Yolie's 50+ Book A Week Challenge - 2018

[Yolie]

Now that I've graduated college, I can focus on reading for fun again! I hope to read a book a week, which means 52 books for 2018!

[Yolie]

1. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote.

I decided to start things off easy since this week had a holiday in it! I've been wanting to read this slim book for years. I enjoy Truman Capote and found this book to be very fascinating. To be honest, I listened to the audio book version. Michael C. Hall did the narration and it wasn't bad. Of course I've seen the movie a few times and enjoyed it. The ending and overall tone of the book are a bit different than the movie and I quite like that.

I'm not opposed to a sad or ambiguous ending and that's what this book delivers. I hope to read more of Truman Capote and I recommend this particular book to everyone.

[Tiffany, Administrator]

Yolie wrote: "Now that I've graduated college, I can focus on reading for fun again! I hope to read a book a week, which means 52 books for 2018!"

That's such a good feeling! Good luck!

[Yolie]

Tiffany wrote: "Yolie wrote: "Now that I've graduated college, I can focus on reading for fun again! I hope to read a book a week, which means 52 books for 2018!"

That's such a good feeling! Good luck!"

Thank you!!

[Yolie]

2. An Education by Lynn Barber.

I have to say that this is one of those rare occasions where I actually love the movie way more than the book. Nick Hornby was able to spin gold out of this. A very small portion of the book is dedicated to her affair with an older man when she was just 16. It seems to have barely affected her life at all. And what a shallow life that turned out to be.

I had to endure her bloviating for the rest of the book. There were small instances that were actually interesting but those were few and far between. I'm just glad that the book was short and my pain ended early. I was looking for an insightful reflection regarding her experience with an older man and how that affected her life. I didn't get any of that. I thought I'd never say this but.. Just save yourself the trouble and watch the movie!

[Yolie]

2. The Girls by Emma Cline

I recently listened to a podcast about the Heaven's Gate cult so I was in the mood to read a book like this. I think that's the key to my slight enjoyment of this book. The author doesn't break any new ground or change the mold here, but it was entertaining nonetheless. The plot relies heavily on the Manson Family and their gruesome crime of course.

The thing that bothered me was that the character never seemed to truly grow from her experiences. She becomes meeker and more solitary but that's about it. It was also confusing when the character would suddenly be in present day. I'd find myself going back a few paragraphs or pages trying to see what time period we were in. The book was just a small glimpse into a fictional cult world. It's not meant to be deep I'm sure, so I've taken it at face value and I can say that it was a pleasant read.

[Yolie]

3. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

Boy this was quite the read. We see the repercussions from an incident ripple through decades. There were so many characters to read about, which is a complaint of mine. Only a few of them had any depth at all. I did appreciate that we get to see the characters age and die throughout time. I like how lovingly the author describes California, Torrance to be specific. I'm biased because I was born there and it's a city that rarely gets written about.

It was an enjoyable read. I wasn't particularly moved or anything. It was essentially a character study. Albeit, many characters were studied. Not that many of which were interesting. Read this if you are interested in a family saga with lots of drama.

[Yolie]

4. Tales From a Makeshift Bride by Lucy Knisley.

Sigh. I have been a longtime fan of Lucy. She has always come off as extremely privileged and frankly, annoying. This takes the cake though. It was a struggle to get through this one and I think this is where our relationship ends. Read my bitter review below.

Basic woman tries to have unique wedding. Winds up staying basic in the process.