I made an easy change to my bedtime routine that helped me sleep better, accomplish my goal to read more, and it was long overdue!
I started charging my phone on the dresser out of reach from the bed. Game changer!
My 2020 Book List with Mini-Reviews:
• Dirty Rush – Taylor Bell : a juicy, voyeuristic look inside the scandalous side of sorority life. (Based on true events)
• Everything is Figureoutable – Marie Forleo : one of my favorite personal development books I’ve read to date. Easy to apply real-life advice and anecdotes.
• Turning Point – Danielle Steel : as entertaining as it was unremarkable
• Born Standing Up – Steve Martin : I’m not sure why I picked this book, but I’m glad I did.
• Virgin River – Robyn Carr : this grocery store paperback is a gateway drug to a 21-book series and Netflix original series. Begin at your own risk.
• Such a Fun Age – Kiley Reid : an engrossing story with lovable characters. A page-turner that didn’t rely on cheap thrills to keep me engrossed.
• Educated – Tara Westover : The Best Nonfiction Book I Read in 2020.
• Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn : As great as everyone said it was!
• ***bonus movie review: a good-telling of a good-story that remained loyal to the novel in both story and format. A prime example of an unreliable narrator. Great casting choices, especially Rosamund Pike as the lead actress, who played the multifaceted main character so well. Each side of her character, Amy Dunne, was portrayed authentically.
• Freedom – Jonathan Franzen : hated it. **See footnote for soapbox rant
• Shelter Mountain | Whispering Rock – Robyn Carr : 2 novels in the continuation of the Virgin River series.
• Conversations with Tom Petty : required reading for any Tom Petty fan!
• The Vanishing Half – Brit Bennett : a great novel that explored deep themes of family, self-identity, and the fluidity of race in a compelling story. The Best Fiction Book I Read in 2020.
• The Maze Runner – James Dashner : An unexpectedly good page-turned, especially for a YA novel. I would continue the trilogy if it wasn’t a dystopian setting.
• The Bonesetter’s Daughter – Amy Tan : I enjoyed it from the beginning, but it took me half of the book to realize the plot: a family drama that spans many generations, characters, and cultures. I enjoyed it enough to start her collection of nonfiction writings, The Opposite of Fate, and another novel of Tan’s, The Joy luck Club, is on my 2021 list.
• The Opposite of Fate – a book of musings – Amy Tan : Reading in Progress. Interesting thus far!
• Virgin River Christmas – Robyn Carr : Trashy literature, but at Christmas.
***footnote for soapbox rant re: Freedom – Jonathan Franzen (spoiler alert) : I wanted to like it. It was recommended to me, and I invested in the hardback copy. This story was depressing and not in the entertaining family-drama way. It’s a slice of life story which follows stagnant characters that are living toxic lives of deceit and betrayal. I continued reading hoping there would be a come-to-Jesus shift in the characters but this never happened. I get to the end of the novel and, while I hated it, I could at least respect that the author told an unconventional story that refused to give the characters a happy ending. Not my cup of tea, but okay – well done. -AND THEN- The book’s afterword is another 30 pages where everything is tied-up in a nice bow, everything is forgiven, and people go skipping off hand-in-hand through a meadow at sunset. NO! In this dystopian reality the author created over 300+ pages, there was never a happy-ending option (no matter how I wanted it). It felt too fake and wholly unbelievable. At the last minute the author got cold feet and couldn’t stick to the premise. Not only do I not recommend this book, I vocally discourage you from reading it.
Kristin's Dreams #TheGirlWhoDreams 