Annette's 2017 List

[Annette]

50. Cold-Hearted Rake

[Annette]

51. Seating Arrangements
I enjoyed this, and should read others by her.

[Annette]

52. The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck: How to Stop Spending Time You Don't Have with People You Don't Like Doing Things You Don't Want to Do
I found this to be far more useful than the original, even though I'm not sure if I was just supposed to be amused. But my mental space is even more cluttered than my physical, and I thought Marie Kondo's advice led to more fucks designated (according to Sarah Knight's approach). I'm getting to work on my fuck budget!

[Annette]

53. The Beauty Myth
This didn't move me as much this time as it did when it came out, but it still had a lot to say. It's interesting to see how things have changed, and how much hasn't, both in the world, and in me :)

[Annette]

54. After Birth
I didn't much like the main character, but I thought her perspective was interesting. Not much happened in the book.

[Annette]

55. First & Then
I'm a sucker for any Austen takeoffs, and then they threw Friday Night Lights into the review and I had no choice! It was very fun.

[Annette]

56. Stuffed: Adventures of a Restaurant Family
This wasn't what I expected from the title, but it ended up being something I may have enjoyed even more! It felt like a tour of old NYC, where her family made their marks in fascinating ways, introducing pastrami to the city, inventing strange things, and demolishing buildings. The characters were fascinating, and you could feel the author's love for them all.

[Annette]

57. The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband
Unfortunately, I agree with many of the reviews. JQ did a good enough job of making me understand why the heroine lied so much, but not enough to make me actually like her. And it's hard to root too hard for a HEA for a heroine if you're not really a fan.

[Annette]

58. Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste
A book that made me re-evaluate how I drink wine! I enjoyed her journey, and I really liked her character descriptions. The science that was included didn't seem to fit as well with what was overall a more personal account, but gave some good insights. Now I really want to go to Terroir.

[Annette]

59. The Turn: The Hollows Begins with Death
I was always entertained by the Hollows books, and it was really fun to see how the alternate reality came to be.

[Annette]

60. Swimming Lessons
The past story was the one that I found compelling, if really ugly.

[Annette]

61. Sourdough
Very light, fun, and quirky.

[Annette]

62. The Hate U Give
This was really powerful. I'm making Grace read it.

[Annette]

63. Brave

[Annette]

64. Practical Demonkeeping
I could tell that this was an early book by Moore, since it wasn't quite as coherent as his others. But it was still an enjoyable read, with flashes of his brilliance and the promise of even better to come.

[Annette]

65. Astonish Me
I really like Shipstead's characters. In this, I love the ballet focus (and I learned how to spell so many moves!) The single-mindedness of the dance people, and the lack of understanding of the outsiders. I like the echo of stories throughout time. I was not completely content with the end though, since the character I had felt the most for (Harry) almost seemed to be sacrificed, while others who were less innocent were the sacrificers.