2021 Review

Here is my 2021 book summary! My favorites and not so favorites. I read or listened to 228 Books. Matt and I read 18 books together. The kids and I read many books and Mikey read some too! It was a good year for books!

Kids favorite books:

Mikey - The Bailey School Kids series, the Dragon in a Bag Series, the Jedi Academy series, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series

Lily - The Girl Who Drank the Moon, Nightmares series, Monster High Series, Dragon in a bag series, The Bailey School Kids series

Rosie - The Monster at the End of This Book and Miles and Miles of Reptiles

The hubby's top picks:

1. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir: This is my pick for best book I read this year. A fun sci-fi novel about a space mission to save humanity, told through the lens of the last scientist aboard the shuttle.

2. The Witcher Series by Andrzej Sapkowski: We have read three of the books so far (The Last Wish, Sword of Destiny, Blood of Elves), and I'm enjoying them. Definitely worth a read if you liked the games or Netflix show.

3. The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl: I haven't read too many autobiographies, but it's fun to hear Dave Grohl tell stories of his music career.

4. We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix: really enjoying this author lately. We also read Horrorstör this year, but this one was slightly better in my opinion.

5. Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby: I went into this book with no real expectations, but thoroughly enjoyed it.

...

586. Ready Player Two: despite the reviews, I actually had fun reading the first one. The sequel, however, is terrible. Avoid at all costs.

My Top Books (in no particular order):

Kindred

The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music

His Truth is Marching On

The Broken Girls

Hello Universe

New Kid

Caste

Devolution

Cemetery Boys

The Final Girl Support Group

The Guncle 

Dial A For Aunties 

Dr Mutters Medical Marvels

Wylding Hall

The Haunting of Maddy Clare

The Twelve Dates of Christmas

Krampus: the Yule Lord

Girl With the Louding Voice

Razorblade Tears

My least favorite books of 2021:

Jack

Honey Girl

Behind Her Eyes

The Push

Help For the Haunted 

The House on the Strand

Foul Play / Thanksgiving (both by the same author both terrible)

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina

Lisey's Story

Holidays on Ice

I am Scrooge: a Zombie Christmas Carol

Year 5, week 18: Krampus

This week's book:
Krampus: The Yule Lord
By Gerald Brom

I read this book as a buddy read (a group of people read it and discuss it every night for a about a week). I had never heard of this book and hardly knew anything about the mythology of Krampus. I have never seen the film that came out a few years ago, but this book has really nothing in common with the film. I listened to the audiobook, but a few people shared with the group the very interesting artwork that this book has, so I recommend reading a physical copy if possible. 

The story is of Krampus who has been falsely imprisoned for five hundred years and is finally released. Santa, in his eyes, is the villain and should have never gotten the fame that he has. Krampus wants to be known as his counterpart and takes the matter into his own hands. Neither Krampus nor Santa are painted in good light, which was rather interesting. The book is about how both of these "men" are gods, and have a very long history. 

There are some rather violent scenes, and then the story will totally flip to a really uplifting setting; it can give you whiplash sometimes. Apparently this author/illustrator is very talented, and almost everyone in the buddy had read or planned to read more of his books. 

If you want a kind of messed up Christmas book, check it out.

Year 5, week 17: It's a Hallmark Christmas!

A couple of days late, but here are a couple of  Hallmark Movie books for Christmas!

Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope
By Janice Lynn

This year is the third installment of a Hallmark Movie published book. It's from the same author and based in the same town as the two previous books. 

This was by far the worst of the three. A recently widowed single mom falls for a fireman around Christmas! There was hardly any quilting (which, let's be honest, was what drew me into the initial book). I haven't actually watched a Hallmark Christmas Movie in forever, and this book didn't help me want to watch one anytime soon. The first two books in this series (Wrapped up in Christmas and Wrapped up in Christmas Joy) were so delightful, but this one fell flat big time. Minus a wedding where all the bridesmaids wear Christmas sweater dresses, it's kind of a snooze fest. 

If you have read the first two books you can try this one out, but otherwise I would skip this one. 

A Timeless Christmas: An Enchanting Time Travel Romance
By Alexis Stanton

For the fact that I was disappointed with my previous Hallmark Christmas book, I tried another book, and this one was much better. There is time travel and romance, and of course some Christmas magic. 

The story is a bit like that Hugh Jackman and Meg Ryan movie, Kate & Leopold, but way better. A grad student works at a historical house, and she has fallen in love with the former own that passed away over a century ago. 

I would recommend this book if you want a silly, cheesy Christmas-themed romance.

Year 5, week 16: Skipping Christmas / Holiday on Ice

Holiday-themed twofer this week!

Skipping Christmas
By John Grisham

First of all, yes this book is by the amazing John Grisham, the king of law dramas; and yet there are literally no courtrooms in the book. Second of all, I have never seen the film adaptation of this book, Christmas with the Kranks, staring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis. 

The book is a quick tale of a couple who decided to skip Christmas when their daughter is gone for the season. The couple plan to take a ten day trip and are treated like they are crazy throughout the whole book, just because they are not wanting to do all the things that the holiday season seems to force many into doing. I was kind of getting sick of everyone giving the couple so much flack for just wanting to do something for themselves, but that might just be me being overwhelmed sometimes with the gifts I still need to buy. 

The book as a whole is a cute reminder on how many people seemed to go overboard and how people can lose sight on what the whole holiday season is all about. There are many silly funny parts and I would probably recommend reading it.  

Holidays on Ice
By David Sedaris

This book was for a buddy read for my online book club. I had tried to read another book by this author, but could never get through it. I should have probably taken that as a sign as of if I would like this book as well. 

I super duper didn't care for the book. Literally the only reason I finished it was out of pure spite and that it was such a short audiobook. The book is a collection of short stories and, for the most part they are very (what others would call) dark comedy. Others in the buddy read loved it and found it funny, but I just wasn't one of them. I hated this book and definitely wouldn't recommend it at all!

Year 5, week 15: Apples Never Fall

This week's book:
Apples Never Fall
By Liane Moriarty

I have read every book Moriarty has written minus one, and I have liked them for the most part. When I heard that she had written a new book, I couldn't wait to read it. I ended up listening to it instead of reading it, even though I had the physical copy of the book. 

This book was fun and a bit thrilling, but not as suspenseful as some of her other books. The book takes place in two different times, and they are woven together. This novel is about a self-centered family that all play tennis, and a stranger that turns their lives upside down. 

I can't give away too much without giving away the whole plot, but I liked the book okay and would probably recommend it.