The Bookshelf: Vol 3

I’ve been trying to catch up on my reading goal for the year. At this point, I have to finish another 9 books by the end of the year. I’m going to try my best. Hopefully, I’ll finish another book before this even posts (since I’m writing it before I leave town.)

Here is a round up of the books I’ve read since my last update.

Night by Elie Wiesel (Goodreads/Amazon)

I read this book in high school and possibly again in college, but it had been over 10 years. It’s intense and raw. It is definitely something everyone should read, but you need to be prepared.

The Singles Game by Lauren Weisberger (Goodreads/Amazon)

This would have been a perfect read next to a pool somewhere in the Bahamas. It’s a little cheesy and you can see where it’s heading, but like a good romantic comedy, it is an easy read and it’s entertaining. Plus, I have a new love of the tennis world after attending the US Open so that made the story a little more fun for me.

The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti (Goodreads/Amazon)

I liked this book. It wasn’t my favorite, but it kept my attention and I liked the characters, but I just didn’t love the book. I was OK.

Wish You Were Here by Renee Carlino (Goodreads/Amazon)

This isn’t a book I normally would have picked up, but I started with a cup of coffee last Saturday and three hours later, I had finished it. I just kept turning pages. Looking back, I can’t figure out what it was that drew me in, but I really liked it and needed to just finish it and now how it ended. I would recommend this for a plane ride or a cozy winter night. It’s a quick read and I thought it was good. I’m thinking about checking out more books by her.

For the Love by Jen Hatmaker (Goodreads/Amazon)

My wonderful sister in law recommended this book to me. I follow Jen Hatmaker on Twitter and I usually find myself laughing or nodding when she tweets. Picking up this book, I felt the same way about 70% of the time. I’m not a religious person at all, so some of the church stuff she talked about was a little much for me. That said, she had a chapter about Poverty Tourism. I found myself agreeing to all of it, but especially her comment about “the world is so done being painted by the American Church.” She spends time talking about mission trips and how lots of people want to do good, but end up just painting a school that doesn’t need painting. Her belief is that anytime the rich and poor are combined, we should listen to whoever has the least power. I 100% agree with that. I’d read more of her stuff and just maybe skim over the Jesus stuff.

And my number one pick from this bunch…

Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? by Alyssa Mastromonaco (Goodreads/Amazon)

Any friend of Barack Obama is a friend of mine. Well, maybe not, but I loved this book. I felt like I got to be an insider in the White House during his presidency. Even more than that, I felt like some of my experiences in the workplace are normal. She gives some good advice and shares the most important lessons she’s learned. I would definitely recommend this – I will be purchasing it for a few people for the holidays.

So, let’s hope that I’ve finished at least one more book by the time you’re reading this or I’ll have no shot in meeting my goal for the year. Any quick reads that you loved? Are you going to hit your yearly goal?

Go check out Steph and Jana’s link up for more awesome book recaps.