My 10 Favorite Reads From The Past Three Years

The topic for this week's Top Ten Tuesday list -- hosted by the fabulous bookworms at The Broke and the Bookish -- was a doozy:

The 10 Books I'd Classify As All-Time Favorites From the Past Three Years

Holy cow. This is the best of the best in 1095 days of my reading life -- and there have been some fantastic books mixed in there. It was pretty tough to cull the list down to 10 and I'm feeling a bit guilty about the contenders that I left off! It's interesting what broad variety my list contains -- fiction, non-fiction, memoir, thriller, fantasy, dystopian, romance...

I'm really looking forward to browsing everyone else's lists and seeing what other books have been given this high honor! I'm positive I'll be adding a few to my to-read list (which, as you can see from my previous TTT post on bookish problems, that's certainly not something I need to do!).

Here's my list; the books are really not in any order... they're all amazing in their own way! Have you read any of them? What books have stuck with you over the last few years?

Book Review: "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury

"Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury
First published in 1953
190 pages (with afterword and author Q&A)
My rating: 5 out of 5
Image from Goodreads

Look at that book sitting there next to you, or that shelf crammed full of beautiful and well-loved reading material, or your Kindle. Now imagine living in a time when all books are banned, considered the evilest of evil, and firemen are employed solely to set books ablaze rather than extinguish flames. Oh, the horror!

Guy Montag is one such fireman. He's made a living destroying books for a decade. But something has been building in Guy -- a curiosity about what's inside the books he burns. And then he meets a young girl, a breath of fresh air, a slap in the face, and everything changes: Guy decides to read.

"Fahrenheit 451" is indeed about books, but more than that it's about the knowledge contained within the covers, the dangers of censorship, the government keeping its citizens in check by keeping them wholly ignorant and glued to their TV programs like so many zombies. In a world whose motto is that everyone should be happy all of the time, nobody is truly happy, nobody is fulfilled, nobody is really living despite the Fun Parks, the cars that you can drive over 200 mph down city streets to get a thrill and the fictional "family" booming out at you from your TV walls to make you feel loved and important.

My only complaint about "Fahrenheit 451" is that it was too brief. This dystopian tale takes place over a very short time period and a lot of things happen very quickly. I wanted more information about the society in which Guy lives, the war that's alluded to, and how America got to the terrible place it's at.

But still, I loved it for what it was -- a treatise on the power of knowledge and the slippery slope of censorship. I recommend this short, thought-provoking novel for anyone and everyone.

Quotable quote: It's from the afterword, in which Bradbury talks about the stage version of "Fahrenheit 451," but I just loved this Dr. Seuss-esque turn of phrase.

"I ate them like salad, books were my sandwich for lunch, my tiffin and dinner and midnight munch. I tore out the pages, ate them with salt, doused them with relish, gnawed on the bindings, turned the chapters with my tongue! Books by the dozen, the score and the billion. I carried so many home I was hunchbacked for years. Philosophy, art history, politics, social science, the poem, the essay, the grandiose play, you name 'em, I ate 'em."

My 10 Favorite Literary Heroines

Hello, book friends! It's Tuesday, which means it's time for Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. The prompt for the week is: 

Ten Favorite Heroines From Books 

This was surprisingly hard for me... I have such a bad memory and it's hard to recall books I read back before I started blogging and keeping track of things on Goodreads. Plus, it seems that a lot of my favorite books with really memorable main characters feature males! Interestingly, all but one of my heroines came from a series.

Below are 10 fabulous female protagonists ranging from genius to bad-ass to hilarious. Who's your favorite heroine?

 1. Hermione Granger

 2. Diana Bishop

3. Lady Emily

4. Katniss Everdeen

 5. Lisbeth Salander

 6. Mary Russell

7. Stephanie Plum

 8. Skeeter

 9. Claire

10. Meg Langslow

Book Review: "The Forgers" by Bradford Morrow

"The Forgers" by Bradford Morrow
First published in 2014
258 pages
My rating: 2 out of 5
Image from Goodreads

I expected a heck of a lot more from a book that starts off with the discovery of a brutally murdered forger whose hands have been chopped off at the wrists. Instead of a fast-paced, thrilling mystery, what I got was a total snoozefest.

Our narrator, Will, is dating the sister of the murdered man. And the death stirs up the ghosts of Will's past -- he was once an extremely successful forger, "improving" rare books by adding inscriptions from authors like his favorite, Arthur Conan Doyle, or even creating entire missives and documents and passing them off as real.

Until, that is, a mysterious stalker of sorts turned him in and he was forced to swear off the profession. Except that, more than a way to make money, forging is an addiction for Will and it is a constant battle to keep from succumbing to his passion. Will, who's now gainfully employed as a handwriting expert, thinks he's managed to leave that world behind, but after the murder he starts receiving threatening notes -- in the forged handwriting of famous authors, and from the same man who turned the authorities on to his forging -- accusing him of killing his girlfriend's brother.

Between the captivating cover, the interesting, book-centric synopsis and the murder-mystery, I was totally expecting to love this book. But it's really not a whodunit at all -- more of a life story being related to us by the narrator, who, by the way, I never really warmed up to. Eventually we do find out who committed the murder and why, but it's wholly unsatisfying. I guessed the killer's identity very early on and I kept hoping for a twist to mix things up -- which, sadly, never came -- and the motive was as bland and boring as a motive could ever be. And there was never any tension, never any build-up to a climax. If it hadn't been such a short book with admittedly decent writing, I never would have finished it.

I suspect this book is meant more as a literary commentary on obsession, love and secrets than a mystery, but it was just so completely dull. You may be tempted to delve into the world of the rare books trade like I was, but I'd suggest skipping this one.

Style Challenge: Wear Something That Hasn't Left Your Closet in 6+ Months

I was really excited about this week's Putting Me Together Style Challenge -- wear something you haven't worn in more than six months. I browsed through my closet and, let me tell you, I'm almost ashamed of how many things I found that fit the challenge.

 

After digging out a bunch of pieces that haven't seen the light of day in quite a long time, I put together several outfits for the week. But Ohio decided not to cooperate, and I didn't get a chance to wear two of the cutest ones because they'd really look better with flats -- and our weather this week has been snow, snow, and bitter freakin' cold -- and I wasn't about to freeze my little tootsies off! (In just over a week I'll be sinking my feet into some warm Hawaii sand I'd really like to have all my toes for that experience!)

Monday: Jarrod and I both had the day of work so we went out to lunch at Panera Bread -- the perfect lunch for a snowy day. Although who am I kidding? I could eat soup and a sandwich for lunch every day forever!

The gold-sequined tank top has languished in my closet for at least two years. I can't remember the last time I wore those gold earrings. And I bought the boots from Target over Thanksgiving and (for some crazy reason!) hadn't ever gotten around to wearing them. Paired with my workhorse pink sweater, I think everything came together to make a pretty cute outfit!

 

 Tuesday: Work.

I'm really not much of a dress person, and I last wore this dress over two years ago when we lived in Hawaii. And this cream cardigan... it's a perfectly good sweater, but for some reason I never think to grab it. I guess I always gravitate  more toward my gray and tan sweaters. This was my favorite outfit of the week; it was cute and surprisingly comfy.

 

Wednesday: Work and grocery shopping in horrendous weather. (Snow and slippery roads followed by sunshine, wind and extreme cold. Brr.)

I bought this sweater from Macy's a couple years ago on clearance and with an extra coupon. Its original price was over $100 (!!!) and I guess since it's so fragile I was afraid to wear and wash it too often. Which is too bad, because while the color is still gorgeous the silhouette is a bit outdated. The paper-bead necklace and freshwater pearl earrings also don't get enough wear -- and they match perfectly with the pink sweater!

In case you're wondering, no, I didn't wear these slippers to work. Though wouldn't that be nice?! I had on the same boots from Tuesday's outfit, but after grocery shopping they were covered in snow and salt and I couldn't bring them in the house. Alas, you get to see what I wear all day, every day, when I'm at home. I have two pairs of these L.L. Bean slippers and I really could not live without them.

 

 

I loved this challenge! It was fun and forced me to look through all my clothes and re-discover some great pieces that don't get enough wear -- or else are just completely forgotten about, like the poor lonely dress from Tuesday. I encourage you to take a browse through your closet and see if you have as much luck as I did!

 

4 Bookish Problems + 3 I Solved

(source)

It's Tuesday -- time for Top Ten Tuesday with The Broke and the Bookish. This week we're talking about book-related problems -- serious or not -- that we as bookworms have. Here goes:

1. The biggie -- too many books, not enough time. I have 317 books on my Goodreads to-read list, and that's after recently deleting a few that I'd lost interest in. Last year I read 61 books, so by that average it would take me over five years to read all the books on my list -- not including all the books I'm inevitably going to add to it!

2. I work at a library. That might sound like a great job for a book-lover, but the workplace hazard is that I'm always finding new books to read. When I'm bored at work I'll peruse the new releases shelf under the guise of putting a basket away or shelving holds, look at the latest issues of BookPage or Library Journal, browse Goodreads or my favorite book blogs, or chat with my co-workers about what they're reading. Plus, I'm surrounded on every side by books and I just want to READ ALL OF THEM!

3. Another problem with being a very frequent library patron/employee -- I always put reading library books above reading my own books. Why? I really can't say. But I do know that it is 100% more likely that I will read a book if I check if out from the library rather than buy it. For three years running it's been my New Year's resolution to read at least one of my own books every month. Hahahahaha. Needless to say, it hasn't happened yet. Last year I only read one of my own books, and that's because I signed up to do a buddy read on Goodreads and I just happened to have the book we chose tucked away on one of my overflowing bookshelves!

4. I am super anal-retentive about keeping books in nice condition. I despise spine-creasers and corner-folders and people who eat Doritos while reading and leave orange fingerprints on every page. But -- confession time -- I did something hideously awful a couple weeks ago and it is just killing my conscience. I was reading a brand spankin' new library copy of "The Girl on the Train" while eating leftover lasagna for lunch on my break at work. I'm sure you can see where this is going. I somehow got lasagna sauce on my hand... and smeared it on the page. I am a horrible person.

But we'll finish off on a positive note with some bookish problems I used to suffer but have cured!

1. I used to be among the hordes of people who read a book right before the movie version comes out. I'd even re-read all the Harry Potter books before seeing the films.But then I'd sit and nit-pick every little difference between the two -- and invariably the book would be better. So now? I try not to read books within six months of their movie release. And I remind myself to view the movie as a completely separate entity -- allowed some creative license and to be appreciated as its own tale. This leads to a lot more enjoyment and a lot less frustration on my part. (What a crazy phenomenon this is! Working at the library it cracks me up. Up 'til a couple months before the movie release, nobody really cares about the given book. But suddenly "The Giver" or "The Fault in Our Stars" or "Gone Girl" is coming to the theater and everyone and their brother wants to read the novel; the hold list grows from 0 to 100 in a flash!)

2. I used to press on reading a book even if I hated it. I shudder to think of all the time I wasted reading crap or a novel I just wasn't into when there's sooooo much fabulous reading material to devour. Now, if I'm not feeling a book I put it down. I'll give it a fair shot -- just recently I read 100 whole pages of a sleep-inducing "mystery" ("Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman," if you must know) before giving it up. But I no longer feel that compulsion to suffer through to the end. If I don't like it, I remember Bookish Problem #1 and move on to the next story.

3. I used to use library receipts or random pieces of paper to mark my place in books, despite the clutch of beautiful bookmarks in my possession. I solved this by simply reminding myself to get a bookmark! And it's kind of fun to select my place-marker. Do I feel like a Dr. Seuss quote, a scene from the Smoky Mountains, a gorgeous koa wood bookmark from Hawaii, Monet's water lilies?

Ah, it's a tough life being a book-lover! ;) What are your bookish problems?

Book Review: "Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography"

"Choose Your Own Autobiography" by Neil Patrick Harris
First published in 2014
294 pages
My rating: 3 out of 5
Image from Goodreads

I like Neil Patrick Harris well enough, but I really only picked up his autobiography because I was intrigued by the innovative and fun choose-your-own-adventure format. I had imagined that, no matter what route I selected, I'd eventually read the whole book. Not so. Choosing your own adventure will only take you through certain parts of the NPH saga.

I was disappointed, and I almost put the book down when I realized it wasn't quite as special as I thought. But I had already laughed out loud a handful of times in the first 20 pages, so I decided to soldier on and read the book straight through, forgoing the choosing of my own adventure.

Since this autobiography is not really meant to be read like a normal book, I had to do a bit of flipping back and forth to get my bearings at times. It's roughly chronological but not entirely; it starts with Neil's birth in a small New Mexico city and ends with a variety of untimely deaths -- or the amazing 40th birthday surprise organized by his partner, David.

I enjoyed reading about Neil's time as a child actor on "Doogie Howser," acting on Broadway and hosting awards shows. Neil's full of jokes and many passages made me chuckle. It was particularly interesting to learn about the surrogacy process through which Neil and David had their adorable twins, Gideon and Harper. And did you know Neil's a magician and president of the board of directors of the famous Magic Castle in Hollywood?

There are magic tricks, recipes and hilarious alternate endings mixed in with Neil's life story, as well as anecdotes from several of Neil's friends and co-workers like Whoopi Goldberg and Seth MacFarlane.

Most of the book was lighthearted, but I didn't like the occasional gossipy tone when Neil named names and talked about the difficult actors and directors he's worked with in the past. I was also irritated by the excessive number of puns; they were funny at first but got old quickly. "Gay-teaseburg Address," Neil? Really? And, though Neil tries to adopt an everyman voice, it's clear that most of his life has been anything but average.

If you're into celebrity memoirs or a big Neil Patrick Harris fan, check out this autobiography. Otherwise, you can probably skip this one and not miss out on a too much.