The Year of the Series
I used to exclusively read books in a series until I gave myself series burnout. Then, in 2015, I eased back into series, and 2016 became the year of the series for me. I finished The Giver quartet by Lois Lowry, The Selection series by Kiera Cass, and the Eldentimber series by Shari L. Tapscott. I also began the Everland Ever After series by Caroline Lee. I still haven't finished the Age of Faith series by Tamara Lee (click here for reference). Maybe in 2017!
HUGE Impression
You know when you finish a book, and you think, "Man, that was amazingly deep!"? Three books fit that description for me: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway and The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Frankenstein is not a scary monster story; it's an allegory about obsession, and it is heart-wrenching. I read The Old Man and the Sea as a teenager and hated it, but I totally understood it as an adult (it's not about the fish!). And if you haven't read The Little Prince, you are definitely depriving yourself.
HUGE Disappointment
One of the most disappointing books I read this year was Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. It is considered a romantic classic; it most definitely is not! I should have made myself read Pride and Prejudice or read Jane Eyre for the umpteenth time.
Surprise!
I read three nonfiction books which included Princesses Behaving Badly by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie, Yes, Please by Amy Poehler, and The Shift by Theresa Brown. That is a record for me!
Favorite Book Club Selection
We read and discussed several good books this year, but my favorite was The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. I would like to make my own flower dictionary that explains what each flower means to me. Maybe someday soon!
Did you read any notable books in 2016? If so, let me know in the comments.
Until the next post . . . keep smiling!