I had previously been addicted to Fiction Connection (when my local library still had a subscription) because it was the best way to find books recommended to me based on other books I had read and liked. When they stopped offering Fiction Connection through the library website, I was forced to drift aimlessly through the stacks, and through Pinterest suggestions, until I found a gem. This year, I discovered Book Seer. You type in the title and author of a book you like, and it suggests 7-8 others that you might enjoy. The interaction is quicker and clearer than visiting Amazon and the suggestions all seem to be slightly related to the book you just read, but not exactly like it. I always hated when I liked a book, but a website recommended a book that was essentially the same one I just finished. Um, I don't need to read it again. For example, after The Humans, Book Seer recommended The Martian. See? Similar, but not exact.
The Conditions of Love by Dale M. Kushner (**)
The Conditions of Love by Dale M. Kushner (**)
A coming of age story about the three main loves of Eunice's life: her absent father, a woman named Rose, and the man who introduced her to passionate love. The characters in this book were so 3-dimensional and the Kushner's voice was so relatable that I just fell in love. This was a beautiful journey through abandonment, hope, and love.
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (***)
The story follows Rosemary Cooke, who has psychologist parents, a runaway brother, and a missing sister. I told my husband that this book took my head and just shook it like a snow globe. It changes how you view family, the concept of self, and it definitely makes you think about your own life. I don't want to say too much without giving everything away, just know that it made me cry.
The Humans by Matt Haig (**)
I picked this book off the library shelf and read the first sentence: "I know that some of you reading this are convinced humans are a myth, but I am here to state that they do actually exist." I instantly put it in my bag and read it almost as soon as I got it home. The Humans follows an unnamed alien narrator as he takes the form of an English mathematics professor (who has just solved a previously unsolvable proof) in order to prevent earth from bringing their violence and greed to the far ends of the universe. This book has been compared to "one part K-Pax, one part The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime," which is true, but it also reminded me a lot of Brave New World (which is my favorite book, so go figure). This book was a curious tale about an alien trying to assimilate into our world while completing his mission (and failing miserably, much to the reader's delight), but that's just the plot. The book isn't about an alien. It's about what it means to be human.
Lexicon by Max Barry (**)
Harry Potter meets Jason Bourne, Lexicon is two stories at once. In one, Emily has been swept off the streets of San Francisco and whisked off to a secret school in D.C. to learn how to become a Poet (i.e. someone who uses words to exert mind control). In the second storyline, a Poet called Eliot has taken Wil Clarke (a mysterious man who is somehow immune to all forms of mind control) hostage in the process of fleeing from a members of a murderous organization. For a long while, you aren't quite sure who is on the side of good or evil, but when the stories finally collide, the result is not what you expected. I especially loved the descriptions of words being like keys to pick the lock of someone's mind.
Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman (**)
I randomly spotted this book on the shelf at my local library and I was so glad I did. The author, married to a British man and living in Paris (I know, I hate her, too), was surprised to find that the way the French raise their kids is so radically different from the way Americans do...and so much better. They are much more laissez-faire about certain aspects of parenting (in a way that would make most American supermoms faint), but the result is wonderfully well-behaved children that sleep through the night at 3 months, eat whatever is on their plates, and don't act a fool in the grocery store. It coincided a lot with how I instinctively plan to parent, but has now calmed me about whether or not I'd be "doing it wrong." Turns out, toddlers (and even babies) can eat only 4 times a day and playpens are nothing to be ashamed of.
Wool by Hugh Howey (*)
Part 1984, part Hunger Games, and part space-age Sci-Fi, this is a great dystopian novel for adults. Picture a world (ours) where the atmosphere is so toxic that humans are forced to live in giant silos buried underground. This is where you live your entire world, and your only view to the surface is a screen. You are never even to speak about the outside or even mention that you are curious about it, or you might get what you wish for....
Abominable by Dan Simmons (**)
Abominable is a suspense/adventure story set in 1924. After an Everest summit attempt turns sour, another group of 4 Europeans attempts to recover the bodies...and be the first to reach the summit in the attempt. But after encountering one harrowing incident after another, they realize someone...or something...is chasing them. I had a feeling that the end was going to be some sort of a surprise, and hoped only that I wouldn't be let down. It was a surprise, and I was so far from let down. The beginning was a little slow with technical talk about mountain climbing lingo, but the characters managed to keep everything interesting and suspenseful. This one is a whopper, though, so don't expect to get through it in a day.
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty (**)
I would describe this as being somewhere in the vicinity of "domestic lit." Cecelia discovers a letter from her husband to be read in the event of his death. It contains a terrible secret. To make matters worse, she finds the letter while he is still alive. The story follows three women as their lives intersect in the wake of this letter. I was expecting a bit more of an impact from one woman in particular, and the epilogue at the end might seem a little contrived to some, but there were so many moments where I found myself saying, "Yes! That's it EXACTLY! That's exactly what that feels like!" Moriarty is so in tune with her characters that I couldn't help but be sucked in. I finished it within a day.
The Martian by Andy Weir (**)
What. An. Incredible. Read! Castaway meets Gravity, this is the story of Mark Watney, an astronaut who has been abandoned (thought to be dead) as the rest of his crew flees their base on Mars during an excessively destructive dust storm. Turns out, Watney is very much alive with limited resources, no way to contact home, and he's now completely alone. There was tons of survivalist adventure scenes, cleverly done (and seemingly plausible) scientific experiments, and just the right amount of humor. Definitely, definitely read this before the movie comes out.
Something Other Than God by Jennifer Fulwiler (***)
Since my struggles with God haven't completely gone away over the last 2 years, I try to read books that will help me make some progress in my long road back to Him (that I'm traveling on very slowly). This book is a (non-fictional) account of the author's transition from atheist to believer. However, just when she is starting to solidify her foundation of faith, she gets some shocking health news that is directly at odds with her newfound Catholic beliefs. Her journey to reconcile the hurt of the world, the protests of her mind, and the pulling of her heart wasn't similar to what I went through, but it did teach me some new perspectives. And it made me cry.
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susanna Cahalan (**)
The Humans by Matt Haig (**)
I picked this book off the library shelf and read the first sentence: "I know that some of you reading this are convinced humans are a myth, but I am here to state that they do actually exist." I instantly put it in my bag and read it almost as soon as I got it home. The Humans follows an unnamed alien narrator as he takes the form of an English mathematics professor (who has just solved a previously unsolvable proof) in order to prevent earth from bringing their violence and greed to the far ends of the universe. This book has been compared to "one part K-Pax, one part The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime," which is true, but it also reminded me a lot of Brave New World (which is my favorite book, so go figure). This book was a curious tale about an alien trying to assimilate into our world while completing his mission (and failing miserably, much to the reader's delight), but that's just the plot. The book isn't about an alien. It's about what it means to be human.
Lexicon by Max Barry (**)
Harry Potter meets Jason Bourne, Lexicon is two stories at once. In one, Emily has been swept off the streets of San Francisco and whisked off to a secret school in D.C. to learn how to become a Poet (i.e. someone who uses words to exert mind control). In the second storyline, a Poet called Eliot has taken Wil Clarke (a mysterious man who is somehow immune to all forms of mind control) hostage in the process of fleeing from a members of a murderous organization. For a long while, you aren't quite sure who is on the side of good or evil, but when the stories finally collide, the result is not what you expected. I especially loved the descriptions of words being like keys to pick the lock of someone's mind.
Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman (**)
I randomly spotted this book on the shelf at my local library and I was so glad I did. The author, married to a British man and living in Paris (I know, I hate her, too), was surprised to find that the way the French raise their kids is so radically different from the way Americans do...and so much better. They are much more laissez-faire about certain aspects of parenting (in a way that would make most American supermoms faint), but the result is wonderfully well-behaved children that sleep through the night at 3 months, eat whatever is on their plates, and don't act a fool in the grocery store. It coincided a lot with how I instinctively plan to parent, but has now calmed me about whether or not I'd be "doing it wrong." Turns out, toddlers (and even babies) can eat only 4 times a day and playpens are nothing to be ashamed of.
Wool by Hugh Howey (*)
Part 1984, part Hunger Games, and part space-age Sci-Fi, this is a great dystopian novel for adults. Picture a world (ours) where the atmosphere is so toxic that humans are forced to live in giant silos buried underground. This is where you live your entire world, and your only view to the surface is a screen. You are never even to speak about the outside or even mention that you are curious about it, or you might get what you wish for....
Abominable by Dan Simmons (**)
Abominable is a suspense/adventure story set in 1924. After an Everest summit attempt turns sour, another group of 4 Europeans attempts to recover the bodies...and be the first to reach the summit in the attempt. But after encountering one harrowing incident after another, they realize someone...or something...is chasing them. I had a feeling that the end was going to be some sort of a surprise, and hoped only that I wouldn't be let down. It was a surprise, and I was so far from let down. The beginning was a little slow with technical talk about mountain climbing lingo, but the characters managed to keep everything interesting and suspenseful. This one is a whopper, though, so don't expect to get through it in a day.
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty (**)
I would describe this as being somewhere in the vicinity of "domestic lit." Cecelia discovers a letter from her husband to be read in the event of his death. It contains a terrible secret. To make matters worse, she finds the letter while he is still alive. The story follows three women as their lives intersect in the wake of this letter. I was expecting a bit more of an impact from one woman in particular, and the epilogue at the end might seem a little contrived to some, but there were so many moments where I found myself saying, "Yes! That's it EXACTLY! That's exactly what that feels like!" Moriarty is so in tune with her characters that I couldn't help but be sucked in. I finished it within a day.
The Martian by Andy Weir (**)
What. An. Incredible. Read! Castaway meets Gravity, this is the story of Mark Watney, an astronaut who has been abandoned (thought to be dead) as the rest of his crew flees their base on Mars during an excessively destructive dust storm. Turns out, Watney is very much alive with limited resources, no way to contact home, and he's now completely alone. There was tons of survivalist adventure scenes, cleverly done (and seemingly plausible) scientific experiments, and just the right amount of humor. Definitely, definitely read this before the movie comes out.
Something Other Than God by Jennifer Fulwiler (***)
Since my struggles with God haven't completely gone away over the last 2 years, I try to read books that will help me make some progress in my long road back to Him (that I'm traveling on very slowly). This book is a (non-fictional) account of the author's transition from atheist to believer. However, just when she is starting to solidify her foundation of faith, she gets some shocking health news that is directly at odds with her newfound Catholic beliefs. Her journey to reconcile the hurt of the world, the protests of her mind, and the pulling of her heart wasn't similar to what I went through, but it did teach me some new perspectives. And it made me cry.
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susanna Cahalan (**)
This memoir follows the author as she slowly starts going insane. Is there something medically wrong with her? Is it a psychological condition? This book was terrifying in multiple ways, showing both the fear and loss of control that comes from watching your mind slowly unravel as well as the serious lack of responsibility that many medical providers have in dealing with the mentally ill.
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty (**)
After being so enthralled with The Husband's Secret, I decided I would read another by Moriarty and came across this one. Alice is happily married and expecting her first child. The next thing she knows, she wakes up in a gym (she hates the gym!), has three children, and is separated from her husband. Turns out, 10 years have passed and a nasty fall off an exercise bike has reset her memory back to the previous decade. Alice has to come to terms with who she was, who she has become, and what has caused her life to change so drastically. This book made me think a lot about who I had become since graduating college and who I hoped to be.
The Expats by Chris Pavone (**)
This book was a thrilling cat-and-mouse game where you never quite know who's working with who. There are so many twists, turns, and revelations, that I'm actually not sure how much detail I should go into without giving too much away, but I'll do my best. Kate's husband, Dexter, has just announced that he's taken a job in Luxembourg, which means the couple will have to move their two children to Europe for at least a year, but it does mean a huge pay raise. Kate will have to leave a very big part of her life behind (one she's kept secret from her husband), but decides it's best for the family. Once they've gotten settled into their new life, however, Kate begins to have suspicions regarding another American couple they've met. Sound even slightly intriguing? Then you won't be let down.
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