A Who Year Resolution

Yesterday I said I was making one resolution for 2015. And that is a Who Year Resolution! I'm going to rewatch Doctor Who in 2015. 

You see, I was talking with a friend a few weeks ago (ok, we were emailing. That’s the same as talking these days, right?). She has been binge watching Breaking Bad and needed to find a new show because a person can only  rewatch Breaking Bad so many times. I’d suggested Doctor Who ages ago, but she’d given it a try and wasn’t a fan of it. Which ok, if you start with the Ninth Doctor, I can kind of see. Because as much as I love him, that season is pretty hokey. I suggested she try Sarah Bessey’s suggestion on watching some of the important episodes and then jumping right in with the Tenth Doctor. That way you skip some of the corniest episodes (ahem, I’m looking at you, farting alien disguised as the Prime Minister). But she decided to try from the beginning again. Which means I’m going to join her!

I have to give her credit for the name, she suggested a Who Year Resolution and I loved it. (For the record, don’t say things to me you don’t want to appear on the blog. After all, I got my name from a text message!)

So it’s time to enact the Who Year Resolution. I’m going to rewatch all episodes of Doctor Who. Ok, I’m just going to rewatch the new rebooted episodes. Someday I’ll check out the older episodes, but for now, we are starting with the Ninth Doctor. I’m ready to jump back in with Rose and Mickey, to say goodbye to Nine and hello to Ten (David Tennant, swoon). To cry my eyes out as companions come and go. To tolerate the companions I don’t care for. To cry my eyes out when Ten says he doesn’t want to go. To be freaked out by the Weeping Angels, the Silence, and the face mask zombies.

If you haven’t watched Doctor Who, why don’t you make your very own Who Year Resolution and watch too? I’m not going to blog through every episode but I’ll do at least a recap each season. I may write about specific episodes that speak to me (or freak me out) but I promise that Doctor Who won’t completely overtake the blog! Not everyone is a Whovian, I know.

But if you are, you may want to check out my Pinterest board: A Who Year Resolution. Be warned: there may be a few spoilers, so pin with caution. If you aren’t, then feel free to skip over the Who Year posts. I’ll forgive you, I promise.

Happy Who Year!

Quick Lit December 2014

Ok, I confess: I went on a Liane Moriarty kick this month. I loved What Alice Forgot, but was hesitant to read her others. I didn’t think they could live up to Alice. But I’ve really liked all of her books! Are they Chick-Lit-esque? Yes, but I think they have a little more depth and heart than typical chick-lit. There are dark parts (Big Little Lies and The Husband’s Secret particularly) and real issues that people face. Domestic violence, unplanned pregnancy, rape, ex-spouses, bullying, and so much more are in these books. And portrayed in a way that makes you think about them without shoving them down your throat. At least, that’s how I felt!

And in case you didn't notice, there was a name change to this monthly link-up. Twitterature has become Quick Lit! And now for the first installment of Quick Lit: 

Three Wishes was the first post-Alice Moriarty book I read. It was lighter than the other two subsequent books I read. It focuses on three sisters who are triplets and their families. It is heart breaking, uplifting, and at times makes you want to just shake your head. But I enjoyed it! I picked this up on sale for my kindle, and it is on sale now! ($2.99 for Kindle) 

The Husband’s Secret was unputdownable for me. I got to the end of this book around 9 pm one night, and my husband kept trying to get me to put it down and come to bed. But I’d reached the point in the book where I couldn’t possibly put it down without finishing it! It was a pretty quick read did throw a few surprises out there. I found this one at the library but also had it on my Kindle (another one I picked up  on sale). It isn’t on much of a sale right now, so I’d hold off until it goes down again. Or head to the library! ($9.99 for Kindle)

Big Little Lies may have been my favorite of the three Moriarty books I read this month. You find out at the very beginning that someone died at the school trivia night, but you don’t know who until the end. I honestly didn’t guess who it was until right before the scene (I’m usually pretty good about guess it right way in advance) so of course I loved it! Some very heartbreaking (but relatable) elements of this one, and I highly recommend it. ($3.99 for Kindle)

Drums of Autumn is the latest installment of the Outlander series that I've finished. I find myself getting sucked into the Outlander world and never wanting to leave, I decided to listen to the audio books instead of reading them. That way I can only “read” when I’m in the car or having a slow day at work. I can’t stay up until all hours of the night listening to the audiobook like I would reading it. Because sometimes I just want to know what is going to happen!! The Outlander world has expanded quite a bit by this book, and I can’t really tell you anything about it without some major spoilers for those of you who haven’t made it this far in the series. But let’s just say that I am still loving the story. (Side note: If you are interested in listening to the audiobooks, I highly suggest subscribing to Audible. This book is over $40 to buy through Audible, but when you are an Audible member you get credits. So I use credits for these pricey titles and pay for the cheaper ones [like Yes Please].) ($4.99 for Kindle)

I listened to Unbroken as an audiobook as well. Goodness, this is such a great story. Even more amazing that it is a TRUE story. I might have cried at multiple points, because hearing the description of Pearl Harbor was almost painful. Thinking about all those people who died…well, it broke my heart a little. It’s one thing to read things in history books, or watch them on the History Channel. But I think hearing this story it really hit me that every person who died in that awful war had their own story, most of which will never be told. But this one was. And it is inspiring and painful and amazing. I can’t wait to watch the movie and see how they handled things. I’m sure this one would be just as good (or better) read than told. And it’s on sale for the Kindle right now! ($2.99 for Kindle)

I Capture the Castle is another audio book I listened to last month. It was a daily deal a few weeks back, so I bought it without knowing too much about it. I really enjoyed it, though. It is the story of a 17 year old girl who lives in an old English castle. It is told through the eyes of the girl, in the form of journal entries. I honestly had no idea it was originally published in 1948 until doing a little research for this blog post. And that the author also wrote 101 Dalmations! I think this book was great as an audiobook because it was so descriptive. I could picture the castle, the characters, everything in my head as I drove my daily commute. It made the mind numbing traffic bearable as I imagined the dark and damp old castle. Read or listen, but definitely give this book a try! ($8.53 for Kindle)

I Heart My Little A-Holes is a book I don’t know exactly how to classify. It is essentially a collection of stories (blog posts) about parenting. It’s hilarious. I think I probably won’t appreciate how funny it was until I have kids, but I think it helped me get in more of a realistic frame of mind. Kids are wonderful, but they can also be tiny little a-holes. As evidenced by so many stories in this book. Moms, you need to read this. Women considering becoming moms, read it too! And then maybe re-read it after the kids are born :) ($9.78 for Kindle)

The Vacationers – I heard great reviews of this book, but honestly? I was a little meh about it. It was fine. It kept me entertained in the dealership waiting room while my car had the oil changed. If you have free time and are looking for a book, it will keep you busy. But there are a lot of other great books out there that I’d recommend over this one. However, I did appreciate how she told the whole back story within the context of the 14 day vacation. It was well written, but not compelling. If that makes sense. ($10.99 for Kindle)

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Twitterature: November 2014

It's time again for Twitterature! I'm linking up over at Mrs Modern Darcy and talking about all the books I read this month. I read WAY more books than normal since the last Twitterature, so get ready for quite a list. 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime – This was an intriguing book. It is told from the perspective of a pre-teen boy with autism, which gives the book a very different feel than most novels. I appreciated the perspective, but I didn’t care for the book overall. It made me feel kind of depressed, actually. Somehow more so than a book like Sharp Objects (which is about murders of teenage girls!). But it is worth a read just to experience the narrator. $7.99 for Kindle

The Wife – I just finished it this week. I didn’t love it. The author, Meg Wolitzer, also wrote the Interestings that I couldn’t make it through. The Wife was more interesting (pun intended) but wasn’t a book I felt compelled to finish. I purchased it on sale on my Kindle, and it’s a book I read on lunch breaks or when I had bits of time here and there. I could put it down for days before remembering that I was reading it. I know some people love this author, but I think she just isn’t quite my cup of tea. $10.93 for Kindle.

Sharp Objects – This is Gillian Flynn’s (author of Gone Girl) debut novel. It is dark and creepy, maybe a little more so than her other two novels. If you like Flynn’s style, definitely read this one. But I think Gone Girl is the best of the three. $6.99 for Kindle

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald - I’ve long been captivated by the Golden Age writers like Hemingway and Fitzgerald, and this book seemed like a great way to learn about their stories from Zelda’s point of view. Of course, this novel is fiction so it isn’t exactly historical. In fact, parts are pure speculation. But I loved getting to see things from Zelda’s perspective. Read this if you liked Midnight in Paris, I think you’d enjoy it! $8.89 for Kindle

The Kingmaker’s Daughter – This book is about Queen Anne, the wife of Richard III. She was the daughter of Richard Neville, who was instrumental in bringing the York family to the throne and who was furious when King Edward married Elizabeth Woodville instead of who he had chosen. You almost need to read all the other books in this series, or be very familiar with this period in British history, to appreciate this book. It is quite interesting to read all the different perspectives on the same events. I’ve listened to podcasts on many of the people in these books, but I’ve loved getting to read about them, even if it is just historical fiction. $10.16 for Kindle

The White Princess – This book is one of the last books in the Cousins War series by Philippa Gregory. It is about Elizabeth of York, who marries Henry Tudor, making her Queen of England. Her mother was featured in the White Queen (Elizabeth Woodville). Again, this book is probably only going to interest you if you’ve read the others in the series. $9.99 for Kindle

The Goldfinch – I listened to this one on Audible. It was long and a little tedious in parts. It took over 32 hours to listen to. I mostly listened on my commutes, and there were some parts I feel like if I’d been reading on paper I would’ve skimmed over because it seemed to drag on in sections. But things picked up, and the last 10 hours or so seemed to fly by. This one is probably better read than listened to, but I do recommend it! $6.99 for Kindle

My Life in France – Oh, Julia Child. I loved reading this book and learning more about her. But I must confess, when I picture Julia and Paul Child, I actually picture Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci. Blame Julie Powell and Nora Ephron for that. But this book was wonderful and made me long to visit Paris once more. Fresh pain au chocolat from a little patisserie is heaven. $9.99 for Kindle

Dark Places – This is the second Gillian Flynn novel I read. Like both of the others, it was dark and creepy and I enjoyed it. This one is probably my second favorite of hers (so it goes Gone Girl, Dark Places, then Sharp Objects). Like Sharp Objects, it is about murder. Specifically, it is the unraveling of the murder of a family. Two children survived. One is in prison for the murder, the other, after years of denial, finally decides to figure out if her brother really did it. I can usually guess the ending in these types of books, but I have to say this one surprised me. $7.98 for Kindle

The Expats – I read this one because the Hollywood Housewife recommended it ages ago on her blog. It’s a thriller, but it isn’t dark and creepy like Flynn’s novels. Expats is more about secrets and marriage and the CIA. I really enjoyed this book, though I wouldn’t call it unputdownable. Definitely a worthwhile read though. $8.99 for Kindle

Yes, Please – Oh, I adored this book. Amy Poehler, yes please! I listened to the audio version of this book, and you MUST do that. Amy herself narrates, except when Seth Myers read his chapter, or when Amy’s parents drop in, or when Kathleen Turner or Patrick Stewart take over for a bit. It’s a quick listen, less than 8 hours. But I was laughing out loud for many parts, while also really enjoying the more serious aspects. Amy talks a huge mistake she made, and she owns up to it eventually. It made me like her even more. After listening to this audiobook, I think I will only do audio for these kinds of memoirs in the future. $12.99 for Kindle, but try the Audiobook for $17.14

Gone With the Wind - I have very conflicting feelings about this book, and I plan on doing a whole post about it. It used to be my favorite book, but I hadn't read it in years. I listened to it on Audible and noticed things I'd either missed in my first dozen readings, or perhaps purposely ignored. Either way, I'm glad I listened to it! $7.99 for Kindle

Whew, that's it! Hope you made it all the way through with me. Have you read any of these? And do you listen to audiobooks? I only started to recently, and I'm loving them!

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