Top 10 Books of 2016

Hello dear Readers,

First of all, I would like to thank you all for another year of support with the blog and my Instagram Book Account. I love sharing my passion for books and writing with you all and looking forward to 2017, another year full of great books and writing.

It is that time again for me to show you the best books I read in 2016. Want to note here these are books not necessarily published in 2016 but that I read in 2016.

No particular order, I loved them all, and I recommend them all, however, there is one book that I absolutely loved and that had a huge impact in my life. Again this year, from Best Selling Author Colleen Hoover, my top 1 read of the year, It Ends With Us.

I posted reviews for all of these books which I will leave the links below.

Top 10 Books 2016

1. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover.
2. The 52nd by Dela.
3. The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi.
4. You by Caroline Kepnes.
5. Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes.
6. The Year We Turned Forty by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke.
7. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena.
8. One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
9. You Will Not Have my Hate by Antoine Leiris.
10.  He Will Be my Ruin by K.A. Tucker.

Book Reviews

• It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

• The 52nd by Dela

• The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

• You by Caroline Kepnes

• Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes

• The Year We Turned Forty by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

• The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

• One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

• You will not have my hate by Antoine Leiris

• He Will Be My Ruin by k.a. Tucker

Wish you all the best for the New Year.

Wendy

Book Review: Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham-Non Fiction/Memoir

Hello dear Readers,

Below my book review of Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham.

Title: Talking as Fast as I Can 

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Non Fiction/Memoir

Author: Lauren Graham

Publisher: Ballantine Books 
Publication Date: November 29, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 224 pages
Meet the Author: Lauren Graham
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

In this collection of personal essays, the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood reveals stories about life, love, and working as a woman in Hollywood—along with behind-the-scenes dispatches from the set of the new Gilmore Girls, where she plays the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore once again.

 

In Talking as Fast as I Can, Lauren Graham hits pause for a moment and looks back on her life, sharing laugh-out-loud stories about growing up, starting out as an actress, and, years later, sitting in her trailer on the Parenthood set and asking herself, “Did you, um, make it?” She opens up about the challenges of being single in Hollywood (“Strangers were worried about me; that’s how long I was single!”), the time she was asked to audition her butt for a role, and her experience being a judge on Project Runway (“It’s like I had a fashion-induced blackout”).

            

In “What It Was Like, Part One,” Graham sits down for an epic Gilmore Girls marathon and reflects on being cast as the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore. The essay “What It Was Like, Part Two” reveals how it felt to pick up the role again nine years later, and what doing so has meant to her.

            

Some more things you will learn about Lauren: She once tried to go vegan just to bond with Ellen DeGeneres, she’s aware that meeting guys at awards shows has its pitfalls (“If you’re meeting someone for the first time after three hours of hair, makeup, and styling, you’ve already set the bar too high”), and she’s a card-carrying REI shopper (“My bungee cords now earn points!”).

            

Including photos and excerpts from the diary Graham kept during the filming of the recent Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, this book is like a cozy night in, catching up with your best friend, laughing and swapping stories, and—of course—talking as fast as you can.

My Thoughts

Finished watching the Original Gilmore Girls show for the first time a few weeks ago and recently watched the Revival on Netflix and loved both. When I knew Lauren is not only an actor and producer but also a writer I did not doubt to get her first book however decided to read her most recent book first mainly for two reasons: for being a non fiction work and because I could not wait to read about her acting career and experience being in both shows, all this on her own words. I am glad a read it, enjoyed a lot, could not put it down.

A fast read, read it in less than three days. From the very first paragraph I knew it was going to be good. I love Lauren's writing style and her voice as a writer and literally, her voice, because throughout the whole book I kept hearing Lorerai's voice and how fast she talks.

It was very interesting to know more about her acting career, how she get to be where she is now and her experience writing her first book which I thought was incredible unique. How fondly she talks about the other cast's members, her husband and all the experiences while working, going to college and pursuing an acting career.

Talking as fast as I can is an enjoyable, funny and humorous book about this girl who had dreams like everybody else and how she was able to achieve them. My favorite parts are the writing advice she shares from Don Roos and the last part of the book where Lauren shares entries of the diary she kept while filming the revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.

Overall I loved the book, totally recommend it, not only to Gilmore Girls fans but also if you like to read Memoirs and /or collection of personal essays.

Wendy

Book Review: The Girl Before by Rena Olsen-Mystery/Thrillers

Hello dear Readers,

Below my book review of The Girl Before by Rena Olsen.

Title: The Girl Before 

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Mystery/Thrillers

Author: Rena Olsen

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Publication Date: August 9, 2016

Language: English

Paperback: 320 pages
Meet the Author: Rena Olsen
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

In this powerful psychological suspense debut, when a woman’s life is shattered, she is faced with a devastating question: What if everything she thought was normal and good and true . . . wasn’t?

Clara Lawson is torn from her life in an instant. Without warning, her home is invaded by armed men, and she finds herself separated from her beloved husband and daughters. The last thing her husband yells to her is to say nothing.

In chapters that alternate between past and present, the novel slowly unpeels the layers of Clara’s fractured life. We see her growing up, raised with her sisters by the stern Mama and Papa G, becoming a poised and educated young woman, falling desperately in love with the forbidden son of her adoptive parents. We see her now, sequestered in an institution, questioned by men and women who call her a different name—Diana—and who accuse her husband of unspeakable crimes. As recollections of her past collide with new revelations, Clara must question everything she thought she knew, to come to terms with the truth of her history and to summon the strength to navigate her future.

My Thoughts

Loved this book. Can say Clara Lawson is now one of my favorite characters ever. Another exhilarating psychological  thriller which I enjoyed from the very beginning to the end. Was very surprised to see this is a debut novel.

A great plot, the emotional roller coaster this character takes you through is what makes this book work, adding to that a fantastic writing style. Lost of action, well developed characters and twists that will surprise you. One of this books that keeps you interested the whole time. This one totally recommend it.

Wendy

Book Review: You Will Not Have My Hate by Antoine Leiris-Non Fiction/Memoir

Hello dear Readers,

Below my book review of You Will Not Have My Hate by Antoine Leiris.

Title: You Will Not Have My Hate 

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Non Fiction/Memoir

Author: Antoine Leiris

Publisher: Penguin Press 
Publication Date: October 25, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 144 pages
Meet the Author: Antoine Leiris
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER - "On Friday night you stole the life of an exceptional person, the love of my life, the mother of my son, but you will not have my hate."

On November 13, 2015, Antoine Leiris’s wife, Hélène Muyal-Leiris, was killed by terrorists while attending a rock concert at the Bataclan Theater in Paris, in the deadliest attack on France since World War II. Three days later, Leiris wrote an open letter addressed directly to his wife’s killers, which he posted on Facebook. He refused to be cowed or to let his seventeen-month-old son’s life be defined by Hélène’s murder. He refused to let the killers have their way: “For as long as he lives, this little boy will insult you with his happiness and freedom.” Instantly, that short Facebook post caught fire, and was reported on by newspapers and television stations all over the world. In his determination to honor the memory of his wife, he became an international hero to everyone searching desperately for a way to deal with the horror of the Paris attacks and the grim shadow cast today by the threat of terrorism.

Now Leiris tells the full story of his grief and struggle. You Will Not Have My Hate is a remarkable, heartbreaking, and, indeed, beautiful memoir of how he and his baby son, Melvil, endured in the days and weeks after Hélène’s murder. With absolute emotional courage and openness, he somehow finds a way to answer that impossible question: how can I go on? He visits Hélène’s body at the morgue, has to tell Melvil that Mommy will not be coming home, and buries the woman he had planned to spend the rest of his life with. 

Leiris’s grief is terrible, but his love for his family is indomitable. This is the rare and unforgettable testimony of a survivor, and a universal message of hope and resilience. Leiris confronts an incomprehensible pain with a humbling generosity and grandeur of spirit. He is a guiding star for us all in these perilous times. His message—hate will be vanquished by love—is eternal.

My Thoughts

Always greatfull when I come across books like this. It is true that is the product of a tragic event but these are the kind of books that can make the difference in a very unique way. Sad, tragic but at the same time powerful and with a very profund and important message. A cried most of the time, going throug all the pages, knowing that unfortunately the story does not have a happy ending, however the result of that is a Father and a Son that little by little are finding healing and their story has served as an inspiration and as a source of hope for millions including myself.

You will not have my hate is a story of tragedy, lost, sadness, but at the same time a story of true love, hope, and the power of healing and moving on. Dont want to spoil it, I will just say, you have to read this book.

Wendy

Book Review: Why We Write About Ourselves by Meredith Maran-Non Fiction/Writing Skills/Reference

Hello dear Readers,

Below my book review of Why We Write About Ourselves by Meredith Maran.

Title: 

Why We Write About Ourselves: Twenty Memoirists on Why They Expose Themselves (and Others) in the Name of Literature

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Non Fiction/Writing Skills/Reference

Author: Meredith Maran

Publisher: Plume 
Publication Date: January 26, 2016

Language: English

Paperback: 272 pages
Meet the Author: Meredith Maran
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

In the voices of twenty landmark memoirists—including New York Times bestselling authors Cheryl Strayed, Sue Monk Kidd, and Pat Conroy—a definitive text on the craft of autobiographical writing, indispensable for amateur and professional writers alike.

For readers of Mary Karr’s The Art of Memoir and Judith Barrington’s Writing the Memoir, this follow-up to editor Meredith Maran’s acclaimed writers’ handbook, Why We Write, offers inspiration, encouragement, and pithy, practical advice for bloggers, journal-keepers, aspiring essayists, and memoirists. 

Curated and edited by Maran, herself an acclaimed author and book critic, these memoirists share the lessons they’ve learned through years of honing their craft. They reveal what drives them to tell their personal stories and examine the nuts and bolts of how they do it. Speaking frankly about issues ranging from turning oneself into an authentic, compelling character to exposing hard truths, these outstanding authors disclose what keeps them going, what gets in their way, and what they love most—and least—about writing about themselves.

“It's possible that Why We Write About Ourselves is the first compilation of memoirists at the top of their game seriously and thoughtfully considering the genre.” 

– LA Times

My Thoughts

As a person who loves reading Memoirs I found this to be a very interesting book. Twenty different Memoirists share with us their thoughts and insides on why they write Memoir and why they write about themselves. This helps to understand the motives and reasons behind their most notable Memoirs. 

It was just a delight to read about their experiences writing these works on Non Fiction and sharing a little bit of their lives as a Writers. I personally found it as a great source of information and knowlegde. Totally recommend it.

Wendy

Upcoming Release: Into the Water by Paula Hawkins/MAY 2017

Hello dear Readers,

Very excited about the news released early this week. 

Paula Hawkins, the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller and global phenomenon The Girl on the Train returns with Into the Water, her addictive new novel of psychological suspense. Coming out May 2017.

The Girl on the Train was my favorite read of 2014 and one of the best books I have ever read. Cant wait to read her new book.

Please find more information in the links below.

Note: Links are not mine. Taken from the Internet for reference purposes only.

Book Cover Credit: Goodreads. Cover may not be the final one.

Title: Into the Water

Genre: Thriller/Suspense

Author: Paula Hawkins

Publisher: Riverhead Books  
Publication Date: May 2, 2017

Language: English

Hardcover: 352 pages

Meet the Author: Paula Hawkins
Pre-Order: Amazon

Book Description

With the same propulsion that captivated millions of readers around the world in her novel The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins unfurls a gripping, twisting, layered plot, interwoven with a powerful understanding of human instincts and the damage they can inflict.

Paula Hawkins has penned a “dark and moving” second psychological suspense novel for Doubleday called Into The Water, set for release next May.

The book is about “the slipperiness of the truth, and a family drowning in secrets”, her publisher said.

Set in a small riverside town in the UK, the novel will “unfurl a gripping, twisting, layered story”. While little has been given away in terms of plot, it will feature two sisters and “ghostly echoes of the past”

Links

http://www.ew.com/article/2016/11/29/paula-hawkins-into-water

http://time.com/4584670/paula-hawkins-new-novel/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2016/11/29/girl-train-author-hawkins-announces-next-book-into-water/94592558/


Wendy

Book Review: Vagabonding With Kids: Australia by AK Turner-Non Fiction/Family Travel

Hello dear Readers,

Below my book review of Vagabonding With Kids: Australia by AK Turner.

Title: Vagabonding With Kids: Australia

Series: Book 2 in the Vagabonding With Kids Series.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Non Fiction/Family Travel

Author: AK Turner

Publisher: Brown Books Publishing Group 
Publication Date: December 1, 2016

Language: English

Paperback: 184 pages
Meet the Author: AK Turner
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

AK Turner wants to cuddle with a wombat. She wants it bad. In the hilarious sequel to Vagabonding with Kids, the nomadic family of four continues their journey with a two-month trip Down Under. AK Turner indulges her fascination with prisons, with no understanding of why her husband would rather spend every day at the beach. Their daughters aren't motivated by either, and are instead enthralled with the wonders of public toilets. As the Turners wind their way through Australia, all eyes are on the lookout for adventure. And wombats. New York Times bestselling author AK Turner continues the Vagabonding with Kids series with tales of exploring Down Under in Vagabonding with Kids: Australia. With a keen eye and sharp wit, Turner juxtaposes the intrigue of Australia with stories from an unconventional life on the road. This raucous adventure will inspire digital nomads and armchair travelers alike, and leave readers hungry for the next installment in the series, Vagabonding with Kids: Brazil.

My Thoughts

What an incredible book. AK Turner has the ability to make us feel part of the story from the beginning to the end thanks to a well crafted writing style. I like the humor, the stories, the details, the interactions between all the members of the family, how we get to know them and their journey.I like the way she shares her thoughts on their experiences traveling. 

AK has a story to tell and she does it with an amazing writing style, with a mix of elements, with humor, without letting anything out, the book, the story feels real, human and unique. 

Thank you Brown Books Publishing for sending a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. 

Wendy

NaNoWriMo 2016: Week 4

Hello dear readers and writers,

Today is the last day of Nanowrimo 2016. I  finished the challenge last week, on November 23. My word count that day was 51377 words. Did not wirte anything new the last 6 days due to the Holiday and been out of town did not have time to write. I will be doing some writing at the write in tonight and will be reporting my Final Word Count for November. Another year, another win but more than that I finished project. Before starting Nano this year I did a lot of prep and knew what I wanted to write about. It does not mean the writing process was easier but all that prep helped a lot and now I cant wait for the editing process to start. It feels good to have a finished project, a draft that has more shape and feels more complete comparing to other years. 

Another year of very productive Write-Ins, sharing all that time with fellow writers and friends and meeting new writers, a lot of reading and the satisfaction of completing the challenge one more year.

Hope you all participating in Nanowramo had a fantastic time.

Happy Writing.

Wendy

New Release Tuesday #59: November 29, 2016

Hello dear Readers,

Happy Book Birthday to Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between) by Lauren Graham.

Title: Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between)

Genre: Biography/Memoir/Humor

Author: Lauren Graham

Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: November 29, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 224 pages
Meet the Author: Lauren Graham
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

In this collection of personal essays, the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood reveals stories about life, love, and working as a woman in Hollywood—along with behind-the-scenes dispatches from the set of the new Gilmore Girls, where she plays the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore once again.

 

In Talking as Fast as I Can, Lauren Graham hits pause for a moment and looks back on her life, sharing laugh-out-loud stories about growing up, starting out as an actress, and, years later, sitting in her trailer on the Parenthood set and asking herself, “Did you, um, make it?” She opens up about the challenges of being single in Hollywood (“Strangers were worried about me; that’s how long I was single!”), the time she was asked to audition her butt for a role, and her experience being a judge on Project Runway (“It’s like I had a fashion-induced blackout”).

            

In “What It Was Like, Part One,” Graham sits down for an epic Gilmore Girls marathon and reflects on being cast as the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore. The essay “What It Was Like, Part Two” reveals how it felt to pick up the role again nine years later, and what doing so has meant to her.

            

Some more things you will learn about Lauren: She once tried to go vegan just to bond with Ellen DeGeneres, she’s aware that meeting guys at awards shows has its pitfalls (“If you’re meeting someone for the first time after three hours of hair, makeup, and styling, you’ve already set the bar too high”), and she’s a card-carrying REI shopper (“My bungee cords now earn points!”).

            

Including photos and excerpts from the diary Graham kept during the filming of the recent Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, this book is like a cozy night in, catching up with your best friend, laughing and swapping stories, and—of course—talking as fast as you can.

Wendy

New Release Tuesday #58: November 22, 2016

Hello dear Readers,

Happy Book Birthday to The Spy by Paulo Coelho. Releasing today the English version of this fantastic book.

Title: The Spy 

Genre: Biographical/Espionage

Author: Paulo Coelho

Publisher: Knopf
Publication Date: November 22, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 208 pages
Meet the Author: Paulo Coelho
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

In his new novel, Paulo Coelho, best-selling author of The Alchemist and Adultery, brings to life one of history's most enigmatic women: Mata Hari. 

HER ONLY CRIME WAS TO BE AN INDEPENDENT WOMAN

 

When Mata Hari arrived in Paris she was penniless.  Within months she was the most celebrated woman in the city. 

 

As a dancer, she shocked and delighted audiences; as a courtesan, she bewitched the era’s richest and most powerful men. 

 

But as paranoia consumed a country at war, Mata Hari’s lifestyle brought her under suspicion. In 1917, she was arrested in her hotel room on the Champs Elysees, and accused of espionage.

 

Told in Mata Hari’s voice through her final letter, The Spy is the unforgettable story of a woman who dared to defy convention and who paid the ultimate price.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Wendy

NaNoWriMo 2016: Week 3

Hello dear readers and writers,

A couple of things to report for week three. I reached the 46k+ mark. I am pretty happy about it but more than that I feel accomplished because I have written most of the stories I planned on writing. Some have come along the way, during the challenge which is ok because for me every story counts. I will have a finish project and that was my main goal for this Nano and now I know I will more likely get to the 50k words which is great as well. I feel confident I will win it.

As always the write-ins have helped a lot and reading has played a major part on my success this year. I am still reading The Best American Short Stories of 2016 and some of the Neruda works and Stephen King have served a lot of inspiration.

See what week four brings.

Hope you all participating in Nanowramo are having a fantastic time.

Happy Writing.

Wendy

New Release Tuesday #57: November 15, 2016

Hello dear Readers,

Happy Book Birthday to Swing Time by Zadie Smith.

Title: Swing Time 

Genre: Women's Fiction

Author: Zadie Smith

Publisher: Penguin Press
Publication Date: November 15, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 464 pages
Meet the Author: Zadie Smith
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

An ambitious, exuberant new novel moving from North West London to West Africa, from the multi-award-winning author of White Teeth and On Beauty

Two brown girls dream of being dancers—but only one, Tracey, has talent. The other has ideas: about rhythm and time, about black bodies and black music, what constitutes a tribe, or makes a person truly free. It's a close but complicated childhood friendship that ends abruptly in their early twenties, never to be revisited, but never quite forgotten, either.

Tracey makes it to the chorus line but struggles with adult life, while her friend leaves the old neighborhood behind, traveling the world as an assistant to a famous singer, Aimee, observing close up how the one percent live.

But when Aimee develops grand philanthropic ambitions, the story moves from London to West Africa, where diaspora tourists travel back in time to find their roots, young men risk their lives to escape into a different future, the women dance just like Tracey—the same twists, the same shakes—and the origins of a profound inequality are not a matter of distant history, but a present dance to the music of time.

Wendy

NaNoWriMo 2016: Week 2

Hello dear readers and writers,

Just a few things to report for week two. One, as of last night I'm half way through the challenge word count wise, 25k+. It was a very productive week, lots of stories, lots of thoughts on paper. The other thing is I have been reading The Best American Short Stories of 2016 and have found a lot of inspiration and motivation for my own writing. These first two weeks I have been focused on short stories but there are poems that have been in my mind for a long time now that I need to let out as well, which I know will be on paper very soon. Not much of editing or free writing, just writing what I feel I need to write, want I want to write, letting it out, the rest will have its own time.

Hope you all participating in Nanowramo are having a fantastic time.

Happy Writing.

Wendy