My 2014 Reading List

Happy New Year's!

As we reach the end of 2014, I wanted to share with you all the books I've read this past year. 52 books! I have to say I'm actually really impressed with myself, I didn't have a goal when I started this list,  I just wanted to keep a list and see what happened.

 For a while I was reading 5 books a month, and then adventures began and that number slowed down a lot as life began to take precedence.

Looking back now I see how many fantasy novels I read and audiobooks I listened to at the beginning of the year, when we still lived in sticks and bricks as we were packing up the house. I kind of wish I had more classics and other "important" sounding books on that list to be perfectly honest. Though a lot of those (books by Michael Scott, John Flanagan, and John Grisham) I read together with my brother, Thane, inspiring lots of bookclubing and fun, which was most definitely worth it.

The works of the incredible Tamora Pierce kept me moving, relaxed and happy while packing, cleaning, organizing, and everything that goes into redecorating a new home and moving out of an old one (second-or-third time through her Tortall books.)
I have discovered some of my new favorite books this year; Traveling With Pomegranates, The Secret Life of Bees, Little Women, A Year in Provence, The Tenth Gift, Louisiana Longshot, Northanger Abbey,  Chocolat, and Eat, Pray, Love. I HIGHLY recommend all of them. The last one was a particular favorite, it was so inspiring and gave me so much to think about; about self-love, love for others, discovering yourself, so much love! It was incredible!

Cold Sassy Tree introduced me to the wonders of literature and the range of emotions a story can make you feel for the first time. It's got me eager to read more classic lit, and we've got a brand new pile of classics to get through.

So with that said, Here's my 2014 book list:

1. The Wedding Cake Girl by Anne Pfeffer                   (January) (Fiction)

2. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb                       (January) (Audiobook)

3. The Alchemyst by Michael Scott                                (January) (Fantasy)

4. Traveling with Pomegranates  by Sun Monk Kidd     (January) (Non-Fiction)

5. The Secret Life Of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd               (January) (Fiction)

6. The Magician by Michael Scott                                  (February) (Fantasy)

7. Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb                                   (February) (Audiobook)

8. The Sorceress by Michael Scott                                 (February) (Fantasy)

9. The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan                      (February) (Fantasy)

10.The Camerons by Robert Crichton                            (February) (Classic)

11. Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen                             (March) (Fiction)

12. The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan                      (March) (Fantasy)

13. The Necromancer by Michael Scott                           (March) (Fantasy)

14. The Warlock by Michael Scott                                    (March) (Fantasy)

15. Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham         (March) (Fiction)

16. Theodore Boone: Abduction by John Grisham           (March) (Fiction)

17. Little Women by Louisa May Alcot                              (March) (Classic)

18. Theodore Boone: The Accused by John Grisham      (March) (Fiction)

19. Theodore Boon: The Activist by John Grisham           (March) (Fiction)

20. A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle                             (April) (Non-Fiction)

21. Alanna the First Adventure by Tamora Pierce             (April) (Audiobook)

22. In The Hand of Goddess by Tamora Pierce                 (April) (Audiobook)

23. The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson                                  (April) (Fiction)

24. The Woman Who Rides Like Man by Tamora Pierce    (May) (Audiobook)

25. The Shattered Chain by Marion Zimmer Bradley         (May) (Fantasy)

26. Lioness Rampart by Tamora Pierce                            (May) (Audiobook)

27. The First Test by Tamora Pierce                                 (May) (Audiobook)

28. Thendara House by Marion Zimmer Bradley               (May) (Fantasy)

29. Page by Tamora Pierce                                                (May) Audiobook)

30. City of Sorcery by Marion Zimmer Bradley                  (May) (Fantasy)

31. Squire by Tamora Pierce                                             (May) (Audiobook)

32. Louisiana Longshot by Jana Deleon                            (May) (Cozy Mystery)

33. Lady Knight by Tamora Pierce                                     (May) (Audiobook)  

34. Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce                           (June) (Audiobook)

35. Trouble in Mudbug by Jana Delon                               (June) (Cozy Mystery)

36. Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce                           (June) (Audiobook)

37. Death comes to Pemberly by P.D. James                   (June) (Fiction)

38. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen                             (July) (Classic)

39. Terrier by Tamora Pierce                                           (August) (Audiobook)

40. Chocolat by Joanne                                                    (August) (Fiction)

41. Dragon Prince by Melanie Rawn                                (September) (Fantasty)

42. Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce                                  (September) (Audiobook)

43. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins                                 (September) (Fiction)

44. Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett                                  (October) (Fantasy)

45. Helen of Troy by Margaret George                            (November) (Fiction)

46. The House on Tradd Street by Karen White              (November) (Fiction)

47. The Girl on Legare Street by Karen White                 (December ) (Fiction)

48. The Spymistress by Jennifer Chiaverini                          (December) (Historical Fiction)

49. The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan                      (December) (Fantasy)


50. Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Bums                        (December) (Classic)

51. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert                         (December) (Non-Fiction)

* 51-1/2. Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and her World by Alison Weir (Historical Non-Fiction)

* 52. Botany of Desire by Michel Pollen (Non-Fiction)

**I'm about half way through these two books. I've been reading them since around July-ish. They've taken me months to get through as they are very dense. In the best way possible, they're both absolutely FASCINATING. So I thought putting two halves together, especially with them not being beach reads, that they can count as one whole.


This next year I doubt I'll reach 50 books again, since we're full time travelers now, but who knows? Maybe! We've got a lot of month-long stays planned, lots of reading to be done!

I don't make New Year's resolutions, it's just not my time to create goals. If I make resolutions it's either on my birthday (which is like my personal new year) or in the middle of the night when I have all those deep, life- changing thoughts. Bit IF I DID, it would be to add more classics into my life. I've also just discovered sonnets soooo. . .


I wish you all happy readings this new year, along with plenty of love, happiness, surprises, and all of your favorite things.

This Is Not A Review. Maybe.

So I just finished reading Helen Of Troy by Margret George, which, unsurprisingly, is about Helen of Troy. 

It's the story of the Trojan War from Helen's point of view, from her childhood to her return to Troy years after the war, and it gives you so much to think about, like how Helen is in big trouble and a long list of nasty names for doing it with another man, but none of the named and nameless Greek warriors get in trouble for all the women they slept with while they're away from their wives. The irony is ridiculous.

I was never a huge fan of the Iliad (I'm an Odyssey girl); I mean the Greeks are all a bunch of whiny, unfaithful brats who sit around for 10 years, kidnap women, sulk, then sneak in and smash a whole bunch of stuff. B O R I N G. The Odyssey is way more fun; magical creatures, transformation, riddles, underworld adventures, disguises, wit. 

Reading the story from Helen's point of view was WAY more interesting. You got to know all the characters more and you got to know the Trojans and their side of the story, which isn't usually told. The Greeks are the bad guys, from this side of the Trojan walls. 

 I spent all of yesterday reading the end. I haven't gotten so involved in a book like that in what feels like a long time, where I couldn't stop reading.  It was wonderful! Though  (spoiler alert!) a very sad ending, since most of the characters you get to know are Trojans and well . . . Also Greek Gods are jerks. We all already know this but I mean what could be worse than to be desperately in love with a teenage boy who you're like 10 years older than? Poor Helen. 

 I read Margret George's book about Mary, Queen of Scots a few months ago and really loved it.  It was super long but one of the better historical fictions I've read, I felt so much better acquainted with that time in history. I'm dying to read her book about Cleopatra, which I know is going to be wonderful! Reading about famous women in history from their point of view is one of my favorite things in the whole wide world.  I'm thinking of starting a book about the Civil War that Mom has started, since we're in the heart of the civil war area this month. Now that we're settled in one place for the winter all I want to do is read books all day. Which is all I intend to do, to be honest. 

The Plum On The Back Theory

So I've been wanting to update on here, but I wasn't sure what I wanted to write about!
But then I remembered. I made a list of topics to talk about when I started. (I make a lot of lists.)

So today I shall be telling you about my favorite life philosophy. I call it The Plum On The Back theory. And then I can use this as a reference in the future, and you'll know what I'm talking about!

It's from the best manga out there, called Fruits Basket (*distant cheering*). Quick-ish synopsis: Torhu Honda, the most optimistic, open-hearted, sweetest, sees-the-best-in-people person, recently lost her mother in a car accident. She ends up living on her own in a tent, working her way through high school to keep a promise made to her mom, when she's discovered by Yuki and Shigure Sohma. She learns the Sohma secret, that there are 13 members of the family cursed by the Chinese Zodiac; whenever they're hugged by a person of the opposite sex, or they're weak and sick, they transform into their zodiac animal.

She moves in with three of the Sohmas; Yuki (year of the rat), Shigure (year of the dog) and Kyo (the extra year of the cat.) and she slowly meets all of the family and a lot of seriously sad, happy, sweet, dramatic and hilarious things happen and it basically unleashes full fangirl mode when you read/watch it (or listen to the radio drama!) . Highly HIGHLY recommend it, it is incredible!



Okay enough synopsizing and fangirling. Back to the point of this. The POTB theroy.

Here's the quote from the series. (This won't make as much sense out of context, but bear with me. I'm trying!) In this episode/chapter Torhu has been noticing the misunderstood jealousy between two of the characters, Kyo and Yuki. They're envious of each other. . . Lots of backstory. Anyway, she's making rice-balls (IMPORTANT theme!!) when she has a revelation:

"Maybe the reason you don't see it [his good qualities] is that it's stuck to your back. What I mean is, a person's admirable qualities - they're just like, say, a pickled plum on a rice ball. In other words the person is the rice ball and the plum is stuck to their back. So, all over the world you can have rice balls made with all sorts of wonderful ingredients, all different flavors and shapes and colors, but since they'd be stuck in the middle of everyone's back, someone could have a plum and not even know it. They'd look at themselves and think "I'm so plain, nothing but white rice," even though it isn't true because, turn them around and, sure enough, there it is. There's the plum. So if someone is jealous of somebody else, well, then, it's probably because it's easier to see the plum on someone else's back than it is on your own. Yup. I can see it. I can see it very clearly, Kyo. You don't know it but you have a great big plum on your back."

Isn't that just fantastic?! I just love this analogy! It combines food with seeing the best in people, even when they can't see it themselves.

The scene gets better when Kyo, embarrassed to be so complimented, scoffs and says, "That's ridiculous," but then a minute later grudgingly tells Torhu he can see the plum on her back too.

And there's my post! Woo! Thank goodness for lists! And remember that you have a perfect plum on your back!