2018 Reading List, part 1

This is a sad excuse of a list that spans 6 months worth of reading. I hit a few snags (busy schedule preventing me from any extended periods of time that I could devote to reading, long books and in-depth subject matter) along the way and intend to do much better the second half of this year!

1. The Simplicity of Cider by Amy Reichart
   - I enjoy Amy Reichart's books, though they lean a bit heavily on miscommunication and misunderstanding to cause tension. 
2. Woman - My Confession by Marianne Collins
3. The Family Lawyer by James Patterson and Robert Rotstein
4. Night Sniper by James Patterson and Christopher Charles
5. The Good Sister by James Patterson and Rachel Howzell Hall
6. True Betrayal by Nora Roberts
7. The Fate of Katherine Carr by Thomas H. Cool
   - If I remember correctly, this was a Library Sale purchase. Though spelled differently from my name, it's Katherine with a K, so I had to buy it. :)
8. 1984 by George Orwell
   - I didn't like this classic as much as I'd expected. I thought the setting was very interesting - the combination of forced community involvement and isolation at the same time, creating a lack of real interaction between people; excessive use of alcohol to help with surviving the mundane-ness of every day life; the Hate breaks and Hate week; the absolute control of information and spread of misinformation - especially taken in context of when it was written (shortly after WWII). The part I had the biggest problem with was I had zero sympathy for Winston (the main protagonist). Not an iota. I never connected with him, which kept me from caring about him. I kept waiting for it to happen, but it never did. He was kind of a terrible human being.
9. Hide and Seek by James Patterson (a re-read, from 2014)
   - I decided to reread a favorite and chose this one. I think of it as how 50 Shades of Grey should have ended (or a more realistic take on 50 Shades of Grey). Definitely fraught with adult material, this is not for the faint of heart. 
10. Turtles all the way down by John Green
11. The Name of the Wind (Kingkiller Chronicle) by Patrick Rothfuss
    - This book and its sequel are two of the main reasons I'm so far behind on my reading list. Coming in at a mere 722 pages, this is one of the best books I've read in a while. It's not one you breeze through, which is why it took a good 3 weeks to read. 
12. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
    - This book was...interesting. It's broken up into 3 sections, the last one being my favorite. There are a couple odd twists and things that made me say "huh?", but it was worth reading, especially after learning the author suffered from PTSD after serving in WWII and this was his outlet for dealing the with the trauma.
13. Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts 
14. The Wise Man's Fear (Kingkiller Chronicle) by Patrick Rothfuss
    - If 722 pages sounded long, then the sequel to The Name of the Wind being 1008 pages must sound like a monster...and it was. Also an excellent book, this one contained more adult themes, though nothing terribly explicit. There is a third book currently available in the Kingkiller Chronicles - The Slow Regard of Silent Things, with The Doors of Stone (Day 3) still awaiting a release date.
15. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
    - I'm about 1/3 of the way through this right now. It's an interesting perspective. There are moments when it feels a bit "those darn extroverts...introverts are people too," though it attempts a balanced approach - acknowledging contributions by those with extroverted personalities as well. I started reading The Temperament God Gave You a month or so ago and plan to get back to it once I finish thing book, since they rather compliment each other. 

Then on to The Slow Regard of Silent Things. :)

What are some good books you've read this year?

~ Katie