The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett

By: Chelsea Sedoti
Published Year: 2017
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Pages: 398

Amazon Barnes & Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A teenage misfit named Hawthorn Creely inserts herself in the investigation of missing person Lizzie Lovett, who disappeared mysteriously while camping with her boyfriend. Hawthorn doesn't mean to interfere, but she has a pretty crazy theory about what happened to Lizzie. In order to prove it, she decides to immerse herself in Lizzie's life. That includes taking her job... and her boyfriend. It's a huge risk — but it's just what Hawthorn needs to find her own place in the world.




                                                   First Impressions

Honestly, the cover didn’t do much for me when I saw it on the lists of books for the Debut Author’s challenge (which I am participating in once again this year). The title piqued my curiosity enough to make me read the summary which then did make an impression on me. I don’t think I would have picked this book up based on cover and summary alone if it hadn’t been for it being a part of the DAC, but it’s always interesting to go a little outside your comfort zone.

                                                   What I thought

I don’t do well with books that have unlikeable protagonists and Hawthorn was very unlikeable. I think she’s meant to be different and unique in a relatable loner way, but to me she just came across as a terrible person. She’s mean, petty, and self-centered with no redeeming qualities until the very end of the story.

Hawthorn becomes obsessed with Lizzie Lovett after she finds out that she has gone missing. Lizzie is 21 years old, the same age as Hawthorn’s older brother Rush. When Hawthorn was a freshman, Lizzie was a senior and Hawthorn started to hate her because she was perfect. While holding onto this animosity for years, Hawthorn initially acts like she doesn’t care about Lizzie being gone, but then she can’t stop thinking about her and what happened to her. She inserts her into Lizzie’s life by working at the diner she used to work at and, eventually, talking to Lizzie’s boyfriend who was the last person to see her before she went missing.

I understand being interested or even obsessed with a person from afar when you’re a teenager. I remember imagining scenarios with all types of people that I never knew or that I barely knew when I was in high school. However, there’s a difference between playing out a scenario in your head or even talking about it with someone, and then actually following through with it. Hawthorn almost tries to become Lizzie and feels like she needs to figure out what happened to Lizzie and who Lizzie became after high school because somehow it will allow Hawthorn to figure out who she is.

For a debut novel, the writing is solid. I found myself drawn into the mystery of Lizzie Lovett and needed to know what happened to her. The story is different from anything that I have read and it brings up a lot of interesting discussion points. I did appreciate that it’s a different point of view of high school than readers normally see as well. Hawthorn hates high school, but in a very real way. In a lot of YA novels, the protagonist hates high school but has one or two friends that make it ok. Hawthorn really had no one and deals with a lot of bullying. She doesn’t have a special talent that she can turn to that makes life worth living and she doesn’t have a magical perspective that everything will get better for her after high school. While I didn’t like Hawthorn or even reading about her, I appreciated that this is a very important type of character to teenagers to read and have for other teenagers to relate to.
 

While I didn’t love the characters, the story itself was interesting and well written. Depending on the summary, I would gladly pick up another book written by Sedoti. I never found the story to be predictable and it kept me interested from the first page. If you enjoy YA with a unique take on a mysterious disappearance, I would recommend this book. I will warn you that it’s a bit of an odd story and that it isn’t going to be one that everyone is going to like. 
 

The Confessions of Young Nero

By: Margaret George
Published Year: 2017
Publisher: Berkley Books
Pages: 528

Amazon Barnes & Noble

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Built on the backs of those who fell before it, Julius Caesar's imperial dynasty is only as strong as the next person who seeks to control it. In the Roman Empire no one is safe from the sting of betrayal: man, woman or child.

As a boy, Nero's royal heritage becomes a threat to his very life, first when the mad emperor Caligula tries to drown him, then when his great aunt attempts to secure her own son's inheritance. Faced with shocking acts of treachery, young Nero is dealt a harsh lesson: it is better to be cruel than dead.

While Nero idealizes the artistic and athletic principles of Greece, his very survival rests on his ability to navigate the sea of vipers that is Rome. The most lethal of all is his own mother, a cold-blooded woman whose singular goal is to control the empire. With cunning and poison, the obstacles fall one by one. But as Agrippina's machinations earn her son a title he is both tempted and terrified to assume, Nero's determination to escape her thrall will shape him into the man he was fated to become, an Emperor who became legendary.

                                                         First Impressions

The cover is a great historical fiction cover. I was definitely drawn in, even though I had no idea who Nero was. The summary however was a bit iffy for me. I don’t know anything about Roman history and have never had any interest in it. I ended up accepting this book for review because I’ve been in a bit of a book rut and wanted to try something drastically different from what I’ve been reading lately. Also, I had heard good things about George and if I could find another historical fiction author who I like that would be a plus!
 
                                                          What I thought

Even though I knew nothing about Nero going into this story, George’s writing drew me in.

Confessions of Young Nero starts when Nero is four years old. His father has been recently killed and his mother exiled by his Uncle Caligula, the Emperor. The story follows Nero on his own journey to become emperor of Rome. This is part 1 of his story, so it doesn’t follow his entire life, but I imagine that part 2 will follow him to his eventual death.

After reading this book, I found myself curious about the real Nero and not just the historical fiction version. Which, I guess would mean that George did her job! Unfortunately, it seems that after a bit of research that George fluffed Nero up a little bit. From what I’ve read, he was a terrible person. The historical sites and facts that I read pretty much gave him no redeeming qualities. While I understand that that would make for a difficult book to read, I would’ve thought that he would’ve come off a little more unlikeable in the story.

George portrays Nero as a victim of his family and misfortune. Someone who really has no choice but to become the terrible person that he becomes. While he does have a lot of hardships (I mean… his own Uncle tries to murder him and his mother murders the only father figures that he has ever had) I don’t find that that excuses him from being judged as a terrible person.

At times, the book felt a bit long. Nero doesn’t become emperor until almost halfway through the book. His childhood is a bit drawn out and seems to drag a little, but overall is still interesting. Once he becomes emperor, things move a little quicker but the amount of descriptions is still overwhelming. I think this book could’ve been significantly shorter if some of the descriptions had been cut out. Granted, I know that a lot of historical fiction novels use lengthy descriptions, it just seemed a bit tedious. 
 

While Nero isn’t a character that I find myself in love with, and therefore won’t pick up the rest of his story, the writing was interesting and kept my attention even though I didn’t care much for the main character. I will definitely check George’s other novels out to see if she has some books written on other historical figures that I have a greater interest in. If you are interested in Roman history, then I would recommend this book. I will warn that you might be frustrated at the light that Nero is painted in, but it is still an interesting and entertaining read.
 

Play! By Sephora February 2017

Play! By Sephora is a monthly subscription box by Sephora. It costs $10 a month and you received 5 beauty and skincare samples plus a perfume sample each month. Previously, you needed to put yourself onto a wait-list and wait to receive an email before you could subscribe, as they were rolling it out to limited quantities.

In addition to the products, Sephora includes a booklet that includes information about the product, the brand, and then tips of how to use the products. Also at the back of the book is a Play! PASS. This Pass gives you a complimentary one-on-one session with a Sephora artist as well as an extra 50 Beauty Insider points when you scan the pass at the register with any purchase. If you have the Sephora app, you can also scan the images of the products to learn more about them.

Previously, everyone received the same exact box. They had a few months where they had two different boxes that went out, and this month it seems like they have a variety of different boxes that went out following their theme of The Soft Side.

As a heads up, the boxes are a little bit larger and will not fit into a small apartment sized mailbox. For reference, a Birchbox box is able to fit almost perfectly into my mailbox, but this one has no chance. Therefore, I’ve started having it shipped to my parent’s house so I don’t have to go to the Post Office.

Also, sorry for the bit of delay. My box came a little late this month so I didn’t have time to get the review up in a shortened month.

The products I received this month were as follows:

Clinique Pep-Start Hydroblur Moisturizer (Full-Size $29.50)

This is a lightweight moisturizer that is oil-free. It is also said to work as a primer, which to me means it must have some sort of silicone in it. When I tested it on my hand it did have the feeling of a silicone/primer. I prefer cream moisturizers, but I’m sure I’ll use this one and see how it works. Hopefully it won’t clog my pores as some of these types of products tend to do.

Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream (Full-Size $30) 

This eye cream is infused with coffee beans, ginseng, and magnolia extract and includes a brightening property. I have been wanting to try this eye cream out for so long so I feel like I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. I will warn that it’s a bit shiny so it definitely gives you that illuminating look under your eyes. I’m curious to see how this works under concealer, or if it’s one that I’ll just end up using at night.

Marc Jacobs Divine Decadence (Full-Size $97) 

This perfume came out right around the time of my wedding. I remember smelling it when I was trying to find my wedding day fragrance and not liking it. I decided to try it again and see if I was remembering it incorrectly or maybe my scent preference had changed. Nope. I still do not like this. It smells a bit masculine for my tastes. The notes are described as champagne extract, orange blossom, bergamot, gardenia, hydrangea, honeysuckle, amber, vanilla, and saffrod.

Sephora Collection Lashcraft Length & Volume Mascara (Full-Size $12) 

The unique selling point for this mascara is that the brush is flat on two sides. It is said that this brush shape helps to create more drama for your lashes. It is also formulated to be easy to take off. I’m a little curious about this because the notes say that you can remove it with just warm water. How will a mascara like that last in the summer? My eyes are also a bit sensitive to mascaras, so I wonder whether the easy to remove formulation will irritate my eyes or if they will actually respond better!

Nars Velvet Lip Glide in Bound (Full-Size $26) 

I absolutely love Nars. It is my favorite high-end brand and I always find myself going back to them. These liquid lipsticks are so nice! The formulation is really smooth and creamy; definitely lives up to the name of velvet. The color is the dusty rose shade that I always go for that, unfortunately, never shows up on my lips. However, I think this shade is ever so slightly darker than similar colors and it does give me a little “your lips but better” look. If I wanted a lipstick that didn’t look like I was wearing anything but just makes my make-up look a little more polished, this would be the one I pick.

Too Faced Lip Injection Glossy in Milkshake (Full-Size $22) 

This gloss is a lip-plumping formula that is also hydrating and softening. The notes say that if you apply it every day for a month, that you should notice an improvement in the softness of your lips. In theory, this seems like a cool product, but in application I’m not crazy about it. It’s a clear/gold color that is glossy and glittery. I’m not into wearing gloss everyday as a clear look. I like glossy lip colors, but I wouldn’t put on a clear gloss instead of a chapstick. To me, this feels a bit more like a product targeted towards teenagers, so I will be passing this on.

Top Swatch- Too Faced Bottom Swatch- NARS

Overall, I'm a bit on the fence with this box. I'm curious about the mascara and excited about the Nars gloss and the eye cream. I'm meh about the Too Faced gloss and the moisturizer and not crazy about the perfume. It's not the worst box I've received, but definitely not up there as one of the best.

I See You

By: Clare Mackintosh
Published Year: 2017
Publisher: Berkley Books
Pages: 384

Amazon Barnes & Noble

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Every morning and evening, Zoe Walker takes the same route to the train station, waits at a certain place on the platform, finds her favorite spot in the car, never suspecting that someone is watching her...

It all starts with a classified ad. During her commute home one night, while glancing through her local paper, Zoe sees her own face staring back at her; a grainy photo along with a phone number and a listing for a website called FindTheOne.com. 

Other women begin appearing in the same ad, a different one every day, and Zoe realizes they’ve become the victims of increasingly violent crimes—including murder. With the help of a determined cop, she uncovers the ad’s twisted purpose...A discovery that turns her paranoia into full-blown panic. Zoe is sure that someone close to her has set her up as the next target. 

And now that man on the train—the one smiling at Zoe from across the car—could be more than just a friendly stranger. He could be someone who has deliberately chosen her and is ready to make his next move…

                                                              First Impressions

Last year I received Mackintosh’s debut novel I Let You Go for review. While I wasn’t crazy about it, I saw potential in her writing and knew I was going to check out her future books. When I was offered the chance to review her sophomore novel I jumped on it! The cover is intriguing and the summary sounded so interesting. I also liked that this one wasn’t being compared to Gone Girl or other similar novels.

                                                               What I thought

This novel was so good! If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know my biggest issue with mystery/thrillers is predictability. I’ve mentioned that I have a bit of a gift in predicting the endings so it takes a special novel to surprise me. While this one didn’t shock me 100%, there were parts that I did not predict and the parts that I did get right, I didn’t guess until pretty far into the book!

Zoe is a 40-year-old woman living and working in London. One day on her commute home she sees her own picture in an ad for an escort agency. The next day, she notices a different woman in the ad and shortly after that, the woman is found dead. Obviously scared for her own life, Zoe informs police inspector Kelly Swift of the connection which leads the police down a path to discover where these ads came from and who the next victim is going to be.

I See You alternates between chapters from Zoe’s perspective, PI Kelly Swift’s perspective, and anonymous inputs from the person who placed the advertisements. This alternating perspective formula was used by Mackintosh in her first novel, but it worked better for me in this one. Maybe it was because I liked Swift better than the other police officer, but it flowed better for me. If she had her own series, I would definitely continue reading them.

I would also classify this story as more of a police mystery than a thriller. It focuses around an investigation and Zoe is very much a part of it. I liked that Zoe wasn’t ignorant and knew immediately that something was up and did something about it. A lot of the time it seems like the women who are having troubles in stories like these either don’t go to the police, or when they do they aren’t taken seriously. I greatly appreciated that Zoe had a good head on her shoulders and that the police were presented in a good light as well.

I don’t want to give too much away because I feel like the less you know about these types of stories the better, but it felt like everything that didn’t work for me in the last book worked for me in this one. The story itself was fascinating because it had ties into a lot of society. The use of technology in this book was done well, and while if broken down it may not be completely plausible, the way that Mackintosh wrote about it made it seem like it could be happening right now.

Any book that can surprise me definitely gets a bit of a rating bump. I enjoyed every bit of this book and couldn’t put it down. I think that over time Mackintosh is going to continue to polish her mystery writing and her books with just continue to get better. I hope that she realizes what a good thing she has in Swift and decides to write more with her as a main character. If you enjoy police novels and mysteries, I’d highly recommend checking this out. 
 

A Gentleman in Moscow

By: Amor Towles
Published Year: 2016
Publisher: Viking
Pages: 462

Amazon Barnes & Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A Gentleman in Moscow immerses us in another elegantly drawn era with the story of Count Alexander Rostov. When, in 1922, he is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the count is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him a doorway into a much larger world of emotional discovery.

Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count’s endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose. 

                                                First Impressions

The cover of this book caught my eye on Goodreads. It is a bit mysterious and piqued my curiosity. The summary drew me in completely. I was fascinated by the idea of a story about a man who is jailed to live in a hotel room for the rest of his days. I feel like this is one of the first books in a while that completely drew me in by the cover without me knowing or hearing anything about it first.

                                                 What I thought

This book was so different from anything else I have read.

A Gentleman in Moscow ranges from 1922, when Count Alexander Rostov is sentenced to live his days at the Metropol hotel, to the mid-late 1950s. Once the Count is sentenced to never step foot out of the Metropol hotel, the reader is brought through his life and the history of Russia. Alexander has a unique perspective because while he cannot go outside the hotel and experience what is happening, a lot of the diplomats from Russia and other countries come to stay at the Metropol as well as hold meetings in the ballroom.

I was fascinated by the movement of the historical events and how the Count experienced them. That was what piqued my interest when I read the summary and it was what held me in while I was reading. I have never read a historical fiction novel that took place in Russia, so all of the historical nuances were new to me.

The writing style does take a little while to get used to and is very slow moving. Towles occasionally addresses the reader about pieces of history that won’t be directly addressed in the story, or about characters who will not be coming back into the story and a little bit about what happens to them/why they are not coming back. I also felt like the first 100-200 pages weren’t so much about Alexander and his life at the Metropol as what was going on around him and almost a setting of the stage.

Once I got into the second half of the book I was much more interested. The Count and his life had become so much more a part of the hotel by that point and I enjoyed reading about his life more than just him witnessing certain events.  Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed in the ending. I thought that it was going to wrap up nicely, but instead it’s a bit confusing and left open ended. After spending 400+ pages with Towles’ writing, I won’t say that I was surprised that that is how he chose to end the story, but it was still a little frustrating.
 

While this book was slow to start, once it picked up I enjoyed it a lot. I think this book could make a fascinating TV show or mini-series or something. They could do a lot with the history of Russia and how it all has to occur within the confines of one space that would make it so interesting to watch. If you are interested in historical fiction or in Russia, I would recommend this book. I wouldn’t read it again, as it is a bit slow for my preferred re-reads. I think it will be helpful going into this book to know that while it is slow to start, it picks up and you will fall in love with all of the characters.*

*This is one of those interesting books where I only rated it 3 stars upon finishing, but looking back I probably would've given it 4. It has stuck with me since originally reading it and I often think about it at random times. While it may be a slightly more difficult book to get through because of the pacing, I highly recommend making your way through as in the end, you own't regret it.

Ratings Review- A Look Back

The other day, my friend Stephanie mentioned that she had looked back on her ratings for books on Goodreads over the past couple of years and had noticed she didn’t read as many 5 star books lately. We then started to discuss whether this was based on the types of books we’ve been reading lately or whether because of Goodreads, we have started judging books more harshly. I also wondered whether blogging had influenced my ratings of books. Since I started this blog, have I rated less books as 5 stars? Is that because I’m reading more critically? Or is it because I’m reading more books for review that I wouldn’t have picked up on my own? Either way, this intrigued me so I went on Goodreads to see what my ratings looked like.

I have made 3 pie charts for each year that I did a Goodreads challenge. I did not start recording books on Goodreads until October 2013, so I started looking at 2014, 2015, and 2016.

I will note that in 2015 and 2016 I re-read more books. During 2016 I re-read all of Harry Potter and in 2015 I re-read a lot of childhood novels. I think that the Harry Potter re-read probably influenced a higher 5 star review leaning than some of the ones I re-read in 2015, but it’s something interesting to note when looking at the numbers.

I was a bit surprised that almost everything seemed pretty even. In fact, last year I had a higher percentage of 4 star ratings than in previous years, even though I felt like I had a less than stellar reading history in 2016. I thought that as my amount of review books increased and that my time having a blog increased my stars would decrease due to harsher judgement, but the numbers don’t show that! In fact, last year I had zero 1 star ratings, whereas the years before I had 1 and 2, so blogging might be influencing me in the opposite direction! 

I did in fact find that in 2014 I had more 5 star ratings. I don't know if that's because I had just gotten back into my reading stride or if I was a little bit more lax with my ratings. I think that because I hadn't been reading as much before 2014, I had a lot of new to me authors that year that became favorites, such as Morgan Matson. I then went back and read all of her current novels and I'm pretty sure they all got 5 stars. Hopefully, I can find a few more favorite authors this year and have a good amount of books to go back and read.

I thought seeing this might change the types of books that I would read this year, but it seems like I’ve been doing pretty well. I do think that in general, I’m going to try to read a few more books outside my comfort zone and maybe read a few more books that really call to me. I know it's hard to find 5 star books that I love, but I apparently did a good job in 2014, so hopefully I can do that again.

Have you ever looked back on your ratings over the years?  

The Book Jumper

By: Mechthild Glaser
Published Year: 2017
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 384

Amazon Barnes & Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): 
Amy Lennox doesn't know quite what to expect when she and her mother pick up and leave Germany for Scotland, heading to her mother's childhood home of Lennox House on the island of Stormsay.

Amy's grandmother, Lady Mairead, insists that Amy must read while she resides at Lennox House—but not in the usual way. It turns out that Amy is a book jumper, able to leap into a story and interact with the world inside. As thrilling as Amy's new power is, it also brings danger: someone is stealing from the books she visits, and that person may be after her life. Teaming up with fellow book jumper Will, Amy vows to get to the bottom of the thefts—at whatever cost.

                                                     First Impressions
This book is my first 2017 Debut Author's Challenge book. The title is what first caught my eye. What book lover would turn down the ability to jump into their favorite stories? The summary reminded me of the book Between the Lines By Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer, but seemed different enough to be enjoyable.

                                                      What I Thought
I think I liked the idea of this book a little more than I liked the execution.

Amy has grown up with her mother Alexis, far from her mother's home. At the age of 15, Amy and her mother decide to go back to Alexis' home island off the coast of Scotland. While there, Amy learns that she comes from a family that has the ability to jump into books. She is not the only one on the island learning this ability either. There are two other teenagers from the rival family on the island who are learning their craft as well. Shortly after she begins learning the rules of book jumping, story ideas start going missing. Amy needs to learn how to fix what's happening before chaos ensues.

I loved the idea of being able to jump into books being a family inherited trait. However, there was something about it just didn't seem like everything was fully thought out. I know that this book was originally written in German, so maybe something literally got lost in translation, but it seemed like there was a lot missing. I would've loved more history on the family. How did they discover this ability? How did they learn about? What would have happened if Amy had never come back to the island? Why does the ability disappear after the age of 20?

I also found parts of the story to be predictable. With only two other teenagers on the island, it unfortunately doesn't leave much room for guessing. Will is the only other boy Amy's age, so it is fairly obvious that he becomes her love interest. There are a few interesting twists, one of which I also wish could have been explored more.

I wonder if the book had been longer if it would've given me what I craved. The idea of being able to jump into books is just so tempting by all book lovers that I think any reader would've loved more than understanding this gift. While I appreciate that this is a stand alone novel in a world of unnecessary trilogies, I think this could've been better executed as a duology. By being two books, the relationship between Amy and her book jumping abilities and the history of the family could've been explored on a deeper level. Instead, the book skims the surface of book jumping, relationships, the book world, and an enemy they all face.

Overall, this book was enjoyable. I read it in about 2 days because I wanted to know what was going to happen. However, I was just left craving more. I wanted more meat to the book and that's where my issue lays. The story itself is fun and I think the idea is great, but it didn't satiate me. If you are looking for a book about book jumpers, I would probably recommend Between the Lines over this one. It's definitely cute though, so if it's on your list I'd still say check it out!

Book Club February 2017

This month's book club choice was a bit different than others. Meghan wanted to pick the book When Breath Becomes Air but knew that it was a heavy book. As a result, she shared the other book that she had debated picking which was Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld. As a book club, we decided, for the first time, to read two books. I have already read Eligible (Review here), so my book club post this week will just be on When Breath Becomes Air.

y: Paul Kalanithi
Published Year: 2016
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 230

Amazon Barnes & Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): 
t the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade’s training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, the next he was a patient struggling to live.

When Breath Becomes Air chronicles Kalanithi’s transformation from a medical student asking what makes a virtuous and meaningful life into a neurosurgeon working in the core of human identity – the brain – and finally into a patient and a new father.

What makes life worth living in the face of death? What do you do when when life is catastrophically interrupted? What does it mean to have a child as your own life fades away?

Paul Kalanithi died while working on this profoundly moving book, yet his words live on as a guide to us all. When Breath Becomes Air is a life-affirming reflection on facing our mortality and on the relationship between doctor and patient, from a gifted writer who became both.
              
                                                       What I thought
When Meghan first shared the summary of this book with us, I immediately knew I wanted to read it. I've been in a bit of a book rut (as you know if you are a reader of this blog) and getting the chance to read something different was just what I needed.

When Breath Becomes Air is written by Paul Kalanithi during his battle with cancer. At the age of 36, Kalanithi is in his final year of residency as a neurosurgeon. He is also diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. This book is his way of sharing his journey to becoming a doctor and then the switch of being a doctor to becoming the patient. Unfortunately, Kalanithi did not beat his battle with cancer and, in fact, didn't have a chance to finish the book (or at least not the way he would have wanted to).

This book is a life changer. It's one of those once in a blue moon books that you read and just feel like you can understand a little bit of life more than you did before. The first part of this book is Kalanithi's journey through medical school and residency to become a neurosurgeon. I have always enjoyed science and found the medical world fascinating, so I was enthralled with all of the information. The second part of the book focuses more on Kalanithi's battle with cancer and all of the treatments and other things he goes through.

Before becoming a surgeon, Kalanithi was an English major and thought that he wanted some sort of job that worked with literature. In writing this book, his talent and passion for literature is so obvious. This book isn't very long but it is completely un-put-downable. There aren't any chapters in this book, but I was so drawn in that I didn't even notice until I was about 85 pages in and ready to go to bed. I decided I would finish the chapter and then put the book down, when I realized that during the past hour that I had been reading, I had not come across any chapters. His writing is that captivating.

Even though it is only January, I know that When Breath Becomes Air is easily going to be one of my favorite books of 2017. I'm definitely going to purchase it (maybe even purchase two copies) and push it off on everyone that I know. It is a heavy story, and you will probably cry, but there is a lightness to it and a positive energy that just makes it so wonderful.

                                             What Book Club Thought
We all agreed that this book is beautifully written and has a wonderful message. The one point that we felt a little different on was our opinions on the readability. One of the book club members listened to the audiobook version instead of reading the book and commented that she was glad she went that route because, while it was beautifully written, there were certain points that she thought might have been unreadable. She specifically referenced some of the more philosophical moments as seeming a bit slow and heavy for her reading tastes. On the other hand, myself and one of the other book club members felt like we couldn't put the book down and never felt as though there were any slow points. We didn't get into any super deep philosophical conversations about it, but I think that we definitel could have if we were in the right mood. I would highly recommend this book.

Next Month's Book Club Pick

The Life Intended By: Kristin Harmel
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