“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”
― C.S. Lewis
I’m taking the Goodreads 2018 Reading Challenge, setting a goal for myself that I’ll make it to 50 books or audiobooks this year. So far, I’m on book 6 and on track to make my goal. As part of my reading challenge, I’m setting an additional goal for myself to make sure atleast 50% of the books I read this year are by female authors. I hope you’ll join me in my challenge, however big or small your reading list for the year is.
I’d love to share what I’ve been reading so far this year, including my own personal Goodreads rating for each book. I also welcome your suggestions for what to read next – What have you been reading so far this year that you’ve loved? If you’re looking for extra inspiration past this list, check out my list of favorite reads from 2017 to help get you jump-started on your own reading challenge.
The Rules of Magic – by Alice Hoffman
I grew up loving the film Practical Magic but didn’t realize that it was based on a book by Alice Hoffman until I came across the prequel. The Rules of Magic begins in 1960s New York and follows the Owens sisters, Franny and Jet, and their brother Vincent as they navigate magic and love amid a family curse.
Franny, the eldest of the Owens siblings, is tall with pale skin and fiery red hair. She’s intimidating and solitary, preferring the companionship of the birds who flock toward her or her only friend, Halen. Beautiful and shy middle sibling Jet, nicknamed for her long black hair, has the ability to read minds. Vincent, the youngest, is intensely charismatic and draws people to him as easily as trouble. For those familiar with Practical Magic, you’ll enjoy learning more about Franny and Jet, the aunts who raised sisters Sally and Gillian Owens and more about the family curse that prevails into the next book.
Goodreads rating 4/5
Unqualified – by Anna Faris
I love a good memoir once in a while. Sometimes they’re funny or empowering like Amy Poehler’s Yes Please or Tina Fey’s Bossy Pants, and sometimes when you opt for the audiobook, they’re just an entertaining way to pass your daily commute. Much of Faris’s writing centers on love and relationship advice pulled from experience and her podcast. Though I wasn’t in the market for advice, I found Unqualified to be moderately entertaining and enjoyably quick.
Goodreads rating 3/5
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body – by Roxane Gay
Roxane Gay’s memoir tells the story of her body from childhood trauma through her present state. It’s raw and unflinching, taking the reader through introspective dialogue around her assault and how its shaped her relationship with food, exercise, and the people she interacts with. I respect that the author is upfront about the fact that this is not a book about losing weight or finding joy in dieting, it’s not even about letting go of trauma or pain. There is no argument for a resolution, it simply is a statement of what happened and how she has dealt with it so far.
To be honest, I found Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body difficult to push through all the way. Though it came highly rated on Goodreads, I often felt myself at odds with some of Roxane Gay’s writing, particularly how she positions herself against other women. The author writes with a great deal of anger and based on her experiences, I believe that a great deal of it is justified. But there is an anger toward other women that I feel is misdirected. Rather than embracing the idea that all women have different bodies and different challenges, she seems to mark those who are different from her as the enemy because they do not have the same body and the same challenges that she does.
I’ve spent the past few weeks reflecting on my opinion of this book wondering if I’m just not grasping the point, if I don’t understand her position because my background or my own experiences have not positioned me to understand her perspective, or if my idea of feminism is just wildly different than hers. In the end, while I champion her for speaking out about her experience, can’t help but feel discouraged by her position to other women.
Goodreads rating 2/5
The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily – by Laura Creedle
The best way I can describe The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily is that it is a light read with some heavy themes. Abelard and Lily break a door, end up in detention, and realize they both share not only a love of classic literature but some of the same neurodivergent struggles as well. I appreciate that the author has written teenage characters with identified ADHD, Dyslexia, and Asperger’s because it so rarely comes up in lit, but is so prevalent in real life. I was disappointed that a major theme throughout the book was a potential surgery that could cure Lily’s ADHD, as I think that distracted from some of the positive messaging around neurodiversity. However, the characters were well-defined and quirky so it was fun to see their relationship evolve and proved to be a quick read.
Goodreads rating 3/5
The Ninth Wife – by Amy Stolls
This was one of those books that I actually began last year sometime and intermittently picked at and set back down for months at a time. That, in itself, is as good of a review as any to grasp my interest in this novel. The Ninth Wife follows a folklorist named Bess Gray who experiences a whirlwind relationship with a handsome Irish musician who has been married and divorced 8 times over. Bess only learns this after he proposes marriage to her, making her his prospective 9th wife. The story follows Bess as she travels across the country to help her grandparents move to Arizona, tracking each of his 8 ex-wives down along the way.
This was a fluffy read but I didn’t feel like any of character threads were ever fully resolved. The author spent ample time crafting backstories and challenges for each supporting character but then abandoned their threads before you could see how they impacted the overall story. I was left feeling like you could have chopped out the majority of the supporting characters and still ended up with the same resolution. Unfortunately, the supporting characters were much more interesting to read about than the protagonist.
Goodreads rating 2/5
Currently in Progress
The Winter Sea – by Susanna Kearsley
I purchased this book several years ago because I was intrigued by the cover. Unfortunately, it’s resided on my bookshelf unread the entire time I’ve had it. I was recently perusing Audible for a new audiobook to keep me company on my commute and decided it was time to digitally crack this one open for my 2018 reading challenge. The Winter Sea follows an author named Carrie Mclelland as she writes her latest historical novel, set in Scotland’s Slains Castle, where she takes up residence while she writes. As she makes progress on her book, she begins to wonder if her words are not merely fiction, but an ancestral memory of fact. I’m about a quarter of the way through so far, and it’s just barely starting to pick up. The author switches between present time with Carrie and what she has written so far of her novel, which can be a bit distracting, but I anticipate will ultimately serve to interweave the plot lines.
Goodreads rating TBD
Interesting choices of books. I will have to put them on my list. I am so used to reading business or self-development books that these would be a nice change.
I love your book reviews and will be following along as you work towards your goal since I am always looking for a good book. My goal last year was 30 and I fell short at around 26 I think. I’m sticking with 25 since that seems to work best for me lol. Now I am going to go check out your best of 2017 post.
This is a great review post. You did a great job in recapping the books. I think I want to grab The Rules of Magic for my next trip to read on the plane.
Oooh I like the idea of a reading challenge! I used to always have my head in a book, but recently life has got in the way and I find myself crashing in bed too tired to read. It’s a shame as I love reading and I used to make time for me every day, even if it was just 15 minutes. Going to go and look into this reading challenge!
I desperately need new books to read this year. Thanks for sharing your list!
xo
Taylor
http://www.reeseshardwear.com
reading 50 books this year sounds like an awesome challenge and i might have to get started myself! enjoy the pages (:
You have really set yourself a challenge with this little lot! It was really good to read your review of Hunger, a memoir of my body. Interesting to see your thoughts on that and perceptions around how the author speaks about other women.
I enjoyed this post, especially hearing your summary of the books rather than a clip from goodreads (pet peeve of mine on book reviews). Look forward to seeing your next post!
The Winter Sea was so good, I love anything by Susannah Kearsley. She’s one of my favorite authors.
That is an awesome challenge! I always download audio books and I say I’m going to get to them but I have about 4 that I haven’t listened to yet. The challenge is a good way to push myself to get through them.
Haven’t read any of these but several are on my TBR — the top of the list is The Rules of Magic & The Winter Sea
I have a friend who made a point of reading no books by white male authors in 2017, which I thought was such a fascinating experiment. I love that you’re dedicating your attention and time to female voices!
I really need to dive into some good books this year. Thanks for the great suggestions!
I am a huge lover of books! Right now I’m on a search to find good reads for my vacation this April. Here’s what caught my eye in your post: The 9th Wife, and The Rules of Magic. I’d love to have both of those interesting books. Thanks so much for your reading recommendations!
I have been looking for some new reads! Right now, just challenging myself to a book a month…and if I get more, it’s a bonus…love your picks!
Just this week I was trying to figure out what books I need to read next. The Rules of Magic is going on my list, thank you for sharing this list!
I know…”judge not by the cover,” but that Winter Sea cover is so captivating! I’ve been trying to read more this year, and I also signed up for Audible, which I am loving! It’s so nice to be able to listen to a book while driving in traffic.
The Ninth Wife sounds like it’d be right up my alley! need to check it out.
I am trying to read more this year!
Thank you so much for the recommendations!
I’ve wanted to read Rules of Magic for a while now. I’ve been tempted to read Anna Faris’ book as well but I listen to her podcast, and I’m not sure I would enjoy the book. I’ve heard similar reviews to yours which makes me a bit hesitant.
Very interesting. I had no clue that Ana Farris published a book. I need to catch up on my novels.
What a great selection of books! Unqualified would be interesting read for me. Right now I am reading The Four Hour Work Week By Timothy Ferriss
I haven’t read any of these but now there are a few that have been added to my list. Thanks for sharing, girl!
I was on the hunt for a new read! Great list! I am intrigued by “hunger!”
This post made me want to take a trip to Barnes & Noble’s and get these books!!! What a wonderful list! Definitely, need to read these! 🙂
I have an enormous stack of TBR books that I need to tackle and thanks to this list, I have more titles to add once I get through my current list! I always love getting reading recommendations like this. Keep them coming! 🙂
50 books- such a great goal! Thanks for sharing these recommendations, I love listening to audio books on my commute and I think the memoir might be a good pick for me!
Ohhhh the 9th wife sounds interesting. I just finished “the marriage pact” (really good, did not love the ending though) and am now reading “All the ugly and beautiful things” and am pretty hooked on that already too. I am a huge fan of psychological suspense books where you are on the edge of your seat.
I used to read more when I commuted into the city, but since I stopped, it’s been harder to find time. Thanks for the suggestions. I love to read and need to MAKE the time.
I need to tackle some of the books on my reading list. It just keeps getting longer!
I’m glad I found this post, because I need some more books to read STAT. The Anna Faris one sounds intriguing…I’m curious if it was before or after she and Pratt split? Can’t wait to see what you read in March!
I love this challenge! Thanks for sharing and inspiring.