We had such a great year reading these 12 books and everyone did such a fabulous job turning their book into a night to remember!
Lets take a look back on each book we read in 2014 and recap our thoughts.
(I made it really easy to click on all the links to see everything we did.)
So check it out and get some great ideas for your book club and reading list.
{January}
The Monuments Men
by, Robert M Edsel
We always try to pick at least one book that is a non fiction or based on non fiction story. "The Monuments Men" was our 2014 non fiction pick.
Our group thought that the author could have made the story flow a little better with the retelling of the historic events and make it more of a story, not SO heavy on the facts. BUT, we all learned so much from reading it and felt so much emotion for this time in history that made up for the over abundance of facts.
(PS. We also felt that The Monuments Men movie didn't give it the depth that it deserved.)
Our Star Rating: 3.5 Stars
{February}
The Snow Child
by, Eowyn Ivey
What a magical book we found in "The Snow Child". Eowyn Ivey did an awesome job with this book. You think you have it figured out what is really going on in the book and then something magical happens and you change your mind and start thinking something else. This happened to me several times. Did the snow child really live in the woods alone or was she magic in some way. You will have to read and decide for yourself.
Our Star Rating: 3.75 Stars
{March}
Carter Beats the Devil
by, Glen David Gold
We loved, loved, loved this book, "Carter Beats the Devil" . Glen David Gold is a great story teller. This book has lots of twists and turns and then it all comes together in the end. The book takes place in a fun time in history where magic is mystical and the mystery behind who did it is amazing. Leigh Bardugo of the Grisha Trilogy introduced us to this book and we will be forever grateful for her recommendation. Thanks Leigh. Oh and Glen David Gold we want more books from you.
Our Star Rating: 4.5 Stars
{April}
Walt Disney: An American Original
by, Bob Thomas
We all love going to Disneyland and so we thought this book "Walt Disney: An American Original" by Bob Thomas was the perfect book to read so that we could do a Disney themed book club. We went all out crazy for this book club. It was so interesting to learn about Walt and where he came from the ideas behind the iconic Disney things we know today. Walt Disney was an amazing, creative, driven, and talented man.
Our Star Rating: 3.7 Stars
{May}
The Husband's Secret
by, Liane Moriarty
Oh we loved this book. "The Husband's Secret" was a fun book to read for the summer. Reading about how the women's lives in the book came together was a twisty and unique way to tell the story. I really loved in the end how she tells the what ifs because when do we ever get to actually hear about the what ifs?
Our Star Rating: 4 Stars
{June}
The Goldfinch
by, Donna Tartt
We were asked by Little Brown Publishing to read and do a book club on "The Goldfinch" . But they didn't have to bend our arm too much because we had been hearing buzz about this book and we were glad to switch up our book picks a bit in order to read this book. This is a book with a long story lasting around 30 years. So there is a lot of information you need to know and build up of characters but even though it is quite long it is well worth the length. We were a little mixed on our liking it or not liking it therefore the 3.5 star rating but it was a unique story and very interesting to learn about the history of the artwork. This would make a great book club read.
Our Star Rating: 3.5 Stars
{July}
The Golem and the Jinni
by, Helene Wecker
We had such a fun time putting this book club together. "The Golem and the Jinni" was a fabulous read and such a great book to do a whole book club around. We made golems out of clay. We dressed in our best jinni attire. And we discussed the book under a tent that looked like we were in a genie bottle. This was a fun book club to be at and everyone thought the book was really good.
Our Star Rating: 4 Stars
{August}
Ruin and Rising
by, Leigh Bardugo
Oh Leigh Bardugo really brought her "A" game when she wrote this series. We are in love with her!!! "Ruin and Rising" was a great last book in the Grisha Trilogy. We can't wait to read more from her. She has another series in the works that is somewhat related to this series and we will for sure read it.
Our Star Rating: 4.1 Stars
{September}
The Haunting of Hill House
by, Shirley Jackson
We try to read a couple Halloween type books this time of year and so we thought we would try the classic tale of "The Haunting of Hill House" . But for most of us this book didn't quite give us the haunted feel that we craved for this time of year. It was an okay book. Our star rating reflects that a bit. But you can always find fun ways to throw your book club to still make it a great night.
Our Star Rating: 2.75
{October}
Black Moon
by, Teri Harman
"Black Moon" is the second book in a trilogy and it surpassed all of our expectations of a second book. Sometimes (well most of the time) the second book in a series is not my favorite. Teri did not disappoint in the second book of her series. This is a great witchy, Halloweenie book. Pick up this series and read it. You will be glad you did.
Our Star Rating:
{November}
Shadow on the Crown
by, Patricia Bracewell
Oh "Shadow on the Crown" how we love you. Plus book two comes out in February so we won't have to wait long to read the next book. This book is set in 1000 AD England and so there is so much you can do for your book club with decorations, food, and plus you can always email the author Patricia Bracewell and ask her to Skype in with your book club to answer all your questions. You've got to put this on the list for your book club.
Our Star Rating: 4.5 Stars
{December}
The Eye of Minds
by, James Dashner
"The Eye of Minds" is the book we are discussing next week but I will update this post when we have our review, ideas and star rating done. Let's cross our fingers that maybe we can get James Dashner to come to or Skype book club that night.
Our Star Rating: 3.5 Stars
I hope this gave you some good ideas for your book club or the next book you might want to read. Enjoy!
xoxo'
Kellie
