#4 I Know Who You Are and I Know What You Did by Lori Andrews

Is there such a thing as too much information? Yup - its a scary world out there.  We have more transparency in our personal lives than ever before.  People know more about us and so - unfortunately - do corporations.  And without context of information, incorrect assumptions are made about us by people we don't even know.  I try to explain this to my kids that employers and schools are going to look at their social media presences someday and think they know you but all they know is what you put out there.

That being said, this book was 250 pages of scaring the crap out of you and creating this "social network constitution" without advancing any ideas or strategies about how to protect yourself and what to do about these gross invasions of privacies that are happening daily.

While I do see the value in letting the public know what is going on, there is little value in that without a game plan on how to protect yourself.

Goodreads rating: 2 stars

In Progress: All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (nook)
The Gods of Guilt by Michael Connelly (audio)

#3 - If You Ask Me by Betty White

How can you possibly say anything bad about Betty White? I can only hope that I am as spry and active and downright adventurous as she is when I am in my late years.

"If You Ask Me" offered some fun insights into the back stage presence of this sweet lady with an amazing sense of comedic timing and a proven history in her long career.  She is an absolute doll and you can feel her heart for people and animals and her coworkers as you work your way through this book.

Thanks for giving us a glimpse inside your world Ms White.

#2 - The Shepherd, the Angel and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog buy Dave Barry

I really wanted to read this before Christmas - but it didn't become available on my library's audio system before the first of the year so I made due.

Yes, this is a pretty pat "Christmas Story-esque" story about a kid at Christmas, and his church Christmas pageant etc. but what can I say, I love the voices Dave Barry writes on his characters and, after my husband's recent run in with a bat in our attic, the sub story of the bats in the bell tower made me giggle a little bit extra.

It's a short little piece of Christmas cheer and I definitely recommend it for your next holiday season - available on Overdrive Media Audio book.

Goodreads rating: 3 stars

#1 - What Nora Knew by Linda Yellin

Starting off my year with a big thank you to NetGalley, Linda Yellin and Gallery books for the advanced reader copy of "What Nora Knew"  This book will be available for purchase on January 21, 2014.

This story was based on the movies and writing style of Nora Ephron of "Sleepless in Seattle" and "You've Got Mail" fame.  When I picked up the book I was looking for a journey of discovery into what it was that made her stories so compelling, what I got, was Chick Lit 101.  There is a compelling quote that keeps popping up. "In Sleepless in Seattle, we know Meg's going to end up with Tom Hanks.  She'll end up with Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally. But we still keep watching. We're still mesmerized by the journey."  I kept that concept in my mind as I read.  The knowledge that she was going to make the "Meg Ryan" choice all along was comforting and didn't add any unecessary build up into which guy she was going to choose, the safe stable one or the annoying bad boy.  I just...didn't get mesmerized by the journey the way I wanted to.

Fans of books like Emily Giffin, Sophie Kinsella, and Candace Bushnell will probably really love this book.  It has all of the ingredients for chicklit.  A job in publishing, the unlikely romances, the love interests, the spunky girlfriends and improbable situations that once appealed to me.  Unfortunately, this reader doesn't fall into that genre anymore so while it was a light and fairly quick read, I wasn't blown away.

Goodreads rating: 2.5 neutral stars

On Deck: Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan

2013 Year in Review

2013 was a GREAT year for reading!  With the help of my posse I made a goal of reading 100 books!!! (sorry if you get sick of hearing about it but I'm still geeked out.)

The challenge then becomes - the recap.

First of all the stats:
Books: 100
Pages: 32,259
5 Stars: 22
Fiction: 73
Non Fiction: 27
NetGalley/Advanced Reader Copies: 12
Audiobooks: 42

Throughout the year I have picked my top two of the month every month - in lieu of a top 10 here are my favorites as I read them! Some are 5 stars and some are 4 stars but feel free to use the cloud in the sidebar to link in to the star ratings or visit my Goodreads page!

January:
The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe,
Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

February:
The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan
Cleaning House by Kay Wyma

March:
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
In the Body of the World by Eve Ensler

April:
Drift by Rachel Maddow
I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak

May:
Tell The Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

June:
Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple
Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan

July:
Honeymoon in Paris by Jojo Moyes
The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

August:
The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes
Dan Gets a Minivan by Dan Zevin

September
Golden Boy by Abigail Tartellin
Insurgent by Veronica Roth

October
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis

November
We Live in Water by Jess Walter
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

December
Perfect by Rachel Joyce
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein