If you know me, you know I love to read.  A lot.  I was the kid who read books under the table in chemistry class and out to dinner at restaurants.  I am the adult who was largely influenced by the floor to ceiling built in book cases when we bought our first home.  I keep a massive list of books to read on Goodreads and set a yearly reading goal.

This year my goal is 40 books, with an extra goal of 50 books if possible.  As of right now I’m two books behind schedule but this is what I’ve been reading so far.

1. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman – It’s the story of a curmudgeonly old man who gets some new neighbors who turn his life a bit upside down.  And I LOVED it.  It was one of the best books I’ve ever read and recommend it highly.  So, so good.  I laughed.  I cried.  It reminded me of my grandpa.  Absolutely excellent  5/5
2. Cooking for Ghosts by Patricia V. Davis – This one’s the story of four 40 something women from different backgrounds who come together to open a restaurant on the Queen Mary ship.  It has an element of magic and is an interesting story.  It was a quick read but there were a few quirks that I wasn’t super fond of personally.  I think some aspects of the plot took away from the magic and made it less believable; and I say that as someone who reads a lot of books with magic. 3/5
3. Where We Belong by Emily Giffin – Tells the story of a birth mother and her daughter coming together 18 years after an adoption.  It was heartfelt and felt very timely to me as we enter the fostering process with the hopes of someday adopting.  It felt realistic and heartfelt.  I enjoyed it as a quick read. 4/5
4. Feverborn by Karen Marie Moning – Second to last book in a very long series.  Not one of my favorite books in the series, but still a worthwhile series.  Some books are definitely more enjoyable than others. 3/5
5. Feversong by Karen Marie Moning – Final book in the same series.  A better read and gave the series a good ending.  Still say the whole thing is worth reading if you like books set in our world with some faeries and other supernatural creatures thrown in with he humans. 4/5
6. The Shining by Stephen King – For those who haven’t see the movie, this one tells the  story of a family of three who live as caretakers for a large hotel.  They end up snowed in and the hotel becomes another character.  I’ve seen the movie a handful of times but this was the first time I’d read the book.  I liked it better than the movie and had fun noting the differences. Definitely creepy and had me on the edge of my seat a few times, even having seen the movie.  4/5
7. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty – Centers on a group of moms in a small coastal town who have children starting in the same kindergarten class.  Sounds boring, but was actually a super quick and captivating read.  I’m usually pretty good about guessing plot twists in books but this one had a moment towards the end where I actually gasped out loud.  I’m looking forward to starting the TV series too when I have time.  5/5

I’m currently reading David Copperfield and I’ll include that in my next book update.  I try to read 5-10% of whatever I’m reading each day, but it’s a struggle with this book.  A good read but long and dense.  I’m only hitting 5% of I’m lucky.

If you’ve read any of these books, I’d love to hear what you thought of it in the comments!