Christmas Countdown - Books in Review

It's Christmas Eve and I'm sure a lot of you are ticking down the last minutes till the end of the workday or some may have started their holidays already! Perhaps you're traveling to see loved ones or staying put and welcoming guests into your home. Or better yet, perhaps you've got time off to snuggle under cozy blankets and catch up on some great reads.

If the latter is in your near future, here are a few books that made the top of my list this year. Not all YA but sure to knock your socks off. 

ROOM by Emily Donoghue

I watched the movie, then quickly ordered the book. Word of advice if you happen to watch and read in that order: if you are a sleep deprived mother at one of those schmancy theatres where they let you drink win at your seat, WARNING! Your eyes will become overflowing reservoirs of salty liquid for TWO HOURS!

EVERYTHING I NEVER TOLD YOU by Celeste Ng

Reading Ng's debut is like listening to Adele for the first time. I know, that's a mighty comparison but you don't make it to the top of Amazon's list of 100 Best Books in 2014 because you're average. Ng's story is about characters that love and live and make you want to hug your child. 

I think I'm noticing a trend here?

THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah

A story of two sisters during WWII who couldn't be more different. The author makes writing strong female characters seem easy - but that's because she does it so well. If you're looking for a study in conflict, this is the book. 

Two non fiction books also made my list.

YEAR OF YES by Shonda Rhimes

Shonda, Shonda, Shonda. As blogmate Lauren mentioned, I recommend audio booking this one because Rhimes' voice is like butter and she invites you to drink wine with her. A glass of wine in one hand and Rhimes' voice dancing in your ear and singing words of wisdom (or drink more wine). It's a fabulous treat. 

Apparently wine is another trend in my life.

JUST MERCY by Bryan Stevenson

Real, intense. We take a journey with the author as he battles the broken system that is death row. Hooked by the first page.

PAPER TOWNS by John Green

An oldie but a goodie.  My YA pick for the year. It's young, it's fun and if you finish the book, you can pick up the movie and compare.

What were your picks of the year?

Happy Holidays!

Oh That Voice

Once in awhile you stumble upon a book that's so special, it takes you on a ride that you never want to get off.  The prose is beautiful, the characters have depth and as a writer, you spend half the time thinking "I want to write like this." Such is the case with EVERYTHING I NEVER TOLD YOU by Celeste Ng. From New York Times Bestseller to being named one of Amazon's best books of the year in 2014, it's got it's fair share of accolades and with good reason.  Ng interweaves complex characters between present day 1970's and a 1950's past like it's the easiest thing to do. I could go on and on about the book but the main point of this blog is that truth be told, I never read the book...I listened to it. 

With traffic jams and longer commutes, audio books are becoming increasingly popular.  Sites like audible.com make it easier than ever to access them instantaneously.  But it wasn't until I read EVERYTHING I NEVER TOLD YOU that I truly appreciated the importance of a skilled narrator.  

Ng's novel is narrated by the talented Cassandra Campbell. Her voice is literally like butter to me. Smooth in all the right places and distinct when speaking in the voice of various characters.  Once I finished the book, instead of searching for more Celeste Ng, I looked up Cassandra Campbell. 

Interested in learning more about these little known audio book makers and breakers?  Check out this article on one of the queens of audio books Lorelei King and a more in-depth discussion of the rise of audio books here. Happy listening!