Sunday Synopsis

Freepick

Happy New Year!

Instead of a synopsis of one book, I'm going to break down my year in reading.

In 2016, I read 37 books +; I didn't log each children's book I read in class this year.

Of those 37 books,
29 were fiction
5 were historical fiction
and only 3 were nonfiction (looks like I need to improve in this genre)
Of my 37, 11 were young adult novels

I abandoned one novel:  Still Alice

Amazon.com

I may go back to it, but it's a difficult read for me, depressing, about early onset Alzheimer's.  I haven't seen the movie and likely won't.

My least favorite book this year, the much anticipated and most disappointing, was Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Amazon.com

I should have listened to the warnings not to ruin my memory of Harry Potter by reading this script, which was not actually written by J. K. Rowling.  Too late.  It wasn't true to the characterization and history of the series.  I know some people liked it, but I'm entitled to my opinion.

My favorite series was The Selection by Kiera Cass, a young adult series that I usually describe as being a cross between the Hunger Games and The Bachelor.

Amazon.com

It's definitely not as violent as the Hunger Games, but it's a very similar dystopian society.  And there is plenty of PG-rated romance and "girl drama."

I am currently reading Me Before You.

I have not seen the movie, and I'm not sure I will.  I am enjoying the book more than I thought I would.  I put off reading it because I thought it would be too sad or too mushy, but I'm finding it to be a study in human nature, and I'm liking it so far.

I've been sifting through the 105 books I have in my "to read" list on Goodreads.  There are books on there I had totally forgotten about such as Wake by Lisa McMann, A Truth Worth Tellin' by Toni Teepell, and The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom.

My favorite book of the year was The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory, a historical fiction piece centered around Katherine of Aragon and her relationships with Prince Arthur, Henry VIII, and Our Lady the King's Mother.

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Philippa Gregory does it again! I adored this book! The characters just come to life, and the one you don't like from a previous book is the one you root for in whichever book you are currently reading. Gregory has a way of doing that. She uses rich, historical details, not just events, but culture, allowing the reader to vividly picture the scenes and actions in the book. The only thing I did not like about this book is that it ended with her in court without the result, likely because it's an event in a different book, but I literally gasped at the end of this amazing novel.

View all my reviews

If you have suggestions about books I should read or a review you'd like to see, please let me know in the comments.  Thank you for visiting, and Happy New Year!

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