2015 was the year of getting back into reading! Unknowingly, it was the perfect year to start reading again because I found myself with a lot of free time and rounded up the year with over 40 books!
I had never read so many books!!!
It was such a fun experience, though! I revisited old favorites and discovered new authors, read some stories that were way overdue, picked up others that I never would have considered to read before, tried some classics and through it all, I had an amazing time!
Here's a small list of my most favorite reads of this year, in no particular order:
1. Yes, Please by Amy Poehler.
I love Amy Poehler, so of course this book is making the list. She's an amazing comedian, actress and just an overall awesome human being, and getting to delve a little deeper into her life and her comedy was enlightening and entertaining. Not to mention it was very refreshing to get a glimpse of how down-to-earth and straightforward she is. Yes, Please is filled with anecdotes from Amy's childhood and up to her most recent years, funny jokes and poems, endless advice and guest appearances from her closest friends. I loved this book so much that I'm currently re-reading it (by way of listening to the audiobook-- which has so many great features, too! It's a whole other experience) and laughing just as much as I did the first time. Can't recommend it enough!
2. The Girl with all the Gifts by M.R. Carey.
There's already a review on this book a few posts down, but here's a quick rundown of why it made this list: It's a very interesting take on a genre that might be considered overdone these days. It manages to catch your attention from the very beginning and holds it until the very end and the character development is fantastic. This book caught me by surprise because I had no idea what I was getting into, but I'm so glad I stumbled upon it at the library and brought it home with me!
3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
You know a book is really good when it spoils the ending for you halfway through, yet holds your interest to the very end, and it can best be summarized by this quote: "Everything was good. But it was awful, too." Just go ahead and read it and know that your heart will hurt.
4. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.
There is a reason why Neil Gaiman is so beloved and respected in the fantasy genre community and this book is proof. The Ocean at the End of the Lane is the perfect amount of mysterious and whimsical, keeping you on your toes the whole time and even though you might not get it at the end, it was all worth the ride. This is another book that I re-read by listening to the audiobook a couple of weeks after first reading the book and it made me fall in love with the story all over again. Neil Gaiman's narration of his own stories just adds an extra touch that makes them that bit more special and I highly recommend picking up the audiobook if you have the chance.
5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.
This was one of those "overdue" books that I had never gotten around to read, but I knew I was going to love because murder mysteries are my jam and I was not disappointed! This book touches on some very dark and messed up subjects and I was uncomfortable for half of it, but it was a compelling and overall fantastic read. It does start a bit slow, but once it gets into the swing of things, it's impossible to put down! (I finished it reading it during a weekend where I was at a music festival... Thank you, earplugs!) Now that some considerable amount of time has passed, I'm ready to plunge back into Lisbeth's world and I have no doubt that The Girl Who Played with Fire will make my top 5 of 2016!
SPECIAL MENTION: Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein.
Also another book I've reviewed here before, but I felt weird leaving it out of this list because this book was very special. It surprised me how much I enjoyed it considering I didn't know much about Carrie and felt no connection to her, but it's just so well written and so honest that even if you have no idea who Carrie is, it makes you want to keep reading and know more.
It was tough putting this list together because I truly enjoyed at least 90% of all the books I read, but I can't keep tweaking this or I'll be here forever. Goodbye 2015, you were a good year. Bring on 2016 and may it be filled with books and new adventures!
I had never read so many books!!!
It was such a fun experience, though! I revisited old favorites and discovered new authors, read some stories that were way overdue, picked up others that I never would have considered to read before, tried some classics and through it all, I had an amazing time!
Here's a small list of my most favorite reads of this year, in no particular order:
TOP 5 BOOKS READ IN 2015
1. Yes, Please by Amy Poehler.
I love Amy Poehler, so of course this book is making the list. She's an amazing comedian, actress and just an overall awesome human being, and getting to delve a little deeper into her life and her comedy was enlightening and entertaining. Not to mention it was very refreshing to get a glimpse of how down-to-earth and straightforward she is. Yes, Please is filled with anecdotes from Amy's childhood and up to her most recent years, funny jokes and poems, endless advice and guest appearances from her closest friends. I loved this book so much that I'm currently re-reading it (by way of listening to the audiobook-- which has so many great features, too! It's a whole other experience) and laughing just as much as I did the first time. Can't recommend it enough!
2. The Girl with all the Gifts by M.R. Carey.
There's already a review on this book a few posts down, but here's a quick rundown of why it made this list: It's a very interesting take on a genre that might be considered overdone these days. It manages to catch your attention from the very beginning and holds it until the very end and the character development is fantastic. This book caught me by surprise because I had no idea what I was getting into, but I'm so glad I stumbled upon it at the library and brought it home with me!
3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
You know a book is really good when it spoils the ending for you halfway through, yet holds your interest to the very end, and it can best be summarized by this quote: "Everything was good. But it was awful, too." Just go ahead and read it and know that your heart will hurt.
4. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.
There is a reason why Neil Gaiman is so beloved and respected in the fantasy genre community and this book is proof. The Ocean at the End of the Lane is the perfect amount of mysterious and whimsical, keeping you on your toes the whole time and even though you might not get it at the end, it was all worth the ride. This is another book that I re-read by listening to the audiobook a couple of weeks after first reading the book and it made me fall in love with the story all over again. Neil Gaiman's narration of his own stories just adds an extra touch that makes them that bit more special and I highly recommend picking up the audiobook if you have the chance.
5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.
This was one of those "overdue" books that I had never gotten around to read, but I knew I was going to love because murder mysteries are my jam and I was not disappointed! This book touches on some very dark and messed up subjects and I was uncomfortable for half of it, but it was a compelling and overall fantastic read. It does start a bit slow, but once it gets into the swing of things, it's impossible to put down! (I finished it reading it during a weekend where I was at a music festival... Thank you, earplugs!) Now that some considerable amount of time has passed, I'm ready to plunge back into Lisbeth's world and I have no doubt that The Girl Who Played with Fire will make my top 5 of 2016!
SPECIAL MENTION: Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein.
Also another book I've reviewed here before, but I felt weird leaving it out of this list because this book was very special. It surprised me how much I enjoyed it considering I didn't know much about Carrie and felt no connection to her, but it's just so well written and so honest that even if you have no idea who Carrie is, it makes you want to keep reading and know more.
It was tough putting this list together because I truly enjoyed at least 90% of all the books I read, but I can't keep tweaking this or I'll be here forever. Goodbye 2015, you were a good year. Bring on 2016 and may it be filled with books and new adventures!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
See y'all on the flip side!
See y'all on the flip side!
I *just* finished "The Book Thief." I went into it not knowing a single thing about it. I. Was. Blown. Away. I haven't seen the movie and have no plants to because how can they possibly recreate this book the way it deserves?
ReplyDelete"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" was similarly devastating.
Yeah, it probably won't compare, but I'm still curious to see what they came up with! Similarly, I'll probably watch all of the Millennium series movies once I'm done with the book.
DeleteI actually have yet to read The Book Thief, but I think I should be able to sometime this year. Oh, and congrats on reaching 40+ novels!! :)
ReplyDelete-Jess @jbelkbooks
Thank you! And I definitely recommend it, it's a beautiful book. Let me know what you think if you get around to it!
Delete