I've set out to read 45 books this year. This would be the most books I've read since 2012. In 2012, I was commuting over an hour each way to work (often an hour and a half) and started listening to audiobooks. Nowadays, I'm in the same boat, with a long-ish commute, thankfully of which is only an hour each way. I cherish my time listening to books and catching up with family on my way to and from work. We'll see if this year I can conquer 45 books. So far I'm on track according to Goodreads!
Faithful was by far my favorite read of the month. The main character, Shelby, drew me in and and her story kept me interested the entire book. I found something charming about this coming of age story. It was thoughtful, real, and kept me excited to get in my car and tune in everyday. It was my first, and so far my favorite, read of the year.
The Secret Sister by Brenda Novak - mehhh
First off, I did not realize this book was a romance novel. Not really my genre. I liked The Secret Sister okay, but was thrown off by the sex scenes. Overall, I felt like the novel was predictable. And I'm not very good at seeing even the most predictable of plot lines. It was okay, but I certainly don't think I'd recommend it to anyone.
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance - interesting/ thought provoking
Though I was interested in reading Hillbilly Elegy for my own, I read it for our talking coming up in February at work. My overall feeling towards to book was that it overgeneralized a bit too much. I also wish that it had given more of a historical look at why the people of the Rustbelt have fallen on such hard times. My coworker shared this article, which I thought was helpful at adding a bit of history to the conversation. I realize that Hillbilly Elegy is a memoir, so I think it's unfair try and wish it covered more ground in terms of providing history and context. I enjoyed discussing it with my coworkers and will be excited to discuss it at our talk in February.
