Happy Christmas Eve! With only one week left of 2015, I will be cranking out a few posts to recap the last batch of reads this year. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll see that I have reached my goal of 52 books in 2015 (1 book per week). I surpassed this goal last year and really wasn't sure I'd be able to do it again, but here we are! Since I've been furiously reading, I'm a bit behind on the blog, so without further ado... here are my October reads:
 | Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt 2015 Book #: 38 My Rating: ***** (5 out of 5) 14 year old June was one of my favorite characters in a while. She struggles connecting with others... even her own sister, but has managed to find a special connection with her Uncle Finn. So when he suddenly passes away, she feels completely lost. That is until a supposed stranger (Finn's boyfriend) contacts June and she soon develops a new friendship. Together they grieve, share their love of Finn and teach each other much more than expected. This book was really moving and if I wasn't on a public train when I read certain parts, I would have definitely cried my eyes out. Highly recommend this one! |
 | The Vermont Country Store Cookbook by Ellen Esker Ogden and Andrea Diehl 2015 Book #: 39 My Rating: ***** (5 out of 5) In early October we took a weekend trip up to Vermont and my home state of New Hampshire. My mother-in-law's birthday was just after our getaway and since we all enjoyed our VT time together, we thought this was the perfect gift for her. The Vermont Country Store is a well know stop in the Green Mountain State and this book is a perfect compilation of it's history and so many amazing New England recipes. Eventually I'm going to have to add this to my own cookbook shelf, as it not only has some great recipes, but it will forever remind me of one of my favorite trips back to "the homeland" (New England). |
 | Life and Other Near-Death Experiences by Camille Pagán 2015 Book #: 40 Rating: ** (2 out of 5) Occasionally I'll pick a book because it's a discounted read on Amazon Kindle... this was one of them. Sometimes they're surprisingly good... this was not one of them. I really tried to like Pagan's book, but my overall feeling is "meh". Libby's marriage and health come crumbling down all in one day, so she decides to escape Chicago for the Caribbean, as her days may be numbered. I found the story kind of predictable and although I made it through, I kind of wish I spent my time on another read. |
 | The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain 2015 Book #: 41 My Rating: **** (4 out of 5) Close to the top of my bucket list is a visit to Paris. I have never been, but I feel like I know it's streets, food and people so well, since I studied it in high school French and now love to read about this beautiful city. Every so often I get in a Parisian mood, so I pick up a book... and this has been one of my favorites. Antoine Laurain's story tells of a lost purse... in it a captivating red notebook... that leads bookseller, Laurent, on a city-wide search to find it's owner. I thought this was a lovely little book and will definitely read Laurain again. |
 | Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris 2015 Book #: 42 My Rating: *** (3 out of 5) I love to laugh and David Sedaris is one author that I can always count on for that. This book is a series of short stories and essays about his life experiences. Brutally honest and sometimes a wee bit inappropriate... I really enjoy his humor. It has been a few years since I read some of his other books... which I enjoyed more (Naked & Holidays on Ice), but this reminded me that I need to put his reads back into rotation. |
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