices represented here. From getting off in a dressing room to helping save lives (and have sex) in the aftershock of an earthquake in Mexico City to an illicit relationship between two Amish women, there was plenty to be turned on by in this volume. Some of my favorite stories included those by Mica Kennedy, Sofia Quintero, Tamara Lush and R. M. Wood. Rachel Kramer Bussel really knows how to put together a great, sexy collection and I am now officially a convert. I will be reading many, many more in this series. (Started: 1/25/19, Finished: 1/29/19 — via Audible)
140. Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team
by Simon Sinek
Narrated by David Mead & author
I’ve been a big fan of Simon Sinek ever since I just saw some of his Ted Talks. His firsts one led to his book Start With Why but I was much more interested in actually finding out what my why is. There were a lot of great tips in this book but the main one was about how the stories that you tell and retell say something about you. I think that I actually have to do a bit more digging into my own stories to fully figure out my why but this book was definitely full of really helpful information. Really, for anyone that wants to understand themselves a little better and understand what drives them, then this book is for you. It’s full of really great, practical advice for discovering your purpose, just as the subtitle says, and I would highly recommend this method. Well, okay, I can’t fully recommend it yet since I haven’t tried it myself but it does seem pretty full proof. (Started: 1/29/19, Finished: 1/31/2019 — via Overdrive)
141. This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness, and Change Your Life
by Annie Grace
Narrated by author
I’ve seen this book recommended by many of my friends in recovery and am so glad that I finally read it. What I really loved about This Naked Mind is that it very purposefully takes you through the societal standards of alcohol and why we value this addictive drug so highly, as opposed to other drugs like cocaine or even cigarettes. There’s almost an absurdity to it, when you think about it. The book also takes you through the science of addiction and why your brain reacts a certain way to alcohol — all with the conclusion that basically anyone can get addicted to it and that we should all reevaluate our relationship with alcohol. Of course, I no longer drink, so this book is a bit of confirmation bias for me… But the author made a lot of really great points that made me, to be honest, really proud that I no longer drink. Would highly recommend this to ANYONE no matter where your relationship with alcohol is right now. (Started: 2/2/2019, Finished: 2/7/2019 — via Overdrive)
142. On the Come-Up
by Angie Thomas
Narrated by Bahni Turpin
I was a huge fan of Angie Thomas’ debut novel, The Hate U Give. Although I haven’t seen the movie yet, I was thrilled to learn a few months ago that Thomas was coming out with her second novel. Woo hoo! I immediately asked for my library to buy it and, thankfully, I received it shortly after the book came out. This novel is clearly not a sequel to her first but it definitely takes place in the same universe. In fact, the main character makes several references to “the boy who died/was shot by the police” and the riots that happened at the end of The Hate U Give. In this one, 16-year-old Bri is trying to build a rap career while everything around her seems to be getting worse. It’s a phenomenal follow-up and I highly recommend it to fans of the first or, really, to fans of the YA genre in general. (Started: 2/11/2019, Finished: 2/13/19 — via Overdrive)
143. Get Rich, Lucky Bitch!: Release Your Money Blocks and Live a First-Class Life
by Denise Duffield-Thomas
Narrated by author
One of my goals this year is to make more money but I also know that I have some issues surrounding making more dough, which is why I have recognized that I need to start reading some money mindset books to help. I’ve read a few money books in the past but none of them have been as helpful as this one. She walks her readers through identifying some of our hangups surrounding money and how to work through them. It’s going to take a lot of work but there were tons of really, really helpful tips here. I very much appreciated all of her insight and advice. I am looking forward to doing some serious journaling about all of this stuff and figuring out (and letting go of) my own issues around money, all thanks to this book. (Started: 2/14/19, Finished: 2/17/19 — via Audible)
144. Unwifeable
by Mandy Stadtmiller
Narrated by author
I’ve been meaning to read this book for a while and super glad I finally did. This hysterical novel of one writer’s rise in her career while dealing with various addictions and a string of bad relationships is one good reason. I thoroughly enjoyed Stadtmiller’s accounting of her life in New York City and, to be honest, it made me remember my 20s in the city as well. I love that the book really detailed her lows and her lows and more of her lows. I mean, yes, there were some highs… but it was pretty relatable because there were so many lows. And I don’t mean that in a schadenfreude way but in a way that I was really absorbed in her memoir and very much felt what she felt. It was, honestly, kind of heartwarming in the end. (Started: 2/26/19, Finished: 3/3/19 — via Overdrive)
145. Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter and Organize to Make More Room for Happiness
by Gretchen Rubin
Narrated by author
I am a huge Gretchen Rubin fan, as you can probably tell if you read the rest of this list and see that I have read all of her other books. And so, of course, I was excited that she had a new one coming out and that it was about a subject that is near and dear to my heart: decluttering and organizing. I had pre-ordered it on my Audible, which means that I got it the day that it came out though it took me until the next week to start reading it. Well, I have to be honest: I liked this book but it didn’t strike me with the same fierceness as some of her other works have. I mean, and I kid you not, The Four Tendencies totally changed the way that I think about my life. This book was… nice. It was good, really, for anyone that needs help with figuring out how and why to declutter and organize but that’s not really me. I kind of expected more science behind her methods and I didn’t find that. It was enjoyable in the end but not as impressive as her previous works. Still, her voice is so helpful and encouraging that I would definitely recommend this to anyone who needs someone who’s a bit more chill than Marie Kondo. (Started: 3/11/19, Finished: 3/12/19 — Audible)
146. The Sun is Also a Star
by Nicola Yoon
Narrated by Bahni Turpin, Raymond Lee & Dominic Hoffman
I’ve been meaning to read one of Nicola Yoon’s novels for many years and, somehow, just never got around to it until now. Thankfully, I started with a really good one. The best part is that this book is being made into a movie and I cannot WAIT. This novel was absolutely lovely and reminded me of how much I love YA fiction and how easily it is to get sucked into a tragic love story, like the one of Natasha and Daniel. It’s sweet and lovely and so sad and magical and just ALL THE FEELS. That’s really all I have to say about this beautiful book. How many feelings you’ll have reading this beautiful tale. And, hey, even seeing the movie in a couple of months would be great, too! (Started: 3/12/19, Finished: 3/15/19 — via Overdrive)
147. Parkland: Birth of a Movement
by Dave Cullen
Narrated by author & Robert Fass
Do you want to read a book where you are pretty much guaranteed to cry? Then look no further than the story of the Parkland shooting! Well, okay, that’s not necessarily true. This book is actually SO much more. It’s the story of what happened after. The subtitle, “birth of a movement,” is very accurate. This book goes into the movement that rose up from that tragic shooting on Valentine’s Day, 2018. The kids that built a national movement are such an inspiration that I am getting chills again just writing this review. It’s a powerful look into the next generation and what they are capable of. I’m constantly inspired by them, honestly. Though, yes, there are some tear-filled moments, too. (Started: 3/15/19, Finished: 3/18/19 — via Overdrive)
148. Love & War: An Alex & Eliza Story
by Melissa de la Cruz
Narrated by Cassandra Campbell
I’m not sure why I have been putting off reading the second novel in Melissa de la Cruz’s Alex & Eliza Trilogy but I have. It’s kind of silly of me, honestly, but I decided to finally read it since I found out that the final installment is coming out next month. And so, here I am. This book feels, in a lot of ways, like a middle book. The stakes aren’t that high in some ways, though when you think about it, very high in others (like, you know, the birth of a nation). In the end, this book is a foray into Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler’s first year as a married couple and as he tries to become a success in his own right, after the war for independence is over. It’s fun to read, though the author definitely takes some liberties (which she fully admits to, haha). It was a fun book and I’m looking forward to the third book. (Started: 3/25/19, Finished: 3/29/19 — via Overdrive)
149. No Happy Endings: A Memoir
by Nora McInerny
Narrated by author
I am going to start out this review by admitting just how much I absolutely LOVE Nora McInerny’s work, including and especially her first memoir (which I read last year). Because of this, I had actually pre-ordered this one and was thrilled when it came out. The follow-up / second memoir is… Good. It’s hard to say because, honestly, the story of her first book had such a deep impact on me that it’s probably unfair to compare the two and, honestly, the “sophomore slump” is common amongst writers. But that’s not what I think happened here. This second memoir is great and there were so many things that I related to and so many poignant moments. There were also things that were kinda, well, meh. Some bits and pieces that I cared less about, I guess, and it’s hard not to remember the incredible, dramatic story of her first memoir and think that this one just doesn’t quite measure up. That being said, the chapter on “Baggage” was something that I felt SO DEEPLY that I would recommend this book to everyone, if only for that part alone. But what I really loved was the ending: “She Persisted” and “Yes, And.” In fact, I’ve already decided that my 6th tattoo is going to be “Nevertheless, She Persisted” just like in the book. Not just because I love her writing but because it’s such a powerful message that, well, I want it on my body, too. And hey, anyone who can make me cry (in the “Yes, And” chapter) and make me want to get a new tattoo gets high marks in my book. (Started: 4/1/19, Finished: 4/5/19 — via Audible)
150. Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong–And What You Really Need to Know
by Emily Oster
Narrated by Karen White
Life is weird sometimes and my reading of this book perfectly demonstrated that. My husband and I read it together, which was great, on our road trip for our anniversary weekend — something which we had been planning to do. The “weird” part, I guess, comes in because I was having a miscarriage during our drive and our anniversary weekend… and that really, really sucked. However, that is not this book’s fault and, to be honest, it was actually a PHENOMENAL book. A lot of people recommended this book to me and I was most definitely not disappointed. And, most surprisingly, my husband (who is a very data-based person) loved it, too. In fact, I pretty much rushed out and bout Oster’s next book, Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool, right away. I can’t wait to read that book once we get pregnant again. And, seriously, if you are pregnant or consider getting pregnant… GET THIS BOOK! (Started: 4/26/19, Finished: 4/30/19 — via Audible)
151. Murder on the Orient Express: A Hercule Poirot Mystery
by Agatha Christie
Narrated by Dan Stevens
I haven’t been great about reading some of my book club books lately but I did read this one. Having watched the 2017 movie already, I knew what was going to happen… but it was still lovely to actually read the book. It’s definitely a fun tale and I had a really good time reading it. I also had a really good time at the book club, too. Plus, I found out that they are making a movie of Death on the Nile and I am very interested in reading that one, too. I’m not much of a mystery person usually but it’s pretty nice to read a different genre sometimes. (Started: 5/6/19, Finished: 5/10/19 — via Audible)
152. All for One: The Alex & Eliza Trilogy, Book 3
by Melissa de la Cruz
Narrated by Cassandra Campbell
I was excited to read the third installment of author Melissa de la Cruz’s Alex & Eliza trilogy. This one followed the second book, after they move to New York City and Alex is attempting to establish himself as a lawyer. Things are going much better in this book and we find out (yay!) that Eliza is pregnant early on. Of course, the author had to add in some drama… which is where the Maria Reynolds thing came in. It’s definitely not how things happened, historically, but it was still a very good insight into their lives. I very much enjoyed this novel and kind of secretly hope she’ll do another one, honestly. It doesn’t make sense since a trilogy only has three books but, hey, a girl can dream. (Started: 5/15/19, Finished: 5/17/19 — via Overdrive)
153. Big Little Lies
by Liane Moriarty
Narrated by Caroline Lee
I read this book a bit early, for my book club in June, and also re-watched the HBO series in anticipation of the second season coming in June, too. Well, let me tell ya… This is a GOOD book. The HBO series is great, too. I don’t really have much else to say about this book other than that it’s very suspenseful but I already knew what was coming since I had seen the HBO series last year. It’s good, though, and I can see why people love it so much. I’m excited to see what the new season brings, too… And also thinking that I will be reading more of Moriarty’s books. (Started: 5/20/19, Finished: 5/24/19 — via Overdrive)
154. Educated: A Memoir
by Tara Westover
Narrated by Julia Whelan
This book has been on my To Read List for a while. I’ve seen a lot of friends and acquaintances talk about how wonderful it is and, well, they were totally right. The story of Educated is absolutely astounding. I don’t even know how to describe it in this review, to be honest, because so much happened in this book that I have no idea how to talk about… but all I really have to say is that it is a very intriguing story. Westover’s family is quite interesting and, to be honest, quite scary and intense and insane. In a good way, I guess, since it eventually propelled her to stardom with this memoir. I’d definitely recommend it as great reading to others. (Started: 5/24/19, Finished: 5/27/19 — via Overdrive)
155. In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto
by Michael Pollan
Narrated by Scott Brick
I’m extremely late to reading this, I know, but it still seemed like a necessity. I’m a big fan of Michael Pollan’s work in general and I think it’s fair to say that I had heard a lot of the things he wrote about in this book (which came out in January 2009) but, if nothing else, this book reminded me about some of the reasons why I believe it is important to eat fresh foods and lots of vegetables and fruit. It very much inspired me to start eating better again, because sometimes I can let stress and busyness get in the way of that. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who is interested to learn more about food and health. (Started: 5/28/19, Finished: 6/2/19 — via Overdrive)
156. We Should All Be Feminists
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Narrated by author
I honestly didn’t realize how short this book was, otherwise I feel like I would have read it a long time ago. But its length isn’t a problem, because the author talks about feminism in such an intelligent and cohesive way that I honestly wanted to read and reread this book several times over. It read more like an extended personal essay in the best way. So much to say and so much to absorb as a reader. I honestly don’t fully understand how, in today’s day and age, more people aren’t feminist. But I hope that books like this continue to pave the way for why, yes, we should ALL be feminists. (Started: 6/17/19, Finished: 6/17/19 — via Overdrive)
157. Give People Money: How a Universal Basic Income Would End Poverty, Revolutionize Work, and Remake the World
by Annie Lowrey
Narrated by author
This book has been on my To Read List for a couple of months and I am glad that I finally got around to it. It’s all about Universal Basic Income (UBI) and all of the reasons why it could actually be a really great thing for our world and society. It’s not as hokey as many people might think initially and, no, it also won’t make people lazy and just stop working — especially not in America. There’s a lot of studies that the author talks about on why the UBI could be a real, achievable goal and why it is also needed. I think it’s a really important book to be better informed today. (Started: 6/18/19, Finished: 6/28/19 — via Overdrive)
158. Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions
by Johann Hari
Narrated by author
This is definitely one of the best books that I have read so far. I probably should have started with Hari’s first book — especially since that one is about addiction, a subject near and dear to my heart — but I wanted to start with this one because it felt important. And boy, was I right. I learned so many things from this book and hope to start putting them into good practice in my house. It’s a tough read, though. It’s very emotional and some parts definitely made me feel very depressed for humans and our current state of the world. But, hey, if more of us read this book… Perhaps more of us would get better? So, yeah, please read it. Especially if you have depression or know someone who might. (Started: 6/30/19, Finished: 7/5/19 — via Audible)
159. The Rough Patch: Marriage and the Art of Living Together
by Daphne de Marneffe, PhD
Narrated by author
My husband and I aren’t in a rough patch, but I bought this book when we first got married because I wanted to learn about marriage and, boy, did I get what I paid for. Although I couldn’t relate to a lot of the midlife crisis-type stuff that the author describes, I could definitely relate to just the plain difficulty of loving and living with someone. This book taught me a few really key, interesting things about the art of staying together for the long haul. It also encouraged me to seek couples therapy, which we have done on and off, to figure out some of the bigger things happening in our lives right now. It’s a great read for sure. (Started: 7/8/19, Finished: 7/18/19 — via Audible)
160. The Devil Wears Prada
by Lauren Weisberger
Narrated by author
This is the first book on my list that is actually a re-read. You see, my book club decided to do this book in July, so… I had to read it. I didn’t actually think that I would but I somehow just barely made it through the entire thing and, boy, am I glad I did. It was a fun read and it was interesting to see all of the ways in which the movie veered away from the book. Of which, by the way, there are many. I remember being mad about some parts that the movie did, versus the book, back when I read it before and I definitely felt that way now. But now I could also appreciate some of the things that the movie does better, so that was nice too. (Started: 7/19/19, Finished: 7/26/19 — via Overdrive)
161. I Will Teach You to Be Rich: No Guilt, No Excuses, No BS. Just a 6-Week Program That Works (Second Edition)
by Ramit Sethi
Narrated by author
I cannot believe that it took me a full seven years to read this book. Let me explain: I first bought it in August 2012 in Kindle, then again in Audible in December 2017 after Adam and I got married… but didn’t read it either time. Instead, I ended up returning that version when I heard that thehre is a second edition out. And am I glad I did! This book really, really is phenomenal. I can’t believe it took me this long to read it because I now feel powerful and much more secure in my finances than I ever was before. In fact, I feel secure in my understanding of finances and pretty darn great about that, too. I can’t wait to put some of my new knowledge to good use. (Started: 7/30/19, Finished: 8/6/2019 — via Audible)
162. Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy
by Angela Garbes
I’m re-reading this book now that I’m pregnant. It’s the first book on my list that’s being read twice and, yes, I’ve decided to still count it towards my overall goal. (Started: 8/7/19, Finished: 8/10/2019 — via Overdrive)
163. What No One Tells You: A Guide to Your Emotions from Pregnancy to Motherhood
by Dr. Alexandra Sacks & Dr. Catherine Birndorf
Narrated by Cynthia Farrell
I bought this book on pre-order before it came out last spring but, since I wasn’t pregnant yet, it didn’t seem like the best time to read it. I was happy to start reading it finally, now that I am pregnant, and I was right about how much I would enjoy it. You see, I’m a very emotional person. In fact, I consider myself an empath. So the emotions of pregnancy… well, that’s something I am slowly becoming quite familiar with. This book was a great guide into all of that, too, though I will probably have to re-read it again as I hit each trimester anew. I’m especially interested in the latter chapters about emotions in early motherhood, and highly recommend this book for that. (Started: 8/17/19, Finished: 8/25/2019 — via Audible)
164. The Sh!t No One Tells You About Pregnancy: A Guide to Surviving Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Beyond
by Dawn Dais
Narrated by author
I’ve been meaning to read this book ever since I heard about it cause, in case you haven’t noticed, I love a good curse word. Well, this book was just as entertaining as I had hoped. Not only did it have a good amount of information about pregnancy (including tips from other moms as well as partners, which I found invaluable) but it also was all presented with a bit of humor. I very much enjoyed it and, now, I’m very much looking forward to more by the author. (Started: 9/2/19, Finished: 9/5/2019 — via Audible)
165. The Danish Way of Parenting: What the Happiest People in the World Know About Raising Confident, Capable Kids
by Jessica Joelle Alexander and Dissing Sandhal
Narrated by Kim Mai Guest
After having previously read about how the Danes are the happiest people in the world, I was very curious and excited to also delve into this book on why their parenting rules. Sure, I’ve already read about the Germans and will soon be reading about the French… but this book was particularly great, to be honest. The authors broke their system of parenting down into an acronym for “parent” as a way of teaching readers about the most important reasons why the Danish way of parenting rules. And, well, it totally worked! I really enjoyed everything I read and even made some notes that I’d like to hopefully incorporate when I have my own little one(s). (Started: 9/6/19, Finished: 9/9/2019 — via Overdrive)
166. Catch Me If You Can
by Frank W. Abagnale with Stan Redding
Narrated by Barrett Whitenever
It’s been a while since I read a fiction book… or, actually, since I read a memoir, since that is what this technically is. I really wantd to do a memoir for book club this month, though, which is what we did. I mostly enjoyed this book but, to be honest, it was hard to digest. It’s not that I don’t believe that the narrator did all that crazy stuff but more that he is just not a redeemable character. The book ends in a very unsatisfying way and doesn’t even have an epilogue about the rest of his life, which I think is actually really interesting and would have made the book much stronger. It’s sort of the old style of memoir that’s just all about the shock value instead of the story and emotions behind it… and that left me quite unsatisfied, actually. (Started: 9/20/19, Finished: 9/22/2019 — via Overdrive)
167. Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting
by Pamela Druckerman
Narrated by Abby Craden
I previously read a book on German parenting and then another one on Danish parenting. So now I am extremely interested in the topic of foreign parenting, I guess, because I read this book on French parenting and very much enjoyed it, too. In fact, I’ve started making notes in my phone since I am pregnant and figured I could use all of the advice I could get… I think this is the book that started it all, though, and it was a fascinating read. I very much enjoyed her insight and I think, in the best way, a lot of this advice is best taken with a grain of salt. Or, rather, take what makes sense to you (like the “pause” thing and the making kids wait) and don’t listen to the things that aren’t for you (like making kids eat at specific times of day from the time they’re babies.) I really liked it, though, so I will be reading more of this time of book — and possibly even re-reading this one! (Started: 9/23/19, Finished: 9/27/2019 — via Overdrive)
168. Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love
by Jonathan Van Ness
Narrated by author
I didn’t really think I would read this book when I first heard about it, despite my love of Queer Eye and JVN in particular, but then I read his New York Times profile and I had to. Although there’s a lot of details in that interview, this book gave us so much more about Jonathan’s rise from growing up in a small town in Illinois to the ball of sunshine we know and love today. After seeing him perform the 7th inning stretch at the Cubs game we went to last June, I’m a bit more obsessed with him, which is why I not only read this but was also thrilled to find out that the audiobook version was done by him. It was a great read, really, and one that I would recommend so basically anyone who grew up feeling a little different. (Started: 11/11/19, Finished: 11/13/19 — via Overdrive)
169. Practical Magic
by Alice Hoffman
Narrated by Christiana Moore
For October 2019, our book club pick was to read this novel because I so very much love the movie. I’m really excited that I got to read it, actually, because it’s one of my all-time favorite Halloween movies. I have to admit, though, I actually think I like the movie much better. It is much more focused on the relationship of the sisters, along with the history of the house along with the witchyness of it. This book was all over the place and, while I liked it, I think the movie is just more focused and enjoyable overall. (Started: 10/18/19, Finished: 10/18/19 — via Overdrive)
171. How to Be a Family: The Year I Dragged My Kids Around the World to Find a New Way to Be Together
by Dan Kois
Narrated by author
I am a huge fan of the podcast Mom and Dad Are Fighting and, when I heard that one of the hosts was having a book published, I jumped at the chance to read it. It kind of goes in line with some of the other books I’ve read about parenting in other countries, though this one is more a travel and parenting memoir. It’s a really great read and I very much enjoyed it. Not only did it make me want to definitely travel withh my kid but it also reminded me of the familiar thing we hear a lot in recovery circles (that was a big lesson for the family): Wherever you go, there you are. (Started: 10/19/19, Finished: 10/24/19 — via Audible)
172. Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business
by Danny Meyer
Narrated by author
This is a book that I had to read for a book club for my job and OH MY GOD, was it good. To be honest, this book had been on my radar anyway because of my Food Editor days and I was thrilled to get the chance to read it finally. It’s a fascinating take into what it is like to work in the hospitality business but, really, it’s just a guide on how to do good businenss. The things that Meyer says about how he runs his company are facsinating and definitely worth learning for anyone who is starting a company. He talks about the culture and hospitality aspects with a lot of determination and insight, and I’m really glad this book is out in the world. (Started: 10/29/19, Finished: 11/3/19 — via Overdrive)
173. The Girl on the Train
by Paula Hawkins
Narrated by Clare Corbett
At my book club, we read books that have been made into movies. This book has been on my “to read” list since well before the movie came out and I can’t belive that it took me this long to finally read it. It was really interesting and I very much enjoyed the book, but I’m not sure how I felt about the movie. It was okay and pretty accurate to the book but, as usual, the book was better. However, I remember how people compared this book to another book that I love and I really don’t agree with those comparissons. This is a good read on its own but not sure I’d want to read more of the type. (Started: 12/11/19, Finished: 12/13/19 — via Overdrive)
174. And Baby Makes Three:The Six-Step Plan for Preserving Marital Intimacy and Rekindling Romance After Baby Arrives
by John M. Gottman, Ph.D., & Julie Schwartz Gottman, Ph.D.
Narrated by Randye Kaye
Well, Adam and I are officially into the third trimester of my pregnancy and excitedly (and nervously) getting ready for Baby Gonski to get here. That’s why I decided to start my parenting book reading with this one on both parenting and how to remain a couple after you welcome a child. It was an absolutely fascinating read and I have SO much knowledge that I gained from this one. I don’t even know where to start except to say that anyone who is planning to have a kid with their partner NEEDS to read it. Maybe even read it even if you have a kid already cause, yeah, it’s just that good. (Started: 1/10/20, Finished: 1/13/20 — via Audible)
175. Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 5 (Rachel Kramer Bussel)
176. The Science of Mom: A Research-Based Guide to Your Baby’s First Year (Alice Callahan)
177. The Help (Kathryn Sockett)
178. Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool (Emily Oster)
179. Boys & Sex: Young Men on Hookups, Love, Porn, Consent, and Navigating the New Masculinity (Peggy Orenstein)
180. So You Want to Start a Podcast: Finding Your Voice, Telling Your Story, and Building a Community That Will Listen (Kristen Meinzer)
181. Birth Without Fear: The Judgment-Free Guide to Taking Charge of Your Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum (January Harshe)
182. Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers (Nancy Mohrbacher IBCLC FILCA, Kathleen Kendall-Tackett PhD IBCLC, Jack Newman MD)