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Book Review: Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things is the second book by blogger The Bloggess, aka Jenny Lawson.

I have been wanting to read Furiously Happy since it came out in 2016. I have no idea why I only got to it now. First, because of its seriously eye-catching cover, and then because I found out about its content. We’ll get to that in a second.

Here’s that cover:

Yes, that is a taxidermied raccoon. And yes, it belongs to Lawson.

And here is the synopsis of Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things from Amazon:

“In Furiously Happy, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jenny Lawson explores her lifelong battle with mental illness. A hysterical, ridiculous book about crippling depression and anxiety? That sounds like a terrible idea. But terrible ideas are what Jenny does best.

As Jenny says:

“Some people might think that being ‘furiously happy’ is just an excuse to be stupid and irresponsible and invite a herd of kangaroos over to your house without telling your husband first because you suspect he would say no since he’s never particularly liked kangaroos. And that would be ridiculous because no one would invite a herd of kangaroos into their house. Two is the limit. I speak from personal experience. My husband says that none is the new limit. I say he should have been clearer about that before I rented all those kangaroos.

“Most of my favorite people are dangerously fucked-up but you’d never guess because we’ve learned to bare it so honestly that it becomes the new normal. Like John Hughes wrote in The Breakfast Club, ‘We’re all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it.’ Except go back and cross out the word ‘hiding.'”

Furiously Happy is about “taking those moments when things are fine and making them amazing, because those moments are what make us who we are, and they’re the same moments we take into battle with us when our brains declare war on our very existence. It’s the difference between “surviving life” and “living life”. It’s the difference between “taking a shower” and “teaching your monkey butler how to shampoo your hair.” It’s the difference between being “sane” and being “furiously happy.”

Lawson is beloved around the world for her inimitable humor and honesty, and in Furiously Happy, she is at her snort-inducing funniest. This is a book about embracing everything that makes us who we are – the beautiful and the flawed – and then using it to find joy in fantastic and outrageous ways. Because as Jenny’s mom says, “Maybe ‘crazy’ isn’t so bad after all.” Sometimes crazy is just right.”

Finally, here’s my review of Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things!

This book was fantastic. I’m going to get that out there right away.

As the title states, it’s definitely a funny book. I don’t normally have visceral, physical reactions to books. It’s very rare that I cry while reading (the last time was Lily and the Octopus (review upcoming), but that was really a case of grief I was already sitting in and poor timing, and I can’t remember a time before that). I laugh out loud at books far less often (read: pretty much never). But I was laughing out loud at Furiously Happy. Throughout. Poolside in Cuba while people were eating a fancy à la carte meal nearby. In the hotel lobby while drunken revelers sang raucously beside me. On a bus full of half-asleep homeward-bound travelers at 12:30am. On my armchair, at home in my apartment, all by myself. Everywhere. This book is really funny.

The “horrible things” this book was about, however, were more important to me. And they were what really drew me to the book in the first place. Jenny Lawson has an anxiety disorder. She also has multiple sleep disorders, a personality disorder, rheumatoid arthritis, and goes through periods of clinical depression.

Lawson talks a lot in her book about having people on Twitter to talk to about her mental illnesses and the struggles she deals with in her daily life, and how it helps her to know that there are other people out there who feel like she does. That’s the way I felt reading this book. I have an anxiety disorder and a couple of chronic health conditions, and her struggles were so relatable. She also talked about several really great coping strategies that are definitely going to be helpful to me in the future. And I think most importantly, she consistently talked about her struggles with humour and optimism, even if they were dark and scary. It gave me an enormous sense of hope, and great ideas for how to help myself and others when things are not good.

Other Great Stuff

I loved the formatting of this book. It had relatively short chapters. The chapter titles were hilarious and were inevitably explained in gut-splittingly humourous fashion. Funny images were dispersed throughout. It also had really funny footnotes. I’m a sucker for a good footnote. All around, I loved the formatting of this book almost as much as the content.

Furiously Happy.

The book’s namesake, this is an idea that Lawson first came up with on her blog. She explains it best, and that explanation is quoted in the book synopsis I posted above. However, I do love how she elaborates on it:

“In fact, I’m starting a whole movement right now. The FURIOUSLY HAPPY movement. And it’s going to be awesome because first of all, we’re all going to be VEHEMENTLY happy, and secondly because it will freak the shit out of everyone that hates you because those assholes don’t want to see you even vaguely amused, much less furiously happy, and it will make their world turn a little sideways and will probably scare the shit out of them. Which will make you even more happy. Legitimately. Then the world tips in our favor. Us: 1. Assholes: 8,000,000. That score doesn’t look as satisfying as it should because they have a bit of a head start. Except you know what? Fuck that. We’re starting from scratch. Us: 1. Assholes: 0.”

Theoretically I love this idea, and I think that the amount of laughing I did at this book suggests that my body loves it just as much as my mind does. There are many things I’m going to take away from this book, but I think I’m most excited about trying to bring the “furiously happy” mindset into my life.

Overall, 5/5 stars for Furiously Happy: A Funny Book about Horrible Things.

I highly recommend this book, both for those suffering from mental illness(es) and everyone else in the world, because everyone is touched by mental illness, even if not directly. And it’s just a really funny book that will brighten anyone’s day, whether you connect with the subject on a personal level or not. Guaranteed.

(Furiously) Happy reading!

– Paperback Patronus

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Book Review: Things She Could Never Have by Tehmina Khan

Disclaimer: I received this book as a generous gift from the author herself, Tehmina Khan, in exchange for an honest review. This gift in no way influences my opinion or review.

Things She Could Never Have by Tehmina Khan is a collection of short stories.

It came into my life at the perfect time. I’m starting to think more critically about the types of books I have on my shelves. This is especially in terms of diversity. The founder of @theunreadshelf project on Bookstagram set a February challenge of reading and talking about more diverse books. When this happened, I had just received Things She Could Never Have for review.

Here’s the beautiful cover of this book:

I love how creative it is!

And here is the synopsis of Things She Could Never Have from Amazon:

“Accomplished, sensitive, and often disturbing, these stories take us into the lives of modern Pakistanis?privileged and poor, gay, trans, and straight, men and women, in Karachi and Toronto. “Whisperings of the Devil” takes us into the mind of a mistreated maidservant’s boy who gets seduced into the role of a suicide bomber. In “To Allah We Pray,” two privileged and educated young men, one of them home from Toronto, gallivant through the streets of Karachi, finally walking into a doomed mosque.

“Things She Could Never Have” is a love story about two young trans women living in Karachi. “Born on the First of July” opens the door into the home of a Toronto girl who has left to join ISIS and the devastated family she leaves behind. “The First” will astonish many readers by its depiction of sexual encounters of young college girls in Pakistan. These and other stories link us into the complexities of a sometimes troubled and often misrepresented Muslim society.”

Finally, here’s my review of Things She Could Never Have!

Traditionally, I haven’t been a fan of short stories. Normally this is because I find they make me angry. My whole life, I’ve battled with my own preconceptions that literature shouldn’t make you angry. I am a person who likes the plot of stories to be tightly tied in a bow at the end, à la “and they both lived happily ever after.” Normally, I find that short stories purposely subvert that narrative trope, and I don’t usually enjoy it. This opinion has not changed since reading Things. However,  Tehmina Khan’s stories made me angry, sad, happy, and thoughtful, and frustrated, and I LOVED IT.

These stories are well-curated windows into worlds I have very little knowledge or understanding of. They are each about modern Pakistanis. They are set both in Karachi and Toronto. The characters encounter difficulties I have never had to even imagine, and they do it with grace and resilience. The language is poetic and illuminating. It opened my eyes to whole other perspectives and experiences. It was magical.

Other awesome stuff:

Some of the stories’ plots connect. I LOVE it when short story collections do this. In this case, it’s never overt. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I love the delicate way in which some of the narratives end up being about the same characters, in small but important ways.

Overall, 4.5/5 stars.

Some of the phrasing felt a little confusing at times. I also wanted a bit more depth in some of the stories. However, those are small things. Overall, I LOVED these incredibly heartfelt, shocking, and heartbreaking stories of love, life, and loss. It is a collection full of diverse stories. Racially, sexually, religiously, in terms of class and gender, and more. It left me wanting so much more. Plus, the author is a Canadian female POC, and she is originally from Karachi, Pakistan. I highly recommend reading this book!

Happy reading!

– Paperback Patronus

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Book Review: Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry is a nonfiction book by author, science communicator, and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.

This book initially caught my eye because of the cover. Who wouldn’t love that cover?! It’s gorgeous.

At first I had no idea it was nonfiction. When I finally read the synopsis, I was even more intrigued. This book is DeGrasse Tyson’s quick-take on astrophysics for us laypeople without PhDs. The night sky has always been fascinating for me, but I’ve found learning about it a bit inaccessible. No longer!

Here’s that cover I’m raving about:

I LOVE any kind of cover with a beautiful night sky on it (see my review of The Smell of Other People’s Houses).

And here is the synopsis of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry from Amazon:

“What is the nature of space and time? How do we fit within the universe? How does the universe fit within us? There’s no better guide through these mind-expanding questions than acclaimed astrophysicist and best-selling author Neil deGrasse Tyson.

But today, few of us have time to contemplate the cosmos. So Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly, with sparkling wit, in tasty chapters consumable anytime and anywhere in your busy day.

While you wait for your morning coffee to brew, for the bus, the train, or a plane to arrive, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry will reveal just what you need to be fluent and ready for the next cosmic headlines: from the Big Bang to black holes, from quarks to quantum mechanics, and from the search for planets to the search for life in the universe.”

Finally, here’s my review of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry!

This book is fascinating. Before I get to that, though…

First of all, it definitely lives up to its name in being for people in a hurry. It’s a small and manageable size, even in hardback. Thus, it fit easily in my purse, and I totally took it to a doctor’s appointment. Plus, something I tend to love, it has fairly short chapters.

Second, it was just so interesting. Like I said, I’ve always loved the night sky. However, books about astrophysics tend to not be accessible to, as Dava Sobel says in his blurb about the book, us “non-space cadets.” I loved being able to learn so much about astrophysics in such a short amount of time.

This book is very well written, and never gets too overwhelmingly science-y, although I did get lost a couple of times.

Other awesome stuff:

I loved the chapters in this book and the narrative structure that was chronological in terms of real-time and scientific discoveries made in astrophysics. It starts with the big bang, and moves all the way through to exoplanet discoveries and “the cosmic perspective.”

Overall, 4/5 stars.

It’s an enthralling read that can be a bit too high-level at times for those of us with less background knowledge, but still provides a fantastic understand of how our universe works and our relation to it as humans.

Happy reading!

– Paperback Patronus

 

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Book Review: In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

In a Dark, Dark Wood is a psychological thriller by author Ruth Ware.

The Girl on the Train kind of put me off psychological thrillers. I hadn’t read one for a really long time, and I was starting to get excited about them again. Since people have recently really been loving Ruth Ware, I figured this book was a good place to start.

Here’s the cover of In a Dark, Dark Wood:

Love this minimal look.

And here is the synopsis of In a Dark, Dark Wood from Amazon:

“What should be a cozy and fun-filled weekend deep in the English countryside takes a sinister turn in Ruth Ware’s suspenseful, compulsive, and darkly twisted psychological thriller.

Sometimes the only thing to fear…is yourself.

When reclusive writer Leonora is invited to the English countryside for a weekend away, she reluctantly agrees to make the trip. But as the first night falls, revelations unfold among friends old and new, an unnerving memory shatters Leonora’s reserve, and a haunting realization creeps in: the party is not alone in the woods.”

Finally, here’s my review of In a Dark, Dark Wood!

I really enjoyed this book.

A little beef with books like this: Number one, they’re sometimes plugged in a way that irks me. For example, Reese Witherspoon plugs this book on the front saying it’s scary.

It is not scary.

Suspenseful? Yes. Page-turner? Yes. Scary? Definitely not.

Maybe to some people that’s just semantics, but to me I was actually more nervous reading the book than I should have been, because I was anticipating it getting scary.

This also happened in a different capacity with The Girl on the Train. It was pegged as “The Next Gone Girl.” Gone Girl gave me nightmares for at least a month and I’m still messed up about it. Comparing that to The Girl on the Train.. I had it figured out about a third of the way through and found it boring. It’s not even worth making a comparison.

So stuff like that really irks me.

Don’t get me wrong, though, this book did a great job of holding back information that I wanted to know and kept me reading until I found it out.

It definitely didn’t disappoint, even though it wasn’t what I was expecting. Not only was it thrilling and mysterious, it also had a lot of character/relationship building/history that I really enjoy reading. It definitely added to the effect.

Other awesome stuff:

The characterization in In a Dark, Dark, Wood was excellent. Early on in the book, I was physically frustrated by it because I hated some of the characters so much. That’s awesome. If you can make me have a physical reaction to a character in a book, that’s good writing.

Overall, 4/5 stars.

If you’re looking for an interesting thriller but you don’t like scary books, this is for you!

Happy reading!

– Paperback Patronus

 

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Monthly To Be Read List: March 2018

It’s the third month of the @theunreadshelf Project 2018, and my reading month has started out… slowly. Especially considering that I read 13 books in February and 23 books in January. So far in March I’ve finished two books. Two. I’m not kidding. It’s the 12th.

This is partly why I’ve decided to still post my March TBR even though we’re already a third of the way through the month. I’m hoping it will give me some motivation to get out of my reading slump.

However, there is some good reason for my drastic slowdown:

  • report cards
  • report cards
  • report cards
  • report cards

You get the gist.

Also, I’ve committed to a couple of different reading challenges this month which I think are actually slowing me down and not keeping me motivated. The first is part of the Unread Shelf Project 2018 – Whitney, the creator, sets a challenge each month. This month, she challenged project participants to read a book that’s been on their unread shelf for a really long time, and if you don’t finish it by March 31st, you have to give it away.

I chose Robinson Crusoe for the March challenge.

I got it from my Mom as part of my 18th birthday gift of tons of books she loved alongside a bunch of classics. I’ve meant to read it for ages, so I figured no was as good a time as ever. However, it’s taking me a really long time to get into it, and I’m now about 50 pages in, so I’m fifty pages behind (my edition is ~300 pages and March is 31 days long).

I also decided to take part in my first readalong.

@theperksofbeingnoura is doing a March readalong for City of Bones, the first book in Cassandra Clare’s “The Mortal Instruments” series. I have meant to try this series for a while now, and I serendipitously picked it up at a used book store early in March and then saw the announcement about the readalong. It was perfect! The pace of the readathon is about 1 chapter per day, and as it’s YA, I can easily keep up with that.

However, between reading City of Bones and trying to keep up with Robinson Crusoe, I haven’t been reading anything else, except briefly reading The Bad Beginning, which didn’t take very long as it’s children’s lit. I find that I read a lot slower if I have to divide my attention between more than one book at once. Anyone else feel like that?

Hopefully, now that report cards are complete (good riddance!), I think I can get back on track. Plus, I’m going to Cuba with my mom for the last week of March and that’s pretty much going to be sand, sun, ocean, and reading!

So, without further ado, here’s my March TBR.

 

Where I’m at, and what I’m looking forward to!

The one book I’ve finished so far this month is The Sisters Brothers. It was the Breakfast Book Club pick for February, and we met on the first weekend of this month to talk about it. I really loved it!

I think I’m most excited to read Furiously Happy and The Female of the Species this month. Also, my most anticipated 2018 release, Obsidio,  comes out this month. It’s the last installment in the Illuminae trilogy. Oh, and by this month, I mean the 13th, TOMORROW! It’s so close I can taste it!

I highly doubt I’ll finish all these books, but…

I’ve really been enjoying setting huge TBRs and picking from them based on my mood. We’ll see how it goes moving forward!

Time to get cracking on some more reading and blogging!

Happy reading, book badgers!

– Paperback Patronus

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: February 2018

My January Wrap-Up was probably my most amazing ever, and February had a lot to live up to. I ended up reading 13 3/4 books, which doesn’t come close to January’s 23. However, the month did have 3 fewer days and no weeks off work like I had in January. Either way, I’m still proud of reading more than my target of 10 books per month, because it means that I’m still on pace to achieve my 2018 reading goal of 110 books!

So, here it is, my February Wrap-Up!

Descender Volume 5 – Jeff Lemire & Dustin Nguyen ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Saga Volume 8 – Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Invention of Wings – Sue Monk Kidd ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mirror in the Sky – Aditi Khorana ⭐⭐
I’ll Give You the Sun – Jandy Nelson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Talking as Fast as I Can – Lauren Graham ⭐⭐⭐⭐
In a Dark, Dark, Wood – Ruth Ware ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Darker Shade of Magic – V. E. Schwab ⭐⭐⭐⭐
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – E. L. Konigsburg ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Murder on the Orient Express – Agatha Christie ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fairest – Marissa Meyer ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Winter – Marissa Meyer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Child Finder – Rene Denfeld ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Sisters Brothers – Patrick DeWitt ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (This book I didn’t quite finish, hence the 3/4).

Again, that’s a total of 13 3/4 books!

Did I Meet My TBR Expectations?

I once again didn’t read everything I had planned to. I didn’t get around to posting a February TBR here on the blog, but I did post a photo of it on Bookstagram, so here it is:

I put 17 books on my TBR and ended up reading 8 of them, so it was pretty good I think! I’ve started really enjoying setting a huge TBR not only to see if I can meet a big goal, but also because I like to have a lot of choices so that I can pick my next read by mood. It’s worked well for me so far.

The Unread Shelf Project 2018 February Challenge

Over at theunreadshelf, the February challenge was to look into the diversity of your unread shelf. I discovered, unsurprisingly, that most of the books I own, and the books on my unread shelf, are by white people. I hope to make it a focus to read more diversely in the future!

Notable Reads This Month

Overall, my favourite books of this month were Winter and I’ll Give You the Sun. Shoutout to The Invention of Wings for also being awesome and for being the second book by Monk Kidd that I’ve absolutely loved (I’m looking at you, The Secret Life of Bees). Shoutout also to The Child Finder for being absolutely haunting.

As for ratings, this month was a pretty mixed bag as well!

What’s Next?

I’m hoping to be back on the blogging train pretty solidly for the next couple of weeks, so expect some reviews ASAP! Plus, I’m headed to Cuba for the last week of March with my mom and I’ll have little to no internet access, so I’ve got to be ultra productive before I go! Hopefully, on April 1st when I get home, I’ll be posting an even more impressive wrap-up than I did in January, thanks to my two-week Spring Break away from work!

Happy reading!

– Paperback Patronus

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Where Have I Been + 24in48 Read-a-Thon

So, Paperback Patronus, where have you been?!?!

Good question.

Since I started book blogging, I’ve never been away for this long!

It’s been about three weeks since I last posted, and a lot has happened since then (and a lot of reading)!!

Unsurprisingly, I’m behind on my reviews. So first, I’d like to give you a list of what’s for sure coming up on the blog in the next couple of weeks!

Quiet Girl in a Noisy World – Debbie Tung
A Court of Thorns and Roses – Sara J.  Maas
whiskey words & a shovel volumes I-III – R. H. Sin
Dear Ijeawele, Or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Commonwealth – Ann Patchett
Lily and the Octopus – Steven Rowley
A Darker Shade of Magic – V. E. Schwab
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler – E. L. Konigsburg
In a Dark, Dark Wood – Ruth Ware
Talking as Fast as I Can – Lauren Graham
I’ll Give You the Sun – Jandy Nelson

Yes, I’ve read that many books since I last posted!! More on that soon!

Now, where have you been?

Short answer: reading!

Long answer: I have been hunkered down in a partly SAD-induced hibernation period (as much as is possible when you have a full-time job). It’s now day 24 in a row here in Vancouver that it has rained. It has been dark, grey, and sad. I have generalized anxiety disorder and am very prone to depression in the winter, commonly known as Seasonal Affective Disorder. The way it manifests itself for me is usually the following: I essentially wake up in the morning, struggle to get out of bed, head to work, do my day, and then head home. I go for my run, get soaked in the rain and come home feeling like a drowned rat (although it does help my mood). Hot shower, snack, and then bam! I’m in my pj’s, back in bed with a coffee and a book.

A typical scene from my slew of rainy runs this past month.
A typical scene from my month of spending my time at home exclusively in my pjs, reading and drinking coffee.

Thanks to SAD…

My reading hibernation has done wonders for my TBR pile. I’m definitely not complaining about that! But I have been much less motivated and enthusiastic than usual about my job, my activities, and life in general. This too shall pass, but I’d like the sun to come out sooner rather than later, thanks!

On a happier note, my next post will be my January Wrap-Up, where I’ll be detailing the twenty-three books I read in last month. That’s right, 23!! Proud reader, right here. 

But I just haven’t been wanting to sit up and write on my laptop about reading. I just want to read!!!

There’s another thing that did wonders for my TBR pile, and that’s what I’m going to tell you about next!

The 24in48 Read-a-Thon

I participated in my first read-a-thon in January, and loved it. So, when I discovered the 24in48 read-a-thon and realized it would  be happening in January, I had to sign up! The premise is that in a period of 48 hours, you try to read for 24 hours, which is no small feat.

They have lots of challenges running through their website, and you can win prizes if you take part. You can also win rewards if you read for 24 hours!

I had a busy weekend planned for the weekend of this read-a-thon, so my goal was simply to read as much as possible, knowing that it was unlikely that I would achieve 24 hours of reading. In the end, I made it to just over 13 hours! Not too shabby. The next one that they’re running will be in July, so I’m hoping to take part in that one and beat my current record of 13 hours.

Finally…

Soon, in another post, I’ll be talking about The Unread Shelf Project, which is something that has really improved my reading and Bookstagram experience this year!

Stay tuned, and happy reading!

Alongside the post about The Unread Shelf Project, I’ve got tons of blog posts lined up and coming soon!

– Paperback Patronus

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Book Review: Just Little Things by Nancy Vu

Just Little Things: A Celebration of Life’s Simple Pleasures is a lovely little book by Nancy Vu.

First, how did I discover this book?

I bought it as part of my Boxing Week haul. Indigo had a lot of graphically-based books, like Adultolescence and Quiet Girl in a Noisy World, on sale. This book was one of the ones in that class, and it caught my eye. Partly because of the title, and partly because of the colour.

Here’s the cover of Just Little Things:

Pretty cute! I love the small bar of colours — the inside of the book is also very colourful.

Here is the synopsis of Just Little Things from Amazon:

“Seeing a baby yawn

Drawing on a foggy window

Finding a curly fry mixed in with your regular fries

These and 247 other little things that make everyday life a joy are collected in this delightful, surprising, and heartfelt book. Based on the popular website, this book will strike a chord in anyone who is open to celebrating the little moments of greatness all around us.”

Finally, here’s my review of Just Little Things!

This was a really lovely book. It’s a quick read: I devoured it in one relatively short sitting. The whole time I was reading it, I just felt incredibly content. I found myself looking around the room, smiling at all the small things in my home and in my heart that make me feel warm and happy every day.

I find that especially in the winter, I often become overcome by the darkness and the wet, and I just wish I could sleep my days away under three duvets. This book really helped me remember all the things I love about my life, even when I haven’t seen the sun in days (if you needed a reminder, I live in the Pacific Northwest in a temperate rainforest).

Other awesome stuff about this book:

I really liked the formatting. In case you haven’t noticed yet from my earlier reviews, the physical feel, smell, look, and formatting of books can make or break my opinions about them. Also, I love pretty covers, and I love inventive and creative designs inside them.

Accordingly, this book does really well on the visual front. Each page has a full-colour background, and all of them are in varied colours. Then the “little thing” is written in big type, centered on the page. It’s simple, bright, and easy to read.

Overall, 5/5 stars.

This was a quick, super-enjoyable read that really helped me to get back to regularly thinking about all the awesome little things in my life and how happy they make me. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone!!

Definitely happy reading!

– Paperback Patronus

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My First Read-A-Thon!

This past Saturday, the 13th, my friend on Bookstagram, @yannesreads, hosted a 24-hour read-a-thon.

What’s a read-a-thon, you ask?

You’re asking the right person! Essentially, it’s a set time on a set date in which participants who sign up read as much as they possibly can. In this case, the read-a-thon was 24 hours long. People usually decide between two types of participation.

Type A: Full-Tilt

This type of participant will attempt to read for the entire 24-hours without stopping for sleep. Props to them, I could never do it. I’ve only pulled three all-nighters in my entire almost-27-year lifetime, and each of them destroyed me physically for about a week.

Type B: Passive

This type of participant, aka me, will attempt to read as much as possible during the 24-hour period while still sleeping and doing other regular life activities.

So, how’d it go?

I really enjoyed this. I often have weekend plans to read. However, I more often just get cozy with my face in my phone most of the time. Having the extra motivation of a read-a-thon and posting about it on my Bookstagram really gave me that kick I needed to get off my phone and in between some pages. Here’s what I read!

Books I read during the read-a-thon:

The Graduate – Charles Webb

I started this book on Friday evening and finished it on Saturday, the day of the read-a-thon. My review of this one appeared a few days ago. I won’t spoil it, but it wasn’t very good.

Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert’s Story – Debbie Tung

I’ll be posting my review of this graphic novel soon! I LOVED IT. Story of my life.

Braving the Wilderness – Brené Brown

I’ve also read Rising Strong by Brené Brown, and compared to that, this book was a disappointment. Review coming shortly!

Just Little Things – Nancy Vu

This was a lovely little “break book” in between finishing Braving the Wilderness and starting Astrophysics…. It was such a sweet little reminder of all that is good about life. Short review coming soon!

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry – Neil DeGrasse Tyson

I read about half of this book on the read-a-thon day. I finished it two days ago and will be posting a review soon, it was pretty great!

Station Eleven – Emily St. John Mandel

This one I barely started in the evening, but so far it seems like it’s going to be amazing!!!

What’s Next?

I’m glad you asked!! I really enjoyed participating in this read-a-thon, so now I’m planning to host my own! I’m not sure when, because I’ve got a very busy few weeks coming up (hello, parent-teacher!), but all you lovely people who read this blog will be the first to know!

Happy Reading!

– Paperback Patronus

 

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Book Haul: Boxing Week 2017!

This is my first blog Book Haul post, so here’s the deal:

Bookstagram members are, once again, likely pretty familiar with these. However, for those of you who aren’t, any time we get books in the mail, which we call Book Mail, we like to share what we’ve gotten. Usually, if it’s at the end of the month,  or for a particular event or time period (like Black Friday or Boxing Week), we call it a Haul.

So, without further ado, here’s my Boxing Week Book Haul, which I’m over the moon about!

It was so big, it came in three different packages, the last of which arrived Monday this week.

Now, here’s a list of all the titles and links to their Amazon pages (and my blog reviews, if they’re up already):

Dark Tower 1-3 Boxed Set – Stephen King
Sapiens & Homo Deus Boxed Set – Yuval Noah Harari
Journey Through A History of Magic – British Library
Just Little Things – Nancy Vu
Furiously Happy – Jenny Lawson
The Female of the Species – Mindy McGinnis
Talking as Fast as I Can – Lauren Graham
Commonwealth – Ann Patchett
A Court of Thorns and Roses – Sara J.  Maas
Fierce Kingdom – Gin Phillips
Helium – Rudy Francisco
Depression & Other Magic Tricks –
Our Numbered Days – Neil Hilborn
Adultolescence – Gabbie Hanna
Chasers of the Light – Tyler Knott Gregson
The Alice Network – Kate Quinn
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Hardcover House Editions) – J. K. Rowling
The Child Finder – Rene Denfield
Quiet Girl in a Noisy World – Debbie Tung
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry – Neil deGrasse Tyson
Magpie Murders – Anthony Horowitz
The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
whiskey words & a shovel volumes I-III – R. H. Sin
Dear Ijeawele, Or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Murder on the Orient Express – Agatha Christie
My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward – Mark Lukach
Project Semicolon: Your Story Isn’t Over – Bleuel

Evidently, I dove into this haul pretty quickly!

I have already read Dear Ijeawele…, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, whiskey words & a shovel I, Quiet Girl in a Noisy World, Adultolescence, Helium, Our Numbered Days, Depression & Other Magic Tricks, Chasers of the Light, Just Little Things, and Journey Through A History of Magic. Phew!

I think that the next book I’ll be reading from this haul is The Child Finder. It’s been all over Bookstagram, and I’m in the mood for a bit of suspense.

Finally, other things I’m really excited about:

I’ve never read any Stephen King before. However, I saw the Dark Tower movie and really enjoyed (a lot to do with Idris Elba, but also to do with the storyline!), so I think the Dark Tower books might be my gateway into reading Stephen King!

Also, I’ve never read any Agatha Christie books either. I didn’t particularly want to see the movie, because it wasn’t rated very highly. And it has Johnny Depp in it. But the story really intrigued me, so I’m excited to read the book! Maybe it will make me want to read more Christie mysteries, too!

 

Now that I’ve shared this with you, I’m off to start a reading-filled weekend!

Happy reading!

– Paperback Patronus