2016 Reading Challenge - January

I set myself a challenge to read 30 books in 2016 because while I love books and reading I find that lately with the internet and Netflix I spend less and less time actually sitting down with a book.  The first book I read I actually started in 2015 since I got it for Christmas but I finished it in 2016 so I'm going to count it.  I finished three books in January; I enjoyed all of them (and have written reviews on each of them below) but the book of the month for me was The Illegal by Lawrence Hill.

The Illegal - Lawrence Hill 

The Illegal follows marathon runner Keita Ali from the fictional country of Zantoroland from his childhood to his 20s when he is forced to flee his country to the more affluent (also fictional) Freedon State.  Keita's father is a renowned journalist who discovers something about the Zantoroland and Freedom State governments and is killed for what he knows.  Keita, who has only ever dreamed of being a marathon runner and running in the olympics, is then forced to run for his life.

Through his complex and diverse characters Hill creates a story that is hard to put down and sheds important light on what it means to be "an illegal" and on the refugee crisis in our world today.  Hill's previous novel The Book of Negroes is one of the best books I've ever read; I wouldn't say that his new novel is as good, the ending almost wraps up too neatly, but it's a great story that I really enjoyed reading.

Dark Places - Gillian Flynn

I've only recently gotten into reading more mystery/thriller novels (I only read my first Wallander in December), I first read Gone Girl (by the same author) when I was on vacation last year so I was excited to read Dark Places when I got it as a gift for Christmas.  The novel follows Libby Day who was 7 when her sisters and mother were murdered and at age 7 testified that her brother Ben was the killer.  25 years later Libby has run out of money and is approached by a group of amateur investigators who offer to pay her to approach people from her past and help them investigate the murder of her family.  The novel flashes from the present to what her mother Patty and Ben were doing on the day leading up to the murders.

The clues in this novel unfold at such a rate that I just wanted to keep reading it to find out what happened next.  I think this would be a great book to bring on vacation or read at the beach, it's not too long it's not super complicated but it's still interesting and engaging and I personally enjoyed it more that Gone Girl.  I'm also a big fan of reading the book before the movie because the book is almost always better.

Why Not Me? - Mindy Kaling

I love Mindy Kaling.  The Mindy Project is one of my favourite shows, I quote Kelly Kapoor from The Office on a daily basis; I don't care if it's not appropriate if you ask me if I have any questions I will say "I have a lot of questions. Number one, how dare you?" every. single. time.  It's possible that my adoration for Mindy Kaling biases my review of her book just a little bit but I found Why Not Me? to be fascinating and funny.  I found her section on work from writing on The Office to getting her own TV show very interesting and it was very inspiring to see just how much work she puts in and how much of a labour of love The Mindy Project is.  

I think my favourite part of the book was the one titled "All The Opinions You Will Ever Need."  This sections covers being an unlikely leading lady, her Harvard Law speech, what she worries about at 4am, and then the final essay "Why Not Me?"   "4am Worries" makes me feel better about my anxieties knowing that even fabulous, brilliant writer Mindy Kaling panics about silly things at night and I think a lot of young women would find her final essay where she offers advice about confidence helpful.  Basically if you love Mindy Kaling you will love this, or if you're a young woman eager to read about a successful, hard working, woman you will find this incredibly inspiring.

4 Books You Should Be Reading

I read a lot. I love reading and will read almost anything; I’m not that picky but there are a few books that I’ve read that I immediately want to share with everyone I know because I NEED to talk about them.  These are the 4 books you should be reading (if you have time, I’m sorry I know school’s happening).

The Book of Negroes - Lawrence Hill

This book is without a doubt one of my favourite books of all time.  After I finished reading it I was pretty much forcing it on anyone I had ever met because all I wanted to do was to talk about how incredible the book was.  Written by Canadian author Lawrence Hill the novel follows Aminata Diallo from the time she is kidnapped from her Village in West Africa at age 11 to be sold into slavery in South Carolina to her freedom as an elderly woman.  Although Aminata herself is a fictional character the novel is based on true events and it’s first person narration makes it read like a memoir.  The novel is both beautiful and heartbreaking and Aminata is one of the most dynamic, strong, and interesting female characters I have ever come across in a book.  If you read only one book from this list make it this one; it’s not only a sweeping, gorgeous, incredible book but it’s also an important part of history that most of us don’t know enough about.

One Day - David Nicholls

One Day by David Nicholls follows Emma and Dexter on the 15th of July for 20 years.  Each chapter follows the two characters on one day a year (July 15th) so we get snapshots of their lives and their relationship with each other.  The novel is light and funny, easy to read, but also absolutely heartbreaking as it depicts not only two people who seem to keep missing their chance to be together but also beautifully captures real life in that it doesn’t always go according to plan.  This book absolutely broke my heart but it’s just as funny and uplifting as it is sad and it’s one of those books that I want to read over and over again.  Even if you’ve seen the movie so you know how the book ends I strongly suggest reading the book because as usual it is so much better than the movie.

Life of Pi - Yann Martel

Again, this book has a highly successful movie but the book is better, deeper, and more in depth than the film.  The novel, written by Canadian author Yann Martel tells the story of a young Indian boy, Pi, who survives 227 days stranded in a lifeboat with a tiger.  This book is smart, fantastical and seems to toe the line between realism and fantasy.  Some moments were thrilling and almost scary for me while others were really thought provoking and there is one moment at the end of the novel which will make you want to read the whole book over again right away.

Room - Emma Donoghue

This book is about to get a lot of attention because there is a movie based on the book that just won the Grolsch People’s Choice Award at TIFF.  I read this book years ago when my mom gave it to me for my birthday; the book is written from the point of view of a five year old boy who has never been outside of one room.  Jack was born in Room, he doesn’t know any different but for his mother it’s a prison where she is being held captive.  Because Jack is only five and doesn’t understand what is going on this protects the reader a bit from his mother’s harsh reality while still being able to understand what is actually happening.  Sad, heartwarming, and thrilling this book was hard for me to put down and being written from such a young child’s perspective it was unlike anything I have ever read.

If you do read or have read any of these books OMG LET'S TALK ABOUT THEM.  Or if you have any books you want to recommend please please leave them in the comments.