I have been doing so much reading that I keep putting off writing this post until I finish yet another book that I’ll want to talk about. So here it is! In no particular order…

Still Alice by Lisa Genova. I’m sure you’ve heard of this one, as Julianne Moore just won all the awards for playing the lead in the movie. Now I can’t wait to see the movie because the book was incredible. So terrifying but I couldn’t put it down. I think it’s kind of weird that they have Kate Bosworth playing Julianne Moore’s daughter in the movie (aren’t they like 12 years apart?) but I want to see it anyway. So amazing. I’ve also seen that Lisa Genova has written a bunch of other books now about people with some kind of neurological disease and I want to read them all right now.

*Update: I saw Still Alice and pretty much hated it. No offense, Julianne Moore. If you haven’t seen the movie or read the book yet, PLEASE read the book. It is so so so much better.

Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey. Probably a less well-known novel about dementia, but also really good. This one is about a much older woman suffering from dementia, but the narrative is really well done. I didn’t love it as much as Still Alice, but it’s worth reading for sure.

The Story Hour by Thrity Umrigar. I listened to this on a drive to Baltimore, and I HIGHLY recommend doing this one as an audio book if you can. It’s about an Indian immigrant who attempts suicide and starts seeing a female psychologist who has her own weird issues. The narration in the somewhat broken English with the Indian accent is so good. I think it made the story even better.

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica. This is another one I did as an audio book. I really liked it the whole way through, and then the epilogue COMPLETELY changes the whole story. Incredible. It’s a quick and easy read, loved it.

More stuff by Elin Hilderbrand. The Island, The Castaways, Winter Street. I liked the first two, the third not so much. It almost seemed like a set-up to a real novel, with back stories on a bunch of characters but no true plot line. Maybe it is! I’ll keep an eye on you, Elin.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Okay, I started out at about 152 on the waiting list for this one so maybe my expectations were too high but, meh. Really long, really slow. Nice story, very well written, but I was underwhelmed.

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult. Another World War II story like All the Light, but I found this one to be a much faster and more interesting read. Does it make me a #commonwhitegirl that I prefer a Jodi Picoult over a more highly-acclaimed, literary style? Oh well.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Yet another WWII! I do love my history. This book is very long, but everyone should probably read it because it’s an incredible story. I’m not sure I can see the movie because I think I would have to keep my eyes closed for most of it.

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult. I don’t know what to say about this book, other than Jodi should stick to the ethical dilemma novels she does best. In this one, you learn a lot about elephants, and I hated the ending. I won’t give it away in case my glowing review here makes you want to read it, but let’s just say it was more exciting when it happened to Haley Joel Osment.

Landline by Rainbow Rowell. I’ve talked about her books before (Eleanor and Park, Fangirl, Attachments). I thought this one was just okay. Worth reading, but not my favorite.

Sister by Rosamund Lupton.  I think this is one I saw on Pinterest and I was intrigued by the cover. I liked it. Kind of a dark, mysterious vibe but not quite as thrilling as Gone Girl. Still would recommend.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. This I LOVED. Could not put it down. I was on a super long waitlist for it and then my magical co-worker just handed it to me one Friday and I finished it by Saturday morning. A good book and a big helping of pho was my dream Friday night.

Not That Kind of Girl  by Lena Dunham. For someone who is hilariously funny, I had high expectations for this one, too. But it really fell flat for me. Also, if you think her show Girls is awkward, don’t even pick up the book. So uncomfortable. Not even close to as funny as Tina Fey’s Bossypants or Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? I also read Amy Poehler’s Yes Please and thought it was just okay. Funny ladies who maybe shouldn’t be writing books.

Rooms and Panic by Lauren Oliver. I absolutely loved her Delirium series, so I was really excited to read some of her other stuff. I didn’t like either of these. That’s all.

When She Woke by Hillary Jordan. The last time I did one of these posts, Sheila recommended Mudbound by Hillary Jordan. I still haven’t been able to get my hands on that one, but I liked this. Kind of a dystopian vibe- it’s about a time in future USA where people aren’t imprisoned for their crimes, but their skin is dyed to indicate what they’ve done. The main character is sentenced to have red skin for like 10 years or something for having an abortion. It sounds weird, but I really liked it. Very interesting concept.

And last, but certainly not least, this is happening again.

I won’t tell you how many times I’ve read the entire Harry Potter series, but it’s a double digit number and the first digit isn’t a 1. They are free in the Kindle Owner’s Lending Library!!! Just saying.