Thursday Thirteen

Books I've read this year -

1. Days of Blood & Starlight, Gods & Monsters, by Laini Taylor. These were the two books in a trilogy. This modern-day fantasy set worlds against one another, places inhabited by those humans would consider demons and angels. They were fast reads even though each book was quite long. 5 stars

2. Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls. I read this as part of my catch-up reading, as I occasionally go back and hit the classics. This was the story of a boy and his hound dogs, a coming of age classic that, while not exactly tear-jerking, was an excellent read that passes the test of time. 5 stars

3. The Dutch House, by Ann Patchett. Some of Ann Patchett's books I like, some I don't. This one fell somewhere in the middle. The story revolved around a home where two siblings once lived, until the wicked stepmother came in and basically threw them out when their father died. The reader followed the characters as they grew up. 4 stars

4. The Tale of Despereaux, Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo. These YA books read quickly and I was entranced by both. They were very different stories. The Tale of Despereaux was about a mouse in a castle. Because of Winn-Dixie was about a girl and a dog she found. I know the latter has been made into a movie that I have not seen. 4 stars

5. Skin Game, by Stuart Woods. Woods writes in a breezy style. These are quick-read books mostly meant for men, I think. Skin Game is in the Teddy Faye series, and I like those better than some of his other books. In this book, Faye goes to Paris at the invitation of the FBI because there's a mole in the offices there. Faye has a way of solving problems that sometimes is inventive (sometimes not so much), but mostly I like these stories because Faye is not a womanizer like Stone Barrington, a character in one of Woods' other line of books.

6. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, by Mark Manson. I felt like this book was written for the generation behind me, or maybe the one coming out of college. Basically, the book said you have to care about some things, but not too many things. Decide what is important and care about that and let the rest go. Basically, it was another way of saying, "Find your passion and focus on that," except in cruder terminology. The author doesn't advocate for happiness all the time, which was a relief, because let's face it, nobody is happy all of the time. He also advises learning to live with the bad stuff, although I don't recall coming away with any take-aways that were life changing from reading this. 3 stars

7. The Explanation for Everything, by Lauren Grodstein. This book was published by Algonquin, and it is the first book published by Algonquin that I didn't immediately fall in love with. The story was about a professor who was in a life crisis. He teaches classes about atheism, but is challenged by a couple of students about whether or not there is a god. While the book was well-written, I had trouble relating to any of the characters. They felt rather wooden on the page. 3 stars.

8. The Tethered Mage, by Melissa Caruso. I love fantasy stories, and I enjoyed this one even though the main character really doesn't have magic. She's a political figure in charge of someone who has magic, for in this world those with magical powers are forced to work for the government. Lots of political intrigue and strong character building kept me reading this one, which is part of a series. 5 stars.

9. Uprooted, by Naomi Novak. This was probably one of the best fantasies I've ever read. This book won the Nebula Award and was a Hugo Award Finalist. A young woman is chosen to live for 10 years in a wizard's tower, a long tradition in the community. The wizard chooses the woman he believes has the strongest powers, and this time he finds someone whose strength of magic and of will are comparable to his own. The characters were marvelous, the magic believable, and the storyline flawless. 5 stars ++

10. Your Life Calling, by Jane Pauley. I kept waiting on this book to get better, but it never did. I have watched Jane Pauley for most of my life on TV, and she's a wonderful broadcaster and interviewer. She is not, however, a good writer. This book plodded along and never delivered on its promise (or premise, if you ask me). I had really wanted to read this book and learn something that would help me settle into my new role as old crone. I was disappointed. 2 stars

11. All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doer. This Pulitzer Prize winner was a breathtaking read, one that I could not put down. A blind girl is ripped from all she knows during World War II. Meanwhile, in Germany, a young boy is taken from his sister and the orphanage he calls him to serve in the German Army. The reader knows that these two will meet somehow, and the race to that meeting keeps the plot moving along swiftly. Excellent writing, character development, story building, and historical research. 5 stars++

12. Making a Literary Life, by Carolyn See. This was an interesting little book about writing. Not so much about craft, really, as about how to live like you want to live. If you want to be an artist, go live like you think an artist would live. If you want to be a writer, go live like you think a writer would live. My biggest take-away from this book was a concept the author called, "Charming notes." This was the idea of writing a real letter (the book was written in 2002, pre-social media) to an author (or an artist, or a potter, or whatever your creative juices suggest) in the hopes of getting a return letter back, perhaps even starting up a dialogue if one were lucky. With this in mind, I've written several "charming notes," including one to See's daughter, who is also a writer. (She responded!) Not everyone has responded, but some have. It's also difficult to find an actual address to send a letter - everyone wants an e-mail or to use their contact list so you sign up for their email. But I am trying to send out a "charming note" once a month. (See suggested every day, but that's a bit much.) I consider a book like this successful if I get anything at all out of it, and obviously I developed a new little routine from this one. 4 stars

13. Look Alive Twenty Five, by Janet Evanovich. These are my guilty pleasure books, these "detective" books about bail bonds woman Stephanie Plum. They read quickly, make me laugh, and are enjoyable. I don't read them for technique and I don't expect a lot out of them. In this story, Plum sets out to find out why the managers of a store her boss acquired continue to go missing.

I read many other books this year, these are just a few of them. As you can see, I read a lot of different styles and genres. I also read the newspaper every day, and I read Readers Digest from cover to cover when I get the magazine. I read a lot of blogs, too. So I do a great deal of reading.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 686th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.