Jana Says

Living life from cover to cover

  • About Me
    • Contact
  • Reading
    • Judging Covers
    • Interview with a Bookworm
  • Life Happenings
    • Playlists
    • The Aldi Experiment
  • Mental Health
  • Show Us Your Books

Show Us Your Books, 2018 Favorites

December 26, 2018 by Jana 21 Comments

Another year of reading in the books (HAHAHAHA). According to Goodreads, I finished 81 books (well, 82 but it counted one book twice for some odd reason) and 24,407 pages (less when you subtract the one it counted twice). The shortest book I read was The Body by Stephen King and the longest was Ohio by Stephen Markley. Weird coincidence that Stephens bookended by books.

I need to stop with these book puns. I’m annoying myself.

Anyway.

I did some additional counting and discovered that I read:

  • 60 fiction books
  • 21 nonfiction books
  • 57 written by women
  • 24 written by men
  • 2 DNF and like 3 more I should have DNF (looking at you, The Cuban Affair)
  • 16 ARCs from NetGalley
  • TWO set in Delaware (The Book of Unknown Americans and Sunburn)

That last statistic was a bit mindboggling because it’s hard to find a book set in Delaware yet I read two. IN ONE YEAR. I think I need to add “books taking place in Delaware that aren’t Fight Club” to my posts I need to write list.

I also participated in the 24in48 readathon and plan to do it again at the end of January. You should join me! It’ll be fun. All the cool kids like me and Audrey and Rebecca Jo are doing it. You know you want to, too.

But you’re not here for the peer pressure. You’re here to find out what my favorite books of the year were. Oh, an admin note. I was going to put a collage of the covers in this post but during our earlier SUYB, someone (I’m sorry, I forgot who) commented that she appreciates that I don’t put the book covers in my posts since it helps keep her focused on my reviews and opinions rather than judging the book by its cover. I like that, and I’m going to stick with it.

One more admin note. When I say favorites, I don’t necessarily mean my highest star rating. My favorites are picked based on the ones that stick with me, the ones that I’m most likely to recommend to others, the ones I might read again, and the ones that I just enjoyed. Some books are outstanding but they don’t meet the rest of my criteria.

Okay. Now, having said that, here are my favorites of 2018.

Fiction (in no particular order)

  1. Ohio by Stephen Markley
  2. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
  3. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
  4. Daisy Jones and the Six by TJR
  5. Sadie by Courtney Summers
  6. Puddin’ by Julie Murphy
  7. Bluebird Bluebird by Attica Locke
  8. The Golden State by Lydia Kiesling
  9. The Book of Essie by Meghan Maclean Weir
  10. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Honorable mention: Five Minutes Alone by Paul Cleave, Vox by Christina Dalcher, The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn, The Dry by Jane Harper

Nonfiction (in no particular order)

  1. Heartland by Sarah Smarsh
  2. Educated by Tara Westover
  3. Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
  4. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
  5. Palaces for the People by Eric Klinenberg
  6. Nomadland by Jessica Bruder
  7. Squeezed by Alissa Quart

Now that you know what books I loved the most this year, tell me what your favorites were! Don’t forget to check out Steph’s favorites, as well as some of the favorites from our reader crew. And, if you’re interested, you can join us on January 8, 2019 for our regularly scheduled Show Us Your Books!

Inlinkz Link Party

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: books, reading, Show Us Your Books

Show Us Your Books, December 2018

December 11, 2018 by Jana 33 Comments

I think one of my goals for 2019 should be to start writing again. I miss it, and I feel terrible that I only check in here when it’s time for Show Us Your Books. I mean, it could be worse. Like, there’s no SUYB at all and then I never write or talk about books or catch up with all the awesome people who participate. That would be awful. I don’t want to think about that. So I won’t.

What I do want to think about is books. Because that’s why we’re all here today. Books. I read 7 of them since the last SUYB, with 2 put on my “let’s try this again later because it’s too much for me right now” list. Most of the books I read were enjoyable enough. Some I really, really liked but didn’t necessarily give high star ratings to (if you pay attention to that sort of thing) for whatever reason. I genuinely have no idea why I rated some a 3.5 when they should have been higher. Anyway. It’s arbitrary and doesn’t really matter.

Show Us Your Books. Join the Link-Up! Talk books the 2nd Tuesday of Every Month

Here’s what I actually thought about them. Some of the reviews are copied from Litsy while others are pulled from my memory because I just can’t do another social media right now.

…And then You Die of Dysentery: Lessons in Adulting from the Oregon Trail by Lauren Reeves. If you know me, you know my obsession with the Oregon Trail. I found this very short, very entertaining book that I read in 20 minutes at Barnes and Noble where I parked my ass in a chair and read it from start to finish. Guys, this book is freaking hysterical and I can’t recommend enough that you somehow find a way to read it. It actually would make a great stocking stuffer gift.

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Thank you, NetGalley, for giving me this book because holy fucking shit was it good. I think I liked it better than Evelyn, and if any of her books is made into a movie, it needs to be this one and the fact that SHE WROTE SONGS…WHAT?! She’s amazing. I don’t want to say too much but the narrative of this book is creative and incredibly well-written, and the little twist at the end (well, one of the two. I kind of figured out one) I did not see coming. Also, if you’ve read it, did you completely picture Daisy as a Stevie Nicks-type person? OH! If you have Spotify, you can find the playlist that inspired the book, too.

Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren. This book is everything I hate in a book but yet, I found myself reading it in one day. Despite this book’s many, many flaws, it was exactly what I needed to read at the moment I read it and didn’t not hate it at all. It is light and fun and stupidly annoying and I don’t know that I want to ever read it or anything like it again but here we are, with me actually enjoying a rom-com book. Someone send help.

Heartland by Sarah Smarsh. Another NetGalley book for me but this one was nonfiction, and one I’d been meaning to get around to for a couple of months before I did. Like Hillbilly Elegy, this should be read as a memoir rather than a representation of Appalachia or those who voted for that guy. Unlike Hillbilly Elegy, she is upfront about that and also, the writing is excellent. Her story of escaping poverty and teenage pregnancy is definitely the bootstrap-type story we embrace but it’s so much more than that. It’s her family’s history and its impact on her and her choices. It did leave me with some questions, and the fact that that it’s written as a letter to the baby she never had (she’s consciously never been pregnant) was weird at times, but if you liked Educated, I actually think this was marginally better.

Sadie by Courtney Summers. A disturbing, chilling, violent YA thriller. It’s also terribly sad. It happened to be an excellent book if you like that sort of thing. There’s also a podcast element to it, both as transcripts in the book to help tell the story, and as an actual podcast you can listen to (the transcripts are what the actual podcast is based on). Probably one of my favorite books of the year.

Presidio by Randy Kennedy. Meh. It’s an okay book that underdelivered on plot and overdelivered on writing. I feel like I was kind of mislead about the point of the book, which is fine, but it left me feeling empty and pissed at the end. He’s a great writer, and descriptions are his strength, but developing a plot is not. I wanted more telling instead of showing, and I wanted more of the letters to the police written by the main character than I did some of the other stuff. I do love the cover, though.

Lizzy likes books, too!

Limetown by Cote Smith. If you like the podcast, or plan to listen to the podcast, this book is a must-read. It is outstanding in that context and both explains and sets up so much. I actually plan to listen to the whole thing from the beginning, knowing what I know now. The only thing that kept it from being a 5-star review for me was I couldn’t keep everyone and everything straight. It made me dizzy at times. However, as a stand-alone book, this book makes almost no sense. It’s still a fascinating story and well written but it’s just better with the podcast (which came first. Sort of like what they did with Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead and Homecoming).

Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver and Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak were the two that I started but had to stop because they are just too much for me right now. I’m not calling them DNF because I will read them at some point.

Currently reading The Punch by Noah Hawley and The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman.

TL; DR: All the books I read this month were excellent, except for Presidio. If you need to prioritize, go with Sadie and Daisy Jones. 

A couple of housekeeping things: Don’t forget to visit my co-host, Steph, and some other participating bloggers. Also, we’re having a bonus linkup on December 26 where we discuss our favorite books of the year so make sure to join us then. And finally, now it’s your turn! Link up and show us your books!



Filed Under: Books Tagged With: books, reading, Show Us Your Books

Show Us Your Books, November 2018 edition

November 13, 2018 by Jana 29 Comments

Wow. I cannot believe this is the next-to-last SUYB of 2018. I feel like it’s been 46 years since the last one, though. I’m not really sure what’s going on. Usually it feels like a week in between. Time is weird.

This month’s update is pretty no-frills. I’ve read a normal amount of books but I did a shitty job of tracking my reviews on Litsy because I don’t have it in me for more social media. Sorry for that. I also did a shitty job of taking pictures of Barkley with my books because, well, I just did. No real excuses for that one.

Show Us Your Books. Join the Link-Up! Talk books the 2nd Tuesday of Every Month

So. Here’s what I read since the last SUYB.

Burden: A Preacher, A Klansman, and a True Story of Redemption in the Modern South by Courtney Hargrave. This was not a great book in the sense that it didn’t cover, at least not in the way I’d hoped and that the title described, what I expected. It was, however, a very in-depth history of the Klan and white supremacy in the South. I didn’t want that and I don’t feel better that I know it. The main story was glossed over in favor of the history and logistics and tensions and I wanted less of that and more of what I was promised.

Cherry by Nico Walker. If the Heroin Diaries met fiction met Dopesick met memoir because apparently part of this story is true (this longform Buzzfeed article is fascinating), it would result in this book. It’s a fucking mess that reads like a stream of consciousness inside the mind of an addict with PTSD but it’s also what made it interesting to read. I didn’t love it but I liked it a lot. If graphic descriptions of war violence, murder, and drug use bother you, this needs to be a pass. Also, several dogs are killed in the book which was unpleasant to read. Oh, fun fact: he’s in prison and  wrote the book in prison.

Palaces for the People by Eric Klinenberg. I. Loved. This. Book. So much. It’s everything I prefer in my nonfiction and, more than that, it makes such a strong case for the societal value of libraries that if anyone says libraries don’t deserve funding or are outdated institutions or do nothing for their communities, they should be locked in a room with nothing but a library copy of this book. THEN we can have a chat. He talks about places other than libraries and that’s cool, too.

Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid. You all know how much I love her books, and this short story is no exception. My main complaint, though, is that it was too short. I would have gladly read this as a full-length novel. I devoured it in maybe an hour. It’s clever, creative, and ends so satisfactorily. My favorite part, though, was the mention of Daisy Jones. That was a great little Easter egg.

Dopesick by Beth Macy. This book does for the opiod epidemic what Missoula does for campus rape. It’s a no-holds- barred account, tracing the origins of the epidemic, and how it’s been able to persist, using specific cases to highlight her data and research. It’s heartbreaking, raw, frightening, and one of the saddest books I’ve read this year.

Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig. The single best book I’ve read about depression and anxiety. I related on so many levels and if you deal with mental health issues, I cannot recommend it enough. Especially if you feel hopeless or alone. It inspired me to think about own reasons to stay alive (you can read that here if you want) and I think I’m going to buy a copy so I can reread when things get bad. He does have a stream-of-consciousness style at times so if that gets on your nerves, be warned.

Ghosted by Rosie Walsh. I put this in the TJR/Jennifer Weiner category of books. Chick lit but heavier on the lit side. It’s not a lighthearted book, even though it has its moments. It’s a story of love, grief, tragedy, hope, and the pain in the ass that is modern communication (although that plays a minor part later on in the book). Her writing is quite good, and I’m looking forward to more of her books.

TL; DR: I loved almost everything I read this month. Lots of nonfiction, which is unusual since I generally only read one nonfiction per month. Dopesick was outstanding but if you struggle with reading about drug use and addiction then maybe it’s not for you. Burden isn’t a must-read. Neither is Cherry. But they’re both good enough.

Currently reading Daisy Jones and the Six by TJR and Heartland by Sarah Smarsh.

Now it’s your turn! Bloggers, link up and show us your books. Nonbloggers, tell me what you read in the comments. Don’t forget to visit my co-host, Steph, and some of the other bloggers sharing their reads. It’s a perfect time of year to do it, too, with the holidays coming up. Lots of good books to find, buy, and gift!

Next SUYB is December 11.

Okay, now talk to me, Goose!

 Loading InLinkz ...

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: books, linkups, reading, Show Us Your Books, SUYB

Show Us Your Books, Four Year Anniversary Edition

October 9, 2018 by Jana 42 Comments

This post is coming to you live on my way to see Phil Collins (yes, you read that right) so I apologize for the typos, brevity, and assorted other mistakes like wonky fonts and stuff

HOLY SHIT. How has it been four years since Steph and I started this? Time flies when you’re reading books, I guess. But before I get to the paltry amount of books I read last month, I want to say how honored and overjoyed I (we) are that you guys join us every month. There is no better reader community than all of you.

Thank you for four years. Thank you for book talk. Thank you for you.

*wipes tears*

Okay. Books. I read 5 of them last month which, for me, is shameful. But life happens and I had to adjust. And I’ve received no more nastygrams from Goodreads so I must still be on track to reach my arbitrary goals. So that’s cool.

Show Us Your Books. Join the Link-Up! Talk books the 2nd Tuesday of Every Month

Here’s what I read and as a heads up, I didn’t love anything so none of these should be added to any lists with any sort of urgency and I’ll add the Goodreads links at some point.

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center. This book is a mess. It went in 40 different directions, only finishing about 1/2 the plot lines (um…she had a suicide calendar and that was briefly discussed. Why did we not come back to THAT particular thing? Seems like maybe we should have), and every single character was a gigantic asshole. I can read unlikeable characters but OMG, all of these people sucked. Plus, it was 100% predictable. Or maybe these kinds of books just aren’t for me. Discovered this one through SUYB.

Gun Love by Jennifer Clement. This book was great on so many different levels but at the same time, it felt rushed and incomplete. I wanted her to explore more of the situations she described, particularly the foster care part because she just sort of rolled over that as a means to an end when it could have been much more. I liked the way she approached gun violence and gun culture and family and homelessness but it felt…lacking. Learned about this book from either IG or SUYB. Can’t remember.

French Exit by Patrick DeWitt. He wrote The Sisters Brothers, one of my all-time favorites but his one before this and this were underwhelming. This one is weird, quirky, and so amazingly written but I don’t think I’m smart enough to understand what he was trying to do. I mean, I get the basic plot and satire (sort of) but it left me feeling like I missed the joke. He makes light of some serious topics which I guess is also making a point that I don’t get. As far as recommending the book, it’s short and fast so yes but if you don’t like oddball, weird books, then pass. Found out about this one because I obsess over his books.

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage. I don’t know what the fuck this book was. Horror? Bad seed-type stuff? Mental illness commentary? Mother-daughter drama? Something else? All of it? I can’t figure it out. I hated the chapters about the mom but the daughter kept me intrigued enough to not hurl the book against a wall. And the dad stuff was almost gross and made me want to shower. I feel about this one like I did Bird Box. I get why people love it but not me. Was not worth waiting 4 months for. At all. Can’t remember how I heard about it.

Make Your Bed: Little Things Can Change Your Life by William H. McRaven. Commencement speech-turned book. Like the Last Lecture but not nearly as powerful or moving. However, if you’re stuck and need a kick in the ass, or you’re training future leaders who are younger than like 15, this is a good primer. Didn’t help me but I read it in 45 minutes and was not a complete waste of time. The guy was a Navy SEAL. He had some good stories. Read this because my daughter had to.

TL;DR: Meh. Nothing great this month.

Currently reading: Burden by Courtney Hargrave with Cherry by Nico Walker on deck

And now. A giveaway. For you! As a thank you for four great years, Steph and I have some gifts to hand out, including some Amazon gift cards and bookish mugs. So make sure you enter! And also…link up and show us your books!* (Giveaway is after the link up)

*you don’t have to link up with a post or even have a blog to enter. It’s open to everyone!

 Loading InLinkz ...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: books, linkups, reading, Show Us Your Books

Show Us Your Books, September 2018

September 11, 2018 by Jana 40 Comments

Well, it looks like I can write some words after all. I probably should make this more regular. I feel good when I write even if no one is really reading except a few. You know who you are. I see you. And I thank you.

Show Us Your Books. Join the Link-Up! Talk books the 2nd Tuesday of Every Month

Anyway, after last month’s marathon 13 books, the pace slowed to my standard 6. Which is fine because at least Goodreads is leaving me alone. And, to be honest, I’m not really even sure I like that app anymore. I’ll keep it because there’s no way I’m redoing my TBR but meh. I’m kind of over the whole Goodreads thing.

Also, is NetGalley being a gigantic asshole for anyone else? I’ve requested several books and feel like they’ve ghosted me. I haven’t gotten a yes OR a no but I see people reading books I asked for months ago and…nothing. Not a word from them. I’m started to feel like I should just return to my old-school way of reading books.

Finally, if you follow me on IG, you know that my old man dog, Barkley, is obsessed with my books (in case you haven’t, I’ve included some pictures in this post). I’m thinking about starting an account for him but I’m not sure. Thoughts?

While you’re thinking about that, have a look at what I read since we last got together:

Florida by Lauren Groff Meh. A fine book of short stories. A couple were excellent but the rest were take them or leave them. I didn’t really like Fates and Furies but wanted to give another one of her books a chance. I don’t think she’s for me and don’t see myself reading another one of her books. I think I found this one from Instagram.

A Terrible Country by Keith Gessen I don’t know how I feel about this book. On the one hand, it was a crash course on Russia and Russian culture in the context of the 2008 financial crisis and a magnificent story but on the other hand, it was a tedious, boring, overwritten plot with terrible, annoying bro culture characters. I guess they’re not mutually exclusive but it doesn’t help me figure out my feelings and whether or not I loved or hated it. Can’t remember where I heard about it. 

So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y’all Don’t Even Know by Retta Funny, smart, honest, and I felt like I was listening to a her tell stories rather than reading a book. Which is exactly what would have happened had I listened to the audiobook, I guess. I love how she is 100% herself and stays true to that, even in the writing, and regardless of how it makes her look. I want her as my new BFF. My favorite chapters were the ones on body image and her childhood and I want her on all the shows. Found this through her IG.

Sunburn by Laura Lippman I liked this book a lot. It was a mess, but an organized, mind-twisting mess. Lots to keep track but it actually made sense in the context of the plot because…well, I can’t say because then it gives too much away. AND. It takes place in Delaware. Which is where I live and books are infrequently set here. I did struggle with the inaccurate geography but that’s just being nitpicky and doesn’t mean anything to the actual goodness of the book. I also liked the 1995 setting. Making it modern would have ruined some stuff. Learned about this one either through SUYB or a Buzzfeed list.  

Vox by Christina Dalcher I loved this maddening, all-to-plausible dystopian novel. I wanted to scream after every page because this shit could actually happen. For real. And in some subcultures, it’s already happening. But the end. Yuck. It was super satisfying but also kind of a predictable cop-out and that made me sad. It didn’t detract from me liking the book, even with the confusing science, but I wanted something different. Something that made a stronger point, I think. Learned about this one through either SUYB or some must-read list. 

The Book of Essie by Meghan Maclean Weir I read this book in 24 hours. I could not put it down. I know it’s fiction but given some of the…scandals in the fundamental Christian world, it felt like a ripped-from-the-headlines type book. So well done, so well written, filled with morally flawed characters in terrible situations and she handled some of the religious stuff without being preachy or disrespectful. It was an interesting choice after Vox and I’m not sure that I recommend that, though. Thanks to SUYB for this one.

TL; DR: Florida and A Terrible Country are meh and wouldn’t rush to them at all, if ever. Definitely recommend the other 4. Like, a lot. For different reasons but yeah. Read them. 

Currently reading Less by Andrew Sean Greer

Next linkup is October 9th and it’s our FOUR YEAR anniversary and you can bet we have some shit planned so definitely mark that down on your calendars.

For now, remember to visit my co-host, Steph, and some other book nerds joining us and Show Us Your Books!

 Loading InLinkz ...

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: books, reading, Show Us Your Books

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • …
  • 35
  • Next Page »
Jana

I'm Jana ...

A book reading, nail polish wearing, binge watching, music loving, dog owning, reluctant cheer mom.
Learn more ...
  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Search in posts
Search in pages
Filter by Categories
Activities
beginnings
bills
bloggers
Books
budget
challenges
charity
Confessions
Cooking
coupons
Crafting
entertainment
Family
Family matters
food
Gardening
Giveaways
goals
Guest posts
guests
Home Decorating
Life
mental health
Money
Money Motivation
money moves
money tips
Money Tune Tuesday
opinions
parties
Pets
Pioneer Project
products
quotes
random
Random thoughts
recipes
Recipes
Relationships
savings
school
Sewing
shopping
Sidebar Shots
Uncategorized
work
writing

Archives

Reader favorites

Sorry. No data so far.

Show Us Your Books. Join the Link-Up. Talk Books the Second Tuesday of Every Month

Connect with Me

Subscribe to Jana Says

Jana Says
© 2017 by Jana Says. All Rights Reserved.
Crafted with by sasspurrella designs.

Copyright © 2025 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in