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My Favorite Reads of 2013

Twenty-thirteen’s reading was decent-ish. I read more than the previous year and less than I would have liked. Which has me tinkering ceaselessly over 2014’s reading goals, something I’ll post about soon.

But this Friday, Modern Mrs. Darcy is hosting a link-up to share our 2013 favorite reads. Join me there and let me know to look for you!

So in no particular order, I give you my faves from 2013…

The War of Art, Steven Pressfield

A favorite because of both Pressfield and its content.

First published in 2002, this treatise on conquering Resistance (that thing that keeps you from doing the Good you want, creative and otherwise) is a modern classic. I know this is odd for a girl, but war as metaphor for life resonates with me the very most. And Pressfield delivers MOST.

Death By Living: Life is Meant to be Spent, N.D. Wilson

Memoir-style reflections centering around spending out in our brief days on the planet. A really enjoyable read full of opportunities for reflection.

How God Became King, N.T. Wright

Probably my favorite book of the year.

In the gospel-this and gospel-that Christian trend of the past few years, I’ve been consistently perplexed by this: though Jesus preached a gospel of “the kingdom”, there never seems to be a kingdom in any gospel I hear talked about.

How God Became King not only puts the kingdom back in the gospel, but weaves in other lost loose-threads as well. It definitely won’t interest everyone, but it was my 2013 favorite.

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

More and more often I’m finding I’ll care little for the essence of a  book,but love a particular element so much it will rank among my favorites.

So it was with Great Gatsby: I didn’t care much for the story (something I’d remembered from high school), but I was smitten by the prose. Just lovely, lovely writing. What Fitzgerald should I pick up next?

It Starts with Food, Melissa and Dallas Hartwig

This book is the poster-tome for Whole30, the food experiment where all potentially-aggravating foods are removed from your diet for a full 30 days to see what happens.

But It Starts With Food is more about our psychological, hormone (think insulin and cortisol, not estrogen and testosterone), digestive, and immune systems respond to various foods we eat, with a bit at the end about tackling the Whole 30. Having been diagnosed with insulin resistance a few years ago, this book explained why I feel the way I do with or without certain dietary components better than anything else I’ve read.

I’m already due for a re-read.

The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin

I’m due for a re-read here, too. This book nailed several happiness killers that had grown large in my personal life. Gretchen Rubin gave me a new way to think about enjoying life, and provided concepts and phrases to fuel certain practices I needed to change or engage in, like “tackle a nagging project,” “find more fun,” and “Forget About Results.”

In fact, her brief paragraphs on that last phrase described me precisely and nurtured a freedom I needed to embrace. However unfortunate that it’s the case, I needed this book.

The Work of Suzanne Collins

I read only eleven fiction books last year. Three of those were by Suzanne Collins.

I started with Gregor, and later in the year came back to read Catching Fire again before watching the movie. And I found myself falling in love with Collins as a writer, which didn’t happen on my first reading of the Hunger Games.

I grew to love how her main characters understand deeper threads of humanity and how she’s able to bring these threads to the page. Gregor and Katniss both put themselves in the shoes of people they’d really rather hate and try instead to understand them, a trait I find far too little of in the world. But she models it in these characters in a beautiful way. That plus the smartly-veiled social commentary she weaves has me liking her more and more.

So Suzanne Collins makes my list of favorite reads, though obviously in a more general sense.

What were your favorite books of 2013? The Modern Mrs Darcy link up is open for a few more days, let me know if you link up!

also on this topic…


 

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Gregor the Overlander (a Book Recommendation for Kids & Grownups Alike)

Cover of Gregor the OverlanderI love books, but I’m not a voracious reader.

I read regularly enough, sure. But when I hear of people who read over 100 books a year I get a little blank in the face. A hundred books a year? That’s two books a week. There is no way I could get through two books a week.

I’m naturally inclined toward non-fiction and read to stimulate thinking and connection-making. I read articles, essays, and blog posts, too, and punctuate the intake with long looks at the wall. It’s unusual for me to finish a single book in a week.

But all that think-reading leaves me looking for easy fun fiction, and for that I turn to kid-lit and j-fic. Stupid? Usually. Fun? Oh yeah.

Occasionally, though, I unearth a special gem. A book I began reading for mind-numbing fun turns out to be thoughtful, poetic, deep, or lovely.

Hunger Games was this way. I expected the usual YA fast-paced nonsense, and instead found an astute social commentary. This Suzanne Collins chick had my attention. So when I saw she had previously written another series, The Underland Chronicles, I decided to give it a try. It was clearly for a younger audience, but being recently inspired by Gretchen Rubin’s declarations of loving children’s fiction, I was undeterred.

I began the first book, Gregor the Overlander, with high hopes. But I was eyebrow-scrunching in doubt. After a few dozen pages in, I didn’t care about the characters or have any lingering questions moving me along, and it was full of rats and cockroaches. FULL OF RATS AND COCKROACHES!!!

But I have a bad habit of finishing books once I start them and kept going. And by the end, I’d found a new favorite series.

As I began the second book, I sent the first one to my ten year old play nephew and he nearly finished the second one before I did. He latched on to Gregor and was finishing a book about every third night.

A few days after that I threw a shout out on social media asking for book recommendations of this sort, and my friend Jesse suggested Gregor the Overlander and gushed about how much he thought I’d love it.

I do love it. And now I’m gushing to you about it.

Because though it’s full of rats and cockroaches (and bats and spiders, too). It’s also full of adventure and empathy and Good. It’s incredibly sweet, but clothed in bravery and chivalry that has my play nephew devouring the whole series.

If you find yourself wanting a fun kid read, or looking for one for a child, give Gregor a go. And let me know how it goes!

What kid/YA books to you love?

(and hey… if you read on a Kindle, you might like this tool that notifies you when books you want or authors you’re interested in go on sale.)

June Book Picks from Amazon

(Affiliate Disclosure: If you use one of these links and complete a purchase through Amazon, I get a small commission that helps support this blog.)

Every month Amazon puts a small group of books on sale for the entire month. And just as regularly, I scour each category looking for titles of interest.

Many of them are outliers, of course, but there are always a few that catch my interest with an intriguing description and/or high reader ratings. I love discovering new books and, for that matter, new topics, so the whole process is pretty fun.

This month I thought I’d share a few of the titles I found interesting and purchased. I’d love to know if you’ve read any of them or plan to. Maybe we can discuss! (Prices should last through June 30.)

Fiction:

The Birth House (P.S.) by Ami McKay ($1.99)

I’m not much into birthing stuff. I’ll listen to your birth story if you insist, but I really don’t care. I’m sorry.  Really. I love you. And I love your little poof of alien flesh. But I can live without the vajayjay chronicles, thankyouverymuch.

So it surprises me that this book makes the list. But with 93 people reporting an average 4.5-star rating, I had to give it a look. Between promising cultural elements and the chances that I’ll learn something (v. high), I’m planning to pick it up.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare ($1.99)

Thirty-something isn’t too late to read a Newbery Award–winning novel I missed in childhood, right? Now filed away for when I’m easy-fiction-itching.

Also…

  • Kurt Vonnegut’s Galapagos and Mother Night are $2.99 each.
  • And Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World Revisited (Follow-up essays to BNW) is $2.99. (After reading and watching this this week, I intend to read both of these soon.

Non-Fiction

The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean ($2.99)

This was another title whose high ratings (4.5 stars) caught my attention when the subject matter didn’t. It sounds like a collection of true stories whose common thread is the periodic table. Don’t care about that last part very much but am intrigued by the first and how the author might have tied them together.

Some reviewers were disappointed in the communication of the science-y stuff, so if mis-statements on that front will bug you, check out the reader reviews before purchasing.

Shakespeare’s English Kings:History, Chronicle, and Drama by Peter Saccio ($2.99)

I’d been recently learning English history when the body of King Richard III was found this spring. The articles explained how Shakespeare’s plays (entertainment) have largely framed public thought, and said their veracity is questionable. So this book (currently with 4.5 stars) definitely caught my attention.

The Father of Us All by Victor Davis Hanson ($3.99)

I am endlessly fascinated with humanity. This book sounds like historical commentary on current events, with an intentional bend toward that which remains the same over time. Someone puh-lease read this with me.

I’m curious…

Do you scan Kindle’s monthly deals? Do you own a Kindle or read on a Kindle app?

How to Get Beautiful Books Delivered Free Anywhere in the World

Free Delivery on all Books at the Book DepositoryThe dude and I have a favorite bookstore in Dubai. Her name is unnecessarily complicated, some amalgum of the phrase “Book World” and the name of its Japanese owners. We call it “Bookzilla.”

My early visits to Bookzilla were spent sighing and wimpering with joy as, over and over again I found the most remarkable beauties of everyday books alongside countless volumes I’d never heard of before. I ran my fingers along new looks from Penguin Classics, I marveled at the classic poetry section. I delicately purchased a copy of Boxen, which I didn’t even know to be in print.

I think I am so wrecklessly delighted by Bookzilla because she carries books from presses all over the world, whose beauty often eclipses that of the American Press. And the majority are displayed face-out. More a book gallery than a bookstore.

So imagine my delight when I discovered Book Depository, the online Bookshoppe from the UK that delivers FREE anywhere in the world.

Why You Should Be Friends with Book Depository

Because you give great gifts.

You’re a clever gift-giver. And someone you know loves unique books. Like the illustrated-for-adults version of the Harry Potter books, or this obviously superior-looking edition of George Orwell’s Burmese Days (see Amazon-available editions here).

Or, perhaps a more practical example, let’s say you know someone who wants to re-read the Great Gatsby before it arrives in the theater this Spring. Would you rather buy them one of these editions from Amazon, or one of these editions from Book Depository? Exactly.

Beautiful, right? Your friend will think so too. And no one else will have it. Score one for the gift-giver.

Because you know someone who lives abroad

Expats are usually pretty good about sharing trade secrets, so I’ve been astonished how few of them know about Book Depository. If you know someone who likes books and lives abroad, they will love you forever for sharing this gem with them.

It’s also an affordable way to send an overseas friend a small gift. You could buy AND ship two paperbacks for the price of the shipping alone from the U.S. to most international destinations. That’s a pretty big win. Does your friend keep a booklist on Pinterest or Amazon? Get ideas there and send them something they’ll love.

So…

Next time you want an unusual book for yourself or someone else, you know where to look. And you can put expat friends in your debt for life. What’s not to love?

(If you have friends living abroad, consider sharing this using the handy buttons below.)

Free Delivery on all Books at the Book Depository

How To Set & Keep Annual Reading Goals

Every year about this time, the Dude and I start chatting it up about our reading goals for the upcoming year. We yap about the elements from the previous year’s aims that didn’t work, and then begin sorting out what our reading goals will be for next year. Meanwhile we’re both scrambling to finish a handful of short books to try to hit our yet-unmet reading goals for the current year.

This seems to bother the Dude, as he feels it’s cheating. Not me. I read whatever is on deck throughout the year (usually with a monster or two in the mix) and flying through short books at the end of the year means I get a few extra reads under my belt. I consider that a win.

But Why Set Reading Goals?

The Dude and I both love to read, and we would read a good bit without setting any aims. But we set reading goals because, like any aims, it aligns our action with our biggest desires.

Without stated aims, I’ll grab-read anything that snags my attention. This is a fine way to select books (it keeps the doldrums at bay and keeps reading exciting), but if I want to challenge my mind and grow as a person, I’m going to have to push a little. Goals help me do just that.

Types of Reading Goals

I like to play around with the types of reading goals I set. It keeps it interesting and helps me make notable progress in a specific direction. When I meet those goals, I feel like I’ve really accomplished something.

Here are a few types of reading goals:

  • Quantity – “I’m going to read 5 books this year” [Read more…]

Is it “Down the Pipe” or “Down the Pike”?

We’ve had a lot of discussions about the unknown around here lately. We have several projects spinning, I might get a new job, we might buy a house (for the first time), the list goes on. But nothing is sure on any of those fronts at the moment. It’s a whole lot of wait and see.

Last night through a mouthful of toothpaste, I quipped something to the dude about “never knowing what is coming down the pike.” And, ever the engaged listener, he said, “Are you sure it’s ‘coming down the pike’ and not ‘coming down the pipe’?

Yeah. I’m sure.

Actually, I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t just looked it up the other day because I didn’t know. And really, in modern English you can use either phrase. But if you want to sound oh-so-literary (not always a good idea, mind you), go for “down the pike.” You know, keep ’em guessing.

So, really, it’s “down the pike”?

Well, originally, yes. It was “down the pike.” Apparently, according to my sources which, unfortunately, do not include the insanely awesome Online Oxford Dictionary because it’s so cussing expensive, in the early part of the 20th century, people used “down the pike” kind of like “around the bend.” “Bend” was a bend in the road, “pike” was a “turnpike” or road. Before the days of the telephone and other fast media, news came from travelers who would arrive “down the pike.”

So when talking about not knowing what the future holds, one would say something about not knowing what was “coming down the pike.”

However.

There’s this thing that happens in language – I’ll try to get the dude to find his fancy linguistic term and put it in the comments – where, when people don’t know why a word or phrase is what it is, they substitute something that makes more sense to them. It’s like with “tide over,” if you don’t understand the reference, it’s easy to think it should be “tie over,” like bridging two things.

In the case of “down the pike,” this has happened long enough and wide enough that “down the pipe” has become it’s own acceptable phrase. So you can probably use them both. But if you want to know you are the most correct you can be, use “down the pike,” since it came first.

Update!

I just searched to see if Grammar Girl had written on this topic (since I had only viewed explanations from the Grammarist and Daily Writing Tips), and while I don’t see that she has, she actually mentions “down the pike” in a post about linguistic oddities. And apparently slips of this type are called eggcorns. I’ll let you read for yourself why that is.

…what about you?…

Out of curiosity, if you use this phrase, do you say “down the pike” or “down the pipe”? Or, do you do what I did and avoid it altogether because you aren’t sure?