2014 Book List Check In

I meant to do this post at the end of June, as that would have been a full 6 months into the year. But with vacations, holidays, and you know...life...things got a bit delayed.

I'll keep my opinions brief since it's a long list already. Some I've reviewed and linked back to previous reviews. So here's what I've read so far:

1. Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson - I love all things Joshilyn Jackson, 'nuff said.
2. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg - Good book if you're looking to empower yourself a little more in the workplace (and you're a woman). Some common sense stuff, but sometimes we need reminders of that. 
   
3. It Looked Different on the Model: Epic Tales of Impending Same and Infamy by Laurie Notario - Funny, quick read with lots of short stories. 
4. Emily & Einstein by Linda Francis Lee - Not my typical cup of tea, but a cute story. 
5. In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson - This bored me to tears! Given the title and subject matter, it could have been so much better. But par for the Larson course, he weighs his books down with tons and tons of details that get a bit exhausting.
6. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn - Yes. Just yes. Read this and Flynn's other 2 books. 
7. Triangle by Katharine Weber - Interesting book about a time period I knew nothing about.
8. Her: A Memoir by Christa Parravani 
9. Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint by Nadia Bolz-Weber - Another book I probably wouldn't have picked up on my own if it weren't for book club. Really though, this is a great book about how God loves all of us, how he works in everyone, and how Christianity doesn't always look like Sunday morning khaki's.
   
10. In the Woods by Tana French - I really enjoy reading French's Dublin Murder Squad series. They can be read together or alone, as some characters show up in each novel but each book is entirely independent of the other.
11. Heading Out to Wonderful by Robert Goolrick - Not my favorite thus far. A little slow at times, but interesting enough.
12. Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich - Pass. Don't waste your time. If you've seen the movie "One for the Money", then you've read all 20 of Evanovich's books.
13. Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah - Really interesting story about a daughter growing up in China.
14. Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger - This was a good mystery, but I only gave it 3 stars on Goodreads and now can't remember why.  
15. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling - I so wanted to love this book. I could hear Kaling's voice in each story, and I think she is so, so funny but this one was a miss for me.
16. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman - So trippy! Gaiman takes your imagination on a wild ride with this one.
17. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand - Unbroken has received rave reviews by so many sources; I cannot speak badly about it. At times it was a little slow, but also riveting in other chapters. A must read!
18. Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler - I liked this short novel a lot more than I thought I would when I picked it up, although I don't know why. A story about forbidden love in the South during the Civil Rights Era. What's not to like? 
    
19. Orphan Train by Christa Baker - Another really good historical read about a time period I really knew nothing about. I could have done without the "present day" part of the story, but overall it was really interesting. 
20. Outside - a post-apocalyptic novel by Shalini Boland - Interesting read. I had some issues with the writing style in the beginning, but it tied together nicely at the end.
21. The Garden of Happy Endings by Barbara O'Neal - Kind of a chick lit, feel good book.
22. Trafficked by Sophie Hayes - Probably a must read for any woman or mother, but I really wanted to reach in and shake Sophie for her stupidity in so many situations.
23. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty - Goooood read, a real page turner. I was so into this book that my husband even noticed and said "so what's the big secret?"
24. Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl by Susan McCorkindale - Skip it. Boring and self-indulgent.
25. Welcome to the Great Mysterious by Lorna Landvik - Yet again, a feel good type book picked by book club. We needed something like this after all the heavy reads we've gone through. 

Right now I'm reading It by Stephen King. Is it weird that I just felt like reading a scary book? I'm just about halfway though (at 1100 pages, that's some feat!), and so far it's not so scary. But I read 11/22/63, and it had some scenes in Derry, Maine where It takes place so it got me interested. Since this one is so long, it'll take a little while for me to get though it. 

I made a goal of reading 24 books this year, which I have clearly blown out of the water. We'll see how many more I can get through by the end of the year! If you'd like to read more of my reviews and see what else I've read in the past, or future books, or just keep track of your own books, check out Goodreads. 

What are you reading now? Any suggestions for me?