2016 Reading Round Up, Part Two

I typically post two reading round ups a year, but it makes for two loooooong posts, so I'm breaking them up this year. Read part one here. As a reminder, these are off-the-cuff reviews that I peck into my phone as soon as I finish the book. A literary critic, I am not. 

Here's what I've been reading!

Tara Road by Maeve Binchy

This is my first Maeve Binchy book. I loved it! The size of the book is daunting, but it reads fast. A chunk of the middle section is sad and I wasn't always in the mood to pick it up, but the last half of the book is so, so great. It's been a long time since I've cared about characters in a book this much. Great book!

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

I liked this book, and I'm glad I read it, but I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. It's powerful and the perspective is interesting (and horrifying), but it wasn't fun to read. I read it during a stressful part of my professional life, and this book didn't offer an escape. I'm still in awe of Margaret Atwood, and highly recommend this book, I just wish I had read it during a different time of the year.

Rising Strong by Brene Brown

Holy crap, this book is amazing! I've loved all of Brene's books, but this one is my favorite. It covers so much ground. It covers the important parts of her previous books and introduces all this new stuff, too. This is definitely her best book. A must read!

Dear Mr. You by Mary-Louise Parker

This book is beautiful. The last chapter is one of the most moving things I've read. Highly recommend, though parts of it may be difficult for those who have lost their fathers. 

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

I loved this book! People have been telling me to read it for years. I wish I had listened! It takes a few chapters to get going, but then it picks up and continues to move pretty fast. The chapters alternate between characters, which I really like - I read faster that way. Also, this book piqued my interest in WWII history and I'm going read Erik Larson's In The Garden Of Beasts next. Fantastic book!

Heartburn by Nora Ephron

This was my first Nora Ephron book. I liked it. It didn't blow me away as much as I expected, but maybe I misunderstood her writing style from watching so many of her movies. It's a quick, fun read. I'll check out some of her other books.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

I really liked this book and read it pretty quickly. It was hard to put down. Every night I would lay down to read for a few minutes and find myself awake an hour or two later still reading. It reminds me of The Dive From Clausen's Pier, a book I also loved. This would be a great book to take on vacation since it moves fast, is kind of a love story, and is hard to put down. Great book!

Stiff:  The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

I feel like this is the most I've learned about a topic in a looooong time. This book is fascinating! I mean, it's cadavers, so some of it is gross and hard to read, but so interesting overall! I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of Mary Roach's books.

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

This book is great! I know a lot of people hate the book, hate the author and think the whole premise is self-involved and narcissistic, but I disagree. Both this book and her follow-up book, Happiness At Home, have helped me a lot. I think if you're in a dark headspace, this isn't a book to pull you out. But if you're in a good spot and want to get in an even better spot, this is your book. This book helped me bring a lot of things full circle that had been floating around in my head. I'm a fan.

My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem

I loved this book! I was surprised at how much I didn't know about Gloria Steinem. Her work and her life is so less glamorous than I thought. And her work is so much more important. I had no idea how many things she's responsible for starting. I'm also fascinated with the Wilma Mankilker chapter that ends the book and can't wait to read more about Wilma and women's role in the Native American community. Great book!!

P.S. Forgot what else I've read this year? Here you go!

P.P.S. Are we friends on Goodreads?