September 2016 Book Reviews

September was an eclectic bunch of books… nonfiction, magic, chic lit, around the world and a classic. I tend to read what sounds interesting at the time and it makes me “feel” something. If I don’t like it, I don’t finish it, oftentimes barely make it past the first chapter. This is probably why most of the books I read get 4 or 5 stars. If I finished it…it made me feel something (not to mention it was worth finishing)

This month I hit 1500 books read! Pretty amazing accomplishment 🙂 Three of these books I can’t stop talking about. Ready Player One took me back to my childhood with all its 80s references and reminded me of why I became an engineer. Penny Marshall’s book is the most real and honest autobiography I have ever read and the Dragon House made me recommit to the importance of education for girls.

In honor of my 1500th book and because I find that I am repeating myself a lot I have decided to mix things up a bit. I will no longer give a “review” for every book. There are only so many times I can say it was a fun, fast (and sometimes sexy) read so I will now list most books separately by genre. I will give you more details about books that I can’t stop talking about, the classics, the around the world book, the top 5 and any book I “reviewed” for the author. Fair? To help you determine what you want to read I will give you the # of stars (daisies) I gave them and if it’s a Kindle Unlimited (KU) book and the sexiness rating. Let’s see how it goes!

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll – Classic

This book was free from Audible and played on Amazon Echo. I had never read the book before but I had seen the many different movies. I really enjoyed both the book and the movies. I think you get more of the emotion from the book but the movies really give you a more visual representation of the author’s amazing imagination!

Dragon House by John Shors – Around the World – Vietnam

This book was heavier than I thought it would be but in general, it’s a good, enlightening read. I read it after returning from Cambodia and yes I know Cambodia and Vietnam aren’t the same but… there was a lot of truth in what I was reading. I recognized each of the characters…from the do -good white people to the street children, the thug to the blind policeman, and the grandma to the tourist. It all really does exist and it is a reality in most of the world. I have seen it everywhere…Mexico, the Philipines, Egypt, Cambodia, Chile, and India. Books like this, even though they make the reader “uncomfortable” they speak the truth. There are children on the streets selling goods to eat every day, grandmothers on the streets to buy medicine for their grandchildren, thugs who prey on children and young women, and white do-gooders who just want to make the world a better place. Read this book to hear the truth and experience a little bit of a life outside of privilege and security, then donate to great organizations that support education especially for girls.

Top 5

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline – (SciFi) – I listened to this book audibly and had to walk extra steps to finish a chapter and even then I wanted to keep going so I read the last 100 pages or so. If you remember the Apple2, Commodor64 and Atari then you will love this book. I am not a gamer now but I was back when I could write my own Centipede game in basic and play on my Commodor64. This is a great book for everyone, old people like me who grew up in the 80s to young millennials who play multi-player games now with people all over the world. Oh and yes…they are making it a movie!

My Mother Was Nuts by Penny Marshall – (NF) As I mentioned earlier this book is the most real autobiography I have ever read. She doesn’t try to justify things, hide her drug use or her sexual escapades like others do. She is real, hilarious and inspirational. A good read for everyone who is a fan of her work.

Situation Maid – From Cotton Fields to President Reagan’s Western White House: The True Story of Lillie Nelson by Stace Nix – (NF) Books like this can be hard to read at times. How African Americans were treated in the past is shameful and embarrassing but it’s a story that must be told and read. This book of course ends well but it she went through a lot. Inspirational read.

Chakana by W.E. Lawrence – (Adventure/ Historical Fiction) I am a huge fan of adventures with HEAs! This book is great for everyone, especially for WW2 historical fiction fans.