I can’t tell you how happy I am to finally write one of these. I’ve never done a book review on this blog (cue embarrassed emoji) so I guess I need to figure out a way to properly express my opinions. First I will assign stars based on how I felt overall about the book:
★- terrible | ★★- I finished it but it was a struggle | ★★★- not bad, not my favorite | ★★★★- a good read that kept my interest | ★★★★★- I’ve already bought the book for my collection & I’m recommending it to everyone
Next I’ll talk about why I picked it out, then I’ll give a super short summary of the book, and finally I will recommend or not recommend the book! All the pictures will link to GoodReads so you can add them to your own lists if you’d like. Sound good?

Here’s what I read in December/January:

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (and other concerns) by Mindy Kaling || ★★★/5
I love The Mindy Project & I love Mindy Kaling so I decided to start with her first autobiography. This was your typical comedian-penned book and a quick read. I laughed out loud and learned a little about life in New York, but overall it was just another cute, funny autobiography. I’d recommend it for anyone that loves the Tina Feys/Amy Poehlers/Mindy Kalings of the world.

The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury || ★★/5
I’m a big fan of Halloween and I’ve been meaning to read this book for a long time. Sadly, I didn’t love it. It was a short read, but the writing style was odd. (I’ve never read Bradbury, so this might just be his style of writing?) This book is probably best read aloud or at least around Halloween… Honestly, I think this book might make a better movie. (There was a cartoon released in 1993 that I’m determined to track down.) If you love Halloween you should read it, but if you don’t care then don’t bother.

Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver || ★★★★/5
I guess deep down I just love a good murder mystery. This was Ms. Weaver’s first book and it was mid-century perfection. I loved the characters, the setting, and the plot. I’m a huge fan of Clue-type mysteries and this story didn’t disappoint. I’m already on the hunt for her second book. (I think a third one comes out this year, too!) I definitely recommend Murder at the Brightwell!
Books I gave up on:
The Cloud Atlas by Liam Callanan (In the past I never gave up on books, but it just doesn’t seem right to torture myself with something that’s supposed to be pleasant. So this year I give myself permission to walk away.)
Books I’m currently reading:
Bossypants by Tina Fey (I have been slacking for a long time.)
The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell (Again, this has taken me too long. I’m ashamed.)
Cinder by Marissa Meyer (I just started this one.)
This marks the end of my Semi-Charmed Winter Book Challenge 2015. I’m happy to say I scored a total of 15 points out of 200. Not great, I guess…. Last time I got 0 so I’m pleased with myself. #SCWBC15
Erin‘s challenge started last month and I’ve got one crossed off the list and another started! I changed one book from my original post so it’d jive better with my old list…
5 points | Any book that is at least 200 pages long: Cinder (Marissa Meyer)
10 points | Begins with the letter “D”: Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda: The Love Letters of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald
10 points | Four word title: Murder at the Brightwell (Ashley Weaver)
15 points | One of the following words in the title: mother/father/son/daughter/children: Daughter of Fortune (Isabel Allende)
20 points | One of Amazon’s top 100 authors (new to you): The Lightning Thief (Rick Riordan)
20 points | Set in any country in Asia: The God of Small Things (Arundhati Roy)
25 points | A “Season” in the title: The Winter Queen (Boris Akunin)
30 points | Read a book that will make you laugh from this list: How to Be A Woman (Caitlin Moran)
30 points | A friend or family member’s favorite book: The Help (Kathryn Stockett)
35 points | Published the year you were born: Jurassic Park (Michael Crichton) -originally publish 1990-
I have completed 10 out of 200 points!
Have you read any of the books above? What did you think? What did you read this month?
I’m linking up with Michelle, Alison, and Cat for Reading Lately!
