Reading

Story in Review: Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

January 6, 2015 by Abbigail Kriebs 2 Comments

Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan is the sweet story of Willow Chance, a young girl who has had a rough life. Adopted at birth, Willow is now in middle school, and doesn’t really fit in. The problem is, she’s a genius. Bright beyond her years, she has a hard time interacting with kids her own age – or people in general. When her parents die suddenly in a car accident (this happens very early on, not a spoiler), she winds up living with a family she barely knows, trying to establish roots in a place that might just be temporary.

The novel tackles some tough topics: the death of both parents, not fitting in, cultural and socioeconomic barriers, and problems with the foster system. At the same time, it does so with a lot of heart, making it accessible and easy to follow. The characters are entertaining and engaging. Watching Willow evolve throughout the book is kind of like watching Sheldon Cooper fall in love with Amy Farrah Fowler – slow, humorous, and heartwarming. The rights have been optioned, and I am excited to see how they turn this into a film.

Favorite Quotes:

“I would live here at Beale Memorial Library, if it were any kind of viable option… I do wish that it were possible. Because: books = comfort
To me, anyway.
And comfort is a thing of the past.” -p. 151

“The idea of something for nothing is appealing in some visceral way.
Even if free things are never free.
The burden on ownership means everything has a price.” – p. 297-298

“So we need an adult, a credit card, and a car?” – p. 300

“A second can feel like forever if what follows is heartbreak.” – p. 351

“If the last few months have proven anything, it’s that I don’t need more theory, but rather more experience with reality.” – p. 364

“Pattie says nothing is for certain.
That is the truest statement I’ve ever heard.” – p. 376

What made this a good story? The book had a way of unfolding that felt you were tumbling along – it was quickly paced and entertaining the whole way. The characters were, for the most part, lovable. The ending was perfect.

What could have made it a better story? I disliked Dell Duke, the guidance counselor. I felt that for a book aimed at middle school readers, he was a hard personality to understand or identify with – and while I am no prude, the way in which his relationship to women and with Quang-ha develops is problematic for me. The upside to Dell is that he is the character most redeemed by the story line. By the time the book ends, he has undergone a significant shift – and that is nice to see. Aside from that, I wish we would have gotten to know Pattie more – she was the most under-developed character, and possibly the most interesting, having migrated to Mexico from Asia, and then to the states. She is an immigrant who owns her own nail salon and is raising two teenagers on her own. I would like to read her story.

Have you read Counting by 7s? What do you think?

The 2015 Book Project

January 1, 2015 by Abbigail Kriebs 5 Comments

Last year, I took part in the Empty Shelf Challenge. Not only did I keep track of what I read, but it also forced me to jot down some thoughts about each book. It helped me decide if I would recommend them to someone else or not, and why. At the risk of sounding hokey, it also helped me to process my year. I remember what I did better because of taking note of what I was reading. It sounds silly, but I think other readers will identify with this: as a reader, I often process life events through the lens of a book:

What was I feeling when I read it? Did that feeling mirror my surroundings? Did I choose that book based on what was going on around me, to mimic or to offset life events? Was it meant to comfort or challenge me, or to allow me to escape for a moment?

These are all thoughts that I’ve had as I looked back on my reading year in 2014. Sometimes the answers are simple: I chose that book because a friend lent it to me, or it was the book with the soonest due date at the library. Other times, reading a certain book at a certain time feels more like a divine appointment: what I needed, right when I needed it. Last year, books like Bread and Wine and Daring Greatly were those kinds of books. And still other times, I wanted comfort. To wrap myself up in a story that I already knew was familiar and pleasant and to lose myself in the words. Books like Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet do that for me.

This year I want to be a little more intentional about what I read. I want to balance reading for information and reading for pleasure. And I also want to balance reading other novels with writing my own. So I’m devising a plan and calling it The 2015 Book Project. I’ll read four books per month, each from a different category.

The 2015 Book Project

The Four Books:

1. A Classic – I’m going to choose one from this list compiled by The Classics Club.

2. A “New” Release – A novel published within the last ten years (2005 forward).

3. A Nonfiction Book – Pretty self-explanatory.

4. A Book for the Soul – This will be anything that deals with the self: Christian nonfiction, self-improvement books, books about making art, etc. Books meant for reflection.

The Rules:

1. I will try my best to read 1 book per week, for a total of 4 per month. I will try not to read more than that, and instead focus extra time on writing.

2. I will not pick books that I have read before. It is always tempting to re-read my favorites over and over again. (This means no picking Jane Austen as a classic each month, Abbigail.)

3. I will write a short review of each during the month – either as a separate blog post, or when I wrap up the month and introduce the next month.

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If you want to join in, please do! You don’t have to read the same books as me – you can pick your own – it’s completely up to you. You can choose to read less, read more, or whatever! Make The 2015 Book Project your own.

Here’s what I will be reading in January:

1. Classic: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (a recommendation from reading friends)

2. New Release: Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld (a recommendation from a coworker)

3. Nonfiction: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield (a recommendation from everyone, everywhere in the creative world)

4: For The Soul: The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst (a recommendation from Michael Hyatt and a billion other people on the internet)

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Follow along and post your reads on social media using the hashtag #BookProj2015. I’ll be using it primarily on Instagram and Twitter. Maybe Tumblr, too.

Participating? Grab the button here, or borrow the full-size image at the top of the post:

What are you looking forward to reading in 2015? Do you have any suggestions for me? (as you can see, I take a lot of recommendations)

Empty Shelf Challenge: December 2014

December 31, 2014 by Abbigail Kriebs Leave a Comment

This is the last post of the #EmptyShelf challenge for 2014. Where did the year go?

The challenge was pretty basic: starting December 23rd, you empty one shelf of a bookcase in your house completely. Hence, “Empty Shelf.” Then, through the entire next year, you fill that shelf with the books that you read. We moved in May of this year, so I haven’t had a shelf set aside since then. Nevertheless, I kept reading and keeping track and posting them here, sans photos of my actual Empty Shelf. I am positive that it would be full by now: I lugged almost all of these 65 books back and forth to the library this year, and there was plenty to fill a shelf or two.

To read what I’ve read this year by month:

January // February // March // April // May // June // July // August // September // October // November

And here is what I read in December:

56. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel – I wrote a full review of this book here. I really enjoyed it, but I do hope that Mandel comes out with a sequel. I want to know the end.
57. Bossypants by Tina Fey – I finally got around to reading this and it was good – classic Tina Fey, a little all over the place, but there were some delightful nuggets of wisdom tucked in here and there. If you like smart, funny women and aren’t afraid of a few swear words, give this a try.
58. Longbourn by Jo Baker – A beautiful read about the servants at Longbourn, the Bennet’s home in Pride & Prejudice. If you are obsessed with Austen, pick this one up.
59. Landline by Rainbow Rowell – I didn’t like this new release from Rowell as much as I did Attachments or Fangirl. It was good, just not great.
60. Locke & Key Volume 6: Alpha & Omega by Joe Hill – This was a disappointing conclusion to the graphic novel series by Stephen King’s son, Joe Hill. I feel like the story drug for the first 5 volumes, and then sped up to a not-so-tidy conclusion. Personal preference, maybe?
61. The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan -This book is a series of fiction and non-fiction essays written by a Yale graduate killed in a car accident less than a week after graduating. Overall, I found her writing mesmerizing, but all the stores were the same: young students doing too many drugs. The title essay, The Opposite of Loneliness is worth a read, though. You can find it online here at the Yale Daily News website.
62. You Deserve to Love Your Job: 20 Big Ideas for Succeeding in the New World of Work by Alexis Grant – This was a great, quick read all about breaking out of the traditional box of work and creating a day-to-day job that you enjoy. Well worth a read for anyone who wants to start a side-hustle or become an entrepreneur.
63. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell – This was a beautiful story about two teenagers meeting and falling in love, and making some pretty tough choices. Anyone who likes YA will love it.
64. Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan – A charming, sweet book about a young genius learning how to be part of a family, even in the midst of tragedy.
65. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell – This book was a tough one to get through. It was too long, and I never say that. There were so many inconsequential details, and the plot didn’t become truly apparent until 2/3 of the way through the book. I felt like Mitchell was trying to be a mix of Dan Brown and James Joyce, and it just didn’t work for me. I want to read Cloud Atlas and see if every book he writes is that way.

I also finished Population: 485 which I started last month. It was a great read – I will be picking up more of Michael Perry’s stuff very soon.

Here’s a list of all 65 books in one spot, with links to each one (I think) is worth reading.

The Verdict

One I’ll Read Over & Over: Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist. It’s one I’ll pick up when I need to be still, to listen to my body and soul more than the world around me.

Book(s) I Stayed Up Too Late Over: Attachments and Eleanor & Park – both by Rainbow Rowell. She has a way of writing where chapter breaks just don’t count. Fangirl just came in the mail, so I’ll be re-reading that one soon.

Book I Wish I Hadn’t Read: Rich Kids of Instagram – Although the concept was fascinating, the book was horrible on so many levels.

What was your favorite (or favorites) that you encountered this year?

Image courtesy of Azrsta on Flickr Creative Commons.