Review: Comfort & Joy by Kristin Hannah

Comfort & Joy by Kristin Hannah
Paperback, 272 pages
Published October 2006 by Ballantine Books
Dates read: Dec. 25-29, 2015

This is the only book I can recall reading that takes place around Christmas time that I read during the same time of year. It's a quick read by one of my favorite authors so I decided to give a shot to try meeting my reading challenge goal for 2015, despite the negative reviews and ratings I saw.

Since it's been two years since I've read this book, I am a little fuzzy on the details. What I do remember is that I was shocked by the sudden turn of events halfway through the book. I won't spoil the events because it was spoiled for me when I read a review. When reading my brief review on Goodreads, I mention that I think it made sense considering what happened a few pages before the plot twist. Then, fast forward to the ending where I was thinking "really?" because it just didn't seem all that plausible or realistic given what details Kristin Hannah provided, or didn't provide, throughout the book. Perhaps the holiday spirit is what propelled this story into being a warm-feel-good type book rather than realistic.

This story centers around Joy Candellaro, a recent divorcee who used to love Christmas more than any other time of the year. She's having difficulty mustering the enthusiasm she used to have for the holiday, and impulsively decides to buy a plane ticket to the Pacific Northwest and leave without telling anyone. Amidst a sudden turn of events, she ends up deep in the Olympic rainforest and decides to not return to her old life.

Deep in the rainforest, she meets Daniel and Bobby O'Shea. At six-years-old, Bobby closes himself to the rest of the world as he is unable to process the loss of his mother, especially now as his first Christmas without her approaches. Daniel is grieving in his own way and is at a loss for how to help his son cope, and is especially struggling with Bobby only speaking to his invisible friend. The three of them have a deep chemistry connection and are able to help each other heal through their shared similar heartache.

Then suddenly, their lives are ripped apart and hearts are broken again. As the Goodreads description reads, "On a magical Christmas Eve, a night of impossible dreams and unexpected chances, Joy must find the courage to believe in a love -- and a family -- that can't possible exist, and go in search of what she wants . . . and the new life only she can find."

My rating is 4 out of 5, which means that I enjoyed the book, I didn't quite love it. I would still recommend it though, especially to those who enjoy a good love story (albeit unlikely or unrealistic) set during Christmas-time. While it's not Kristin Hannah's usual style, based on Firefly Lane and The Nightingale, I still enjoyed and recommend this Christmas themed heartbreak story with a happy ending. 

Review: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Paperback, 850 pages
Published June 1991 by Dell Publishing
Dates Read: Jan. 31 - April 3, 2016

Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is reunited with her husband, Frank, in 1945 at the end of WWII after several years apart. They're on their second honeymoon in the British Isles, when she walks through an ancient stone hedge and is suddenly transported to Scotland, circa 1743.

She is thrust into navigating an unfamiliar time and place torn by war and rivaling border clans. She has no idea how this happened or why, or where Frank is, or if he even knows what's happened to her, but she's determined to figure out the answers and return to 1945. Soon enough though, she encounters fighting clansmen who capture her and think she's a spy working for the British. One of the men is injured - meet Jamie Fraser, a stubborn yet charismatic hunk of a Scottish man. While Claire nurses his injuries, they develop a friendship and eventual romance. This adds complicated layers to Claire's feelings, and her plans to return home.

Gabaldon knocked her debut "let's give book writing a try" novel out of the park. A book that started out as a practice piece turned into a well-written, well-researched, and extremely detailed historical fiction piece of work that is difficult for me to sum up in one sentence. It's the first of a nine-book (for now) series, eight of which are already published, and has since been turned into a t.v. series on the network Starz.

The only reason I am giving this a 4 out of 5 rating is because there are many details that could have easily been left out to make this a much shorter, several hundred pages shorter, still amazing novel. It has everything else a historical fiction lover could want from the time travel to a distant, far away, long ago picturesque setting to the dreamy, romantic true love many people live their whole lives without finding.

I highly recommend it to anyone even remotely interested in historical fiction - just don't read it in February for a book club discussion. As grateful as I am that my book club decided to read this book, I am not grateful that it was for the shortest month of the year in 2016. February. I struggle to finish the shortest book on time, let alone the longest for the shortest month! Ugh. That said, it's one of my favorite books ever and definitely a favorite book club read - loved even more by the story continuing through (almost) 8 more books in the series!

To learn more about Diana Gabaldon and the Outlander series, visit her website at http://www.dianagabaldon.com/.

Part 3 of 3: Year in Review of 2017 Reading Challenges

Read Women 2017 Challenge

Summary: I am a member of a group on Goodreads called Read Women. Groups can have their own challenges, which are tracked by creating a "shelf" that's tied to the group challenge, and as you finish a book for that challenge, you add it to that shelf. The goal of this group, and in turn the, challenge is to read books by women. 

Challenge progress: I've read 12 out of  my goal of 13 books. I set this goal to 13 based on the books by women on my assigned list I created early on in 2017.

1. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
2. The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand
3. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
4. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
5. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
6. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
7. Home Front by Kristin Hannah
8. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
9. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
10. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
11. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
12. Invisible Target: Breaking the Cycle of Educator Sexual Abuse by Andrea Clemens

Goal for remainder of 2017: however many of my currently reading pile I can complete.

2018 Goal: I think 15 is a fair goal considering that half of the books I usually read are by women. Exact number is to be determined. I like to set my goal at the very end of the year when I know exactly how many books I've completed.

Read Women Around the World

Summary: This is another challenge started by the Read Women group on Goodreads. It was adapted and borrowed from a few other challenges, particularly modeled after the "around the world in 80 books" challenge in the UK Book Group in Goodreads. The goal is to read as many books as I choose as the reader that are set in different countries around the world. There is no time or date limit to this challenge - I can take as long as I want to complete this challenge! The group challenge is set to end in 2037, but that's most likely because the site setting requires an end date.

Copied over from the challenge description, the only rules are:
1) All books have to be written by women.
2) The country must be the main setting (or joint main setting) for the book, not just somewhere a character makes a fleeting visit to.

A rule I've added for myself - exclude books set in the U.S. since it's my home country.

Alternately, I could read authors who are from different countries around the world, regardless of the setting of the book. I decided not to do it this way because I'd forget to try to reading female authors from different countries. It is much easier for me to go by setting of the book, than the author.

Challenge progress: 4 so far, out of the total of 30 I want to read.

Goal for remainder of 2017: Not applicable really since there's no time limit on this challenge. If I can finish either Dragonfly in Amber or Rokitansky, then great and that'll count. If I don't, then that's okay too!

2018 Goal: whatever I can read! I think 2-3 would be a safe goal, but that'll get firmed up a bit more in the next month (or year). I'll keep it low because I don't know what I'll be reading over the next year and want to keep it attainable.

Part 2 of 3: Year in Review of 2017 Reading Challenges

2017 Audiobook Challenge

Welcome to Part 2 of this 3-part series, where I am talking about my progress in the 2017 Audiobook Challenge. Back in May, I posted about my progress when I first learned about this challenge. 

Summary: 2017 is the fifth annual challenge, and it is hosted Hot Listens and Caffeinated Book Reviewer. There is also a group on Goodreads called Audiobook Junkies and is managed by Jonetta and Jennifer at The Book Nympho, the original hosts of the challenge. 

The rules are simple:

• Runs from Jan. to Dec. 31, 2017
• Goal is to listen to more audiobooks this year than last year
• Must be in audio format - i.e. mp3, CD, Audible
• Any genre counts
• No need to be a book blogger - progress can be tracked on Goodreads, Facebook, etc.
• Bloggers are asked to use the button (the audiobook challenge image) in a blog post mentioning their participation in the challenge. Others can post about the challenge on social media. The purpose is to spread the word about the challenge.
• Check-in, if possible, in June and in December for updates from Hot Listens and Caffeinated Book Reviewer for giveaways. Enter the giveaways by visiting their blogs and signing up via the update post. 

Challenge progress: I've listened to a total of 11 audiobooks so far this year, putting puts me at the Stenographer level - up one level since May.

Levels:

Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5

Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10

Stenographer (can listen while multi-tasking) 10-15

Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20

Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30

My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30-50

Marathoner (Look Ma no hands) 50+

These are the books I listened so far this year, which are linked to my reviews as applicable:

1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
3. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, and the first review
4. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
5. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
6. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
7. Home Front by Kristin Hannah
8. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
9. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
10. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
11. The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand

Currently, I am listening to Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery for book club discussion in January, and also All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I will still be at Stenographer when I've finished these books, unless I listen to more!

Goal for remainder of 2017: nothing set at the moment, though it's possible I could finish 2-3 audio books over the next 2 weeks.

2018 Goal: I didn't have a goal set for 2017, and I don't think I'm going to set a goal for 2018 either. It's kind of a "whatever happens, happens" fun challenge for me to see how I end up doing. 

Check back tomorrow for part 3! Interested in joining the challenge next year? Be on the lookout for the link-up post in January with our wonderful hosts, Hot Listens and Caffeinated Book Reviewer. You can also create a challenge shelf on Goodreads through the group I mentioned above, Audiobook Junkies, or track it through a Goodreads shelf with no challenge, through your blog, or social media site. The hosts need some kind of online list to see where keep track of your progress.