B.Read List: August - October 2013

Hm. Looks like I haven't really read much since July... I mostly read during my lunch breaks at Anthropologie now, which aren't frequent enough to get through a book quickly. Here's a look at what I've read the last three months though. Standing total for the year so far: 16 books read! (My goal was to read at least one book a month, so I've already surpassed it!)

Lets talk about Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way first. I was hesitant to keep reading past the first few chapters because there was initially a whole lot of mention of God and religion. (For the record, I am not religious, was not raised in a religious way, but I tolerate all religions despite being personally skeptical of the mention of anything associated with God; so this book was a first for me on that end.) But I decided to stick with it because I hate to put down a book, and I'm really happy that I kept reading. Religious beliefs aside, this book had a great philosophy and told relevant stories. We all go through certain hardships in life, and this book takes a look at how to get through the hard times. The author tells the story of a few hard consecutive years in her life and how she dealt with the cards life threw at her. I think it could teach us all a few things about the bittersweet taste of life.

The medical thriller Bliss was a first for me as well. I have access to my family's Kindle account and was looking for a book to read after Bittersweet, so I started reading Bliss randomly. I didn't know much about it until I got into it, and the genre was certainly new to me. Despite quite a few spelling errors throughout, it was actually an enjoyable read! The story and characters were engrossing, but I think I can say this was a one-time thing... I don't think I'll be reading any more books by that author any time soon.

Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? was hilarious. I love when comedians write books - you can hear their voice in your head as you read. I'm not even familiar with Mindy's tv work (I've never watched SNL and I'm not a fan of the American Office series), but I really enjoyed reading her book. Just like Tina Fey's book Bossypants, it's relatable and honest, and I wish she would come out with a second book already!

I love David Sedaris. So moving from Mindy's book to Sedaris' Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls was an easy decision, considering I've read almost every other book he has written. His comic essays are brilliant, funny, and accurate depictions of what goes on inside all of our heads, from the good to the bad. I'm actually still working my way through this one, but I know my opinion of it won't change. His books are always awesome!

And that's it! Hopefully I'll get through another two books before the end of the year. I'd say three, but I know that would be pushing it considering we're getting into holiday season and I work retail... so two is the goal! Happy reading!