Some Books I Have Missed

So it has been a while.  Oops.  To be perfectly honest, over the past couple years I haven't had as much time to read and thus it suffers.  This blog is just as much for me to remember what I've read and what I thought about it as it is to maybe give some ideas of what to read (or what not to).  So let's just take a look at some books I have read over the past couple years that never made it on here.  I will try to be as concise as possible but honestly, let's just see.

An Abundance of Katherines
by: John Green
Publisher: Speak
Dates Read: April 18-June 1, 2017
Pages: 215
Source: Own it

Why did I read it?
Long story short: I went on vacation to Seattle and was robbed.  Away went my luggage including the book I was reading.  I had a long time to sit at the airport, so I bought the cheapest book I could find that wasn't a children's book.  Maybe I should have spent some more money

It was a while ago, but in a nutshell, An Abundance of Katherines follows a boy who has dated 19 Katherines.  They all have broken up with him/broken his heart.  He decides to make a math equation that will help him to predict what will happen in any future relationship based on the data he has gathered by dating 19 Katherines.  Along the way he meets a girl who is not named Katherine. 

Why are we all still reading John Green?  The Fault In Our Stars was meh and this was meh.  I don't remember a lot of what happened because it just wasn't great and was not memorable.  I didn't really enjoy it and yet I still own two more John Green books to read.  Sigh.  I will add that I thought it was funny because I know a guy who has dated two Katherines (back to back no less) and I thought "hey, 17 more to go man!"

Rating: 2/5

Recommendation: I want to say don't bother but the rest of the world loves John Green so proceed at own risk.  

Love Lives Here
by: Maria Goff
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Dates Read: December 17, 2017 - January 15, 2018
Pages: 230
Source: Own it

Why did I read it?
Maria's husband, Bob, is one of my favourite people on this planet.  Have I met him?  Of course not.  I have read his book Love Does twice now, have been following him on Twitter before I even knew he was an author and want to be just like this man.  He has spent all these days talking about Sweet Maria and when she released her book I had to get it.  

Love Lives Here is a lot of stories from Maria's life that teach you about navigating life.  Except navigating life without much of a map to do so.  Her husband Bob is whimsical and Maria is more grounded and sensitive.  It focuses a lot on making life meaningful and creating a space to love and grow alongside others. 

Rating: 4/5

Recommendation: Just read it.  Go on.  

The 100-Year-Old Man who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared
by: Jonas Jonasson
Publisher: HarperCollins
Dates Read: January 16, 2018-March 8, 2019
Pages: 384
Source: Own It

Why did I read it?
It was recommended by a friend, I saw it in a store, and I picked it up.  

The 100-Year-Old-Man follows Allan Karlsson beginning on his 100th birthday where he, you guessed it, climbed out the window of his retirement home and disappeared.  He gets into all kinds of shenanigans and makes some friends along the way.  It also flashes back to a very interesting 100 years of life.  

I really enjoyed this book.  I love when movies, TV, books, whatever, inserts itself into history and folds a character into real things that happened.  Which is exactly what happens with our good friend Allan in WWII, the Cold War, etc. etc.  We find him in the presence of many dictators, the president of the United States, and lots of other people you learned about in your high school history classes.  It's a crazy tale and I just really enjoyed it. 

Rating: 3.5/5

Recommendation: If you have any knowledge of history and enjoy shenanigans, pick this one up.  It's different then most other things I have read, perhaps because it is actually a Swedish novel translated.  Don't let the outrageous amount of time it took me to read it deter you, it was a time in life.  Give it a shot!

Uninvited
by: Lysa Terkeurst
Publisher: Nelson Books
Dates Read: March 8, 2018-February 10, 2019
Pages: 227
Source: Own

Why did I read it?
This book was really a fad in the Christian women community.  I didn't plan to pick it up in the thick of it, but I found it brand new at Goodwill for $2 and figured the Lord sent it to me.  

Uninvited explores what happens when you feel rejected, left out, and lonely.  It talks a bit about why Satan leads us to feeling this way and the truths and promises God has for us that are far better.  

I enjoyed the book.  In fact, as I was reading it I made a mental list of people in my life who should also read it.  We have all felt left out before.  When we are being honest, probably way more often than we care to admit.  This had some much needed reminders for life the way God designed it even amidst the chaos.

Rating: 3/5

Recommendation: Honestly, if you are a woman, go for it.  Again, do not let how long it took me to read it turn you away.  This book was speaking so much truth and I was so in denial I put it down for a long while.  It was so much truth I couldn't make it through at first.  Make sure to pick it up (and if you are an underliner, buy it instead of librarying it...I highlighted many passages).  

Lost in a Book
by: Jennifer Donnelly
Publisher: Disney Press
Dates Read: March 8-April 16, 2019
Pages: 341
Source: Own it

Why did I read it?
I wandered into a bookstore with some Christmas money, I saw a Beauty and the Beast book and I bought it.  Simple as that.  

Lost in a Book meets us right in the middle of the story we all know and love.  Belle is given the library as a gift and stumbles upon a magical book that she can literally walk into.  Only problem is that a bad witch lady wants to keep her in there so that she can't fall in love with the Beast.  Obviously we all know how it ends, but it is extra love and magic added to one of my favourite Disney movies and I have no complaints. 

Rating: 2.5/5

Recommendation: This book only gets a mediocre rating because it is most definitely meant for children.  The writing is far from superb and there were some moments that were just a little cringey.  However, if you love Disney and Beauty and the Beast or know someone under the age of 15 looking for a book, this is a nice one.