Normal People (Sally Rooney)

Why I have this book: It's a well-known book due to the tv series and online reviews, and my daughter also recommended it. I borrowed it from the ebook library, then bought the audio version so I could listen while doing other things.

I really tried to love this book. I certainly thought about it a lot after I finished it. It's strange how a book that doesn't really bring you into the story (rather, it feels like you're observing from a distance) can also make you think. I don't know... I guess I didn't ever feel super connected to either of the main characters, and I didn't feel any connection to the side characters. It was hard to understand why the two main characters had all the issues they had. I could see their issues, but I didn't really feel any of it. Plus... could two such smart people ever figure out how to communicate? That would have solved a lot of problems for them.

Are they really "normal people?" It didn't seem very normal to me, but maybe that's more to do with location and culture than anything?

It's not a very happy book, and it kind of gets under your skin and makes you confused as you try to think it through. I gave it three stars on Goodreads. I'm actually surprised someone read it and thought, "Let's make a tv series out of this!" 

Don't even get me started on how the author didn't use quotation marks. It adds an unnecessary annoyance and distraction to the reading experience.

I'm pretty sure there was profanity, but I don't remember specifics. There were some definite unhealthy sexual situations as well as regular sexual situations that were moderately descriptive. (At one time I would have called them more than "moderately descriptive," but I know there's a lot more descriptive stuff out there now.) There is also a suicide, depression, anxiety, family issues, etc. 

Year of Wonders (Geraldine Brooks)

Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the ebook library after seeing that the local library had read it as a book club book in the past.

Okay, after I started the book, I realized I had read it before at some point. It was before 2010 since it's not already on this blog, so I decided to go ahead and read it again. I didn't remember everything about it, so it was still interesting. I gave it four stars on Goodreads.

I have to say there were some tough parts to read. It's based on a true story of a village dealing with the bubonic plague during the 1600's. There are some fairly graphic descriptions of how the disease manifested itself in human bodies.

The story itself never really feels uplifting, so don't read it if you're hoping for something that edifies you. The writing is fantastic... there were lots of words/phrases from that time period and location that I had to look up. The language made it easy to get enveloped in the setting.

There may have been some mild profanity (but maybe not?), but the bigger issue was the description of disease, death, decay, and murder. There were also some mild to moderately described sexual situations.

Devout: Losing My Faith to Find Myself (David Archuleta)

Why I have this book: I bought the Audible version to support the author and to learn more about his life.

I gave this memoir four stars on Goodreads. David narrated his book, and he did a great job. I had very little knowledge of all the things he went through with his singing career (even before American Idol) and all the difficulties in his personal and family life. 

I know people have been disappointed and have criticized him for leaving his religion and living a lifestyle that contrasts with the life he lived before, but it's his life and his journey and how he is figuring out what matters to him. 

I do think he was more blunt and TMI about some things than I was comfortable with, but you know... it's his story. In my opinion, he's courageous to tell it, and I support him in that. I think he's a good person with a good heart, and I wish nothing but the best for him.

It was also very interesting to hear his experiences with the highest leaders of the LDS Church.

There was some profanity in this book, as well as some brief descriptions of his sexual experiences. 

Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come: An Introvert's Year of Living Dangerously (Jessica Pan)

Why I have this book: I borrowed the ebook from the ebook library, but ended up buying (with a credit) the Audible version so I could get stuff done while listening.

And on that note... once again the audio version was different than the ebook. The audio was recorded for the British audience, and the ebook was Americanized (soccer vs football, for example). One change that made me laugh was when the audio version said something about a "piece of piss." What? Did I hear that right? I looked in the ebook version to see what she really said, and that version said, "a walk in the park." Of course, then I had to look up "piece of piss" to see if that's really what she said, and I guess she did since it means "something extremely easy to achieve or do." I learned something new. I've never heard that saying before. MAYBE IF THEY'D QUIT AMERICANIZING BOOKS, WE'D ALL LEARN NEW THINGS. Of course, it's not like I'd start saying that, but it was something new to learn.

Back to the book. I gave it four stars on Goodreads. Even though the author and I live very different lifestyles (hers is way cooler), I can relate to a lot of her feelings. While I'd never do some of the things she did during her "year of living dangerously," it made me more determined to get out of my bubble and do some things that I know will be good for me even if I feel more comfortable at home.

Her words made me chuckle aloud a few times. Jessica Pan is a good writer and a good narrator. I enjoyed this book a lot.

I liked this quote:

"I'm also shocked to discover that talking to strangers turns out to be one of the cheapest, easiest ways to feel good and get a hit of dopamine when you're feeling low, invisible, or lost in your own world."

I just finished this book tonight (gasp... and I'm writing my review the same day!), and I don't recall any profanity. If there was any, it must have been infrequent and/or mild. She does talk about doing mushrooms, but it doesn't really go into it very deeply. 

Britt-Marie Was Here (Fredrik Backman)

Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the ebook library.

I enjoyed this one very much, and I gave it a solid four stars on Goodreads.

Britt-Marie was fun to get to know, and it was heartwarming to see human relationships develop as the  characters let down their guards with one another.

I also had the audio version (I borrowed both), and it was interesting to see that the audio version was based on the European or British-English publication. The ebook was Americanized a bit. When I switched to audio, I heard that the game (soccer in the ebook) was now called "football," and that the Americanized version used the word "spastic" in place of "retard" in the audio version. I guess what we consider the "R-word" in America isn't offensive in Europe? Maybe it's never been used there as an insult like it's been used here.

Good book. I'm glad I read it. I do wish there was an epilogue to tell me how things end up a bit later.

There is some profanity. The storyline talks about an affair, death, drugs, divorce, etc. Life. Nothing offensive or descriptive with any of that, in my opinion.

Four books in the Prairie River series (Kristiana Gregory)

Why I have these books: I had the whole series in paperback before, and I remember LOVING them. They came up on a good deal on Kindle, so I bought them to read again.

I gave them each three stars this go-around. (I think I read them the first time before I had Goodreads.) They are written for mid-to-upper elementary kids, and are kind of along the lines of Little House on the Prairie in tone. I didn't remember them being as religious in nature as they are, and I actually think I was confusing them in my mind with another book series or book that I read? There were things that I thought were going to happen that never did, so now I'm wondering what other book or series I was thinking of.

Anyway, I did enjoy them. I like the simplicity of life set in those times. The simple faith, the simple lifestyle without a lot of the modern distractions, the sense of community, etc. I fully realize they dealt with challenges that we don't worry about: harsh weather conditions, lack of medical help, growing all our own food, survival in the early days of settling the land, worrying about "Indian" attacks (or from the perspective of the Native Americans, worrying about attacks and losing land to the white people), etc.

Yeah, life wasn't simple at all for them, but I guess it was nice to imagine a time without all the distractions and information and crazy stuff that is happening in our day. It was a small escape from the things that are on my mind right now.

Side note: In one of the books, the author talks about the different tribes of Indians a character had encountered in his travels. One was the "Utahs." I have never heard of a Utahs tribe. I think she meant the "Utes." When I googled, it did say that early explorers used variations like Yuta, Eutaw, and Ute-ahs for the Ute tribe. Interesting new information for me! 

Also, the Kindle versions of these books had some weird formatting, so that's too bad. It was a little distracting.

Clean. There were some deaths and descriptions of things early settlers dealt with, but again, it is geared toward elementary readers, so it's not overly graphic.

The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom (Shari Franke)

Why I have this book: I used an Audible credit to "buy" the audiobook because I wanted to hear more of this story that I had only heard bits and pieces of on the news.

To be honest, my interest also was because this happened in a nearby area involving members of my former religious community.

I gave this one five stars on Goodreads. I thought the author (who is also the narrator) did a great job telling her story in a way that was conversational in tone. She seemed to respect the privacy of her minor-aged siblings and stated that their stories were theirs to tell if they wanted to in the future. It was interesting to see a more complete picture of what had been happening in the household for years before the events we all saw on the news. It's sad how some people get caught up in belief systems that end up harming others. To some degree, I understand how it happens, and I've seen it happen due to religion, politics, or "motivational" type organizations. It's scary how easily twisted and influenced the human mind can be.

I was surprised that the author stayed in the Church after her experiences. I'm not sure where she is now with all of that, but it would be interesting to see how her father and other siblings relate to religion after all they went through.

The story talks about domestic abuse, sexual relationships, and sexual abuse (mildly descriptive). I don't recall any profanity.