Best Books of 2014

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.

Best Books of 2013

I do a lot of reading and I have developed the rather obsessive habit of writing down a list of every book I read, along with a rating system of how much I liked it (yes, I am a huge nerd). No stars means the book was good enough to finish, but didn't blow me away. One star means the book kept me reading. Two stars means I was in awe of the plot, writing, or characters and I would wholeheartedly recommend it. Three stars means the same as two stars, but that it also made me cry (less than a dozen books have ever gotten this rating).

These were the best (but not all of the) books I read during the year 2013. These are not (all) books that were published in 2013.

How "Doctor Who" Changed My Life

When I first started watching the long-running BBC series "Doctor Who," it was—how do I put this?—a tumultuous time in my life. I had just lost my 4-day-old daughter, I was recovering from a C-section and couldn't drive. So once my husband had gone back to work, I had a lot of free time on my hands. Now, normally this would be a blessing. But when you're grieving, free time is the enemy. I now had plenty of time to think about how sad I was, how much pain I was in, how my future was completely blank. I wish I could say God pulled me through (and I guess, ultimately, He did and will), but at the time, I was still super angry at Him and we weren't quite on speaking terms.

I had seen a lot of buzz about Doctor Who on Pinterest and figured it might be something I was interested in, so I gave it a shot. The first few episodes were a little (okay, a lot) cheesy, but once it hit a stride, I was hooked. And I think it was more than the plot or the characters...it spoke to me where I was and taught me some things.

BBC's Sherlock Theories

I told you right on my byline that this blog would be full of random thoughts. You can't fault me.

Yes, like anybody else worthy of talking to, I've become OBSESSED with BBC's "Sherlock." In case you've been living under a rock, the series is just two seasons long, with three 1 1/2 hour episodes in each season. Yes. That's only 6 episodes. But they are all BRILLIANT! If you haven't seen the series yet, don't read the rest of this post. If you think you don't want to see the show, you're wrong. It's all on Netflix and there's still time until Season 3 airs. This post will still be here. Go watch.