my books. my life.

Life is so busy that these Sundays seem to be coming sooner than they used to. I haven’t read more than 20 pages this week so I have no reading update to give you. Still working on The Big Over Easy in print and Torment in audio. I also started Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley yesterday (on Ginger’s recommendation) trying to kickstart some weekend reading. But I ended up playing on the internet instead.

I can’t keep my mind from wandering when I read. It wants to be planning for the baby or planning for the house or planning for work (the most frustrating). I’m just letting this busy planning time run its course. If it means I read a little less, oh well. Life changes and you have to let it happen sometimes.

So laissez-faire Michelle may be around for a little while. Hopefully still bringing you a book review now and then.

Today, I bring you a new feature. As you know, my husband is an English teacher and a big reader himself. As such, he has strong opinions on what books I should be reading (books that are NOT about teenage vampires). As a compromise, I am allowing him to pick one book each month for me to read. In return, I’ve asked him to tell you a little about why he wanted me to read that particular book. I hope you enjoy the inaugural A Book for Ben post.

Title: Brave New World
Author: Aldous Huxley
Genre: Classic Dystopian
Year: 1931
My Rating: 3.5/5

What the book is about:

In Aldous Huxley’s “brave new world,” birth is a mechanized, impersonal system designed to create various classes of humans, who are then meant to consume as much as possible. Sex has become purely recreational and people worship Henry Ford rather than God. Bernard Marx doesn’t quite fit into this society and through him we see what might be wrong with this utopia.

Why Ben made me read this:

And now we have the series I hope actually to read someday. I don’t have any hope to read all of these this year, but I’d love to pick two or three to try.

The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

Ruby Oliver Series by E. Lockhart

Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead

Seven Kingdoms Trilogy by Kristin Cashore

Maisie Dobbs Series by Jacqueline Winspear

Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa

What sereis have you been itching to start?

Title: When Elves Attack
Author: Tim Dorsey
Narrators: Oliver Wyman
Genre: Fiction; Comedy
Pages: 208
Audio: 5.1 hours
Year: 2011
Publisher: Harper Audio
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

When kindhearted, psychopathic Serge Storms and his sidekick, Coleman, decide to spend Christmas in Tampa, Jim and Martha Davenport are in for quite the surprise. Serge takes his role in the war on Christmas seriously by punishing those criminals taking advantage of the season. At the same time, he decides to settle down like his “good friend” Jim. Jim just wants to survive the holiday season and Serge seems to be doing everything he can to ruin it. In short, hilarity ensues.

My Thoughts:

I am new to Tim Dorsey so I am necessarily new to Serge Storms. Most reviews I read discussed how newcomers would be lost. But I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Serge and I’m looking forward to going back and reading the books I missed.

When Elves Attack is a comedy of errors. Good intentions go wrong, coincidences abound, and Christmas appears to be quickly derailing. It was a fun read, even in January when I was all Christmas-ed out.

It was especially entertaining to me as a local Tampa Bay resident. It’s always fun to read about places you know, but Dorsey tackles Florida’s quirkiness like only a true native can. Anyone who has spent some time here would enjoy this aspect.

Audiobook Thoughts:

Oliver Wyman was a great narrator for this story. He transitioned through the various characters with ease. I am hoping he narrates the other Serge books, too.

I’m all apologies today. I once again find myself in the east coast with limited internet access so I am unable to do more than this WordPress app on my phone will allow. I also failed at blogging this week due to a crazy work week and big doings in my life (we have a contract on a house!). I can only promise to do better next week.

I managed to finish Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins and Death by Black Hole by Neil deGrasse Tyson this week. I am now reading The Big Over Easy – the first in Jasper Fforde’s Nursery Crimes series – and listening to Torment by Lauren Kate.

In case you missed it, I did give the world one blog post this week (because it was already scheduled) telling you which series I need to catch up on.

I have some busy times coming up but I do plan on actually reviewing some books this month. It just may be on a more sporadic basis. Sometimes life has to take over, huh?

Last week I shared the sequels I am currently waiting on. This week I have for you the series I would like to catch up on. I’m at least two books behind in these ones despite liking them very much and I really need to focus and catch up. Do you have series like that?

Betsy-Tacy Series by Maud Hart Lovelace

I only have the last two books left. I think I’ve been postponing them so that I won’t be done. But it’s time.

Wicked Lovely Series by Melissa Marr

I read the first two books this summer and I really hope to read the remaining three soon. I love these faery stories.

Fallen Series by Lauren Kate

This is one I am experiencing in audio because I love Justine Eyre as a narrator. I’ve read Fallen and I have Torment ready to go soon. I’d love to be caught up by the time the fourth book releases later this year.

Also, what is with series these days having novellas/short stories in between books? I think I’d probably like it in a series I am already caught up with, but it makes catching up confusing. Do I read them with the books or do I skip them and come back? So many decisions.

January ended up being a pretty good reading month for me. Probably because I did all of those mini-reviews in December so I had to keep reading in order to keep blogging. Nothing like a little pressure to get me going. I read a pretty diverse pile of books as well (and look, Ben, only two YA books!).

In January I read:

1. The World We Found by Thrity Umrigar
2. Out of Breath by Blair Richmond
3. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling (audio)
4. The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker
5. Packing for Mars by Mary Roach (audio)
6. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
7. When Elves Attack by Tim Dorsey (audio)
8. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
9. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt

In addition to the links above, I reviewed The Poisonwood Bible, and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. I also shared the authors whose next book I am anxiously awaiting, Ingrid Michaelson’s new album, and I posted my 2011 wrap-ups: reading stats and new goals; my favorite albums; my husband’s top ten of 2011; and my favorites of the year.

My favorite book this month was The Fault in Our Stars. Naturally.

I must go now and continue my weekend of doing grown-up things like going to the theater and buying houses and naming babies. But leave me a comment and let me know how 2012 started out for you!

Title: Packing for Mars
Author: Mary Roach
Narrators: Sandra Burr
Genre: Nonfiction; Science
Pages: 334
Audio: 10.5 hours
Year: 2010
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Source: Library
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

When Mary Roach decided to write about space travel, she decided to take an interesting approach: how does the human element factor in? Astronauts need to eat, sleep, breathe, bathe, and urinate. It turns out this takes a great deal of planning. Packing for Mars examines each of these issues (and more) in detail.

My Thoughts:

Space is one of my biggest nonfiction interests. I read a fair amount of books on the usual science and history topics. This one gave me a whole new perspective.

We’ve all wondered how astronauts pee. Right? Well Mary Roach will answer this question in SO MUCH DETAIL you may regret asking it (except not really). Roach examines how limited gravity, oxygen, and cabin room affect the people we send to space and takes us through a history of space travel at the same time.

Packing for Mars is highly entertaining, informative, and definitely worth a read.

Audiobook Thoughts:

The audiobook was fine. Sandra Burr was a good narrator. But she just couldn’t capture Mary Roach’s voice and her sense of humor. I listened to the audio because that was the only way I could finally get to it, but I’d probably recommend trying the print if you can.

AND…to help facilitate that, I actually have a signed ARC (I know, I’m horrible to have waited this long) to give away. If you’re interested in reading this one, just fill out the form below to enter the giveaway (or click here to fill out the form here if WordPress doesn’t want to embed this properly).

 

When I look at the books I am most looking forward to this year, I see a lot of series on that list. At the same time, I find myself – as usual – behind on some series and wanting to start others. Thus, 2012 is looking like the year of the series for me. Authors/Publishers: Stop releasing new series until I catch up, ok?

I thought I’d share all of these books I want to read with you, starting with the books I am anxiously awaiting.

Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready
#3 in the Shade Trilogy
(This is the one I am most excited about although I am still not a fan of the cover redesigns at all.)

Blackout by Mira Grant
#3 in the Newsflesh Trilogy

Endlessly by Kiersten White
#3 in the Paranormalcy Series

Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh
#2 in the Nevermore Series

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
#2 in the Divergent Series

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
#2 in the Delirium Trilogy
(Is this same girl from the Shine cover?)

Next week I’ll share which series I need to catch up on, and the following week I’ll tell you which series I hope to start.

Which books from series are you looking forward to this year?

After a week of listening, I feel I can finally fairly judge Human Again, and I can thankfully say that I continue to be a huge Ingrid Michaelson fan. I am not good actually telling you WHY I like the music I like so I’m just going leave you to listen for yourself. Here is “Ghost.”

What do you think?

Check out the other Tune in Tuesday posts over at GReads! for more music.