Lists | Book Chatter

This is a list of the books I read in 2015. My list is short this year. The death of my dad and the situation with my mother and sister really put a dent in my reading. It happens.

Each link takes you directly to my review of that book. Happy New Year! May 2016 be filled with great reading!

1. The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami
2. A Matter of Mercy by Lynne Hugo
3. It Was Me All Along by Andie Mitchell
4. TransAtlantic by Colum McCann
5. West of Sunset by Stewart O’Nan
6. Her by Harriet Lane
7. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
8. The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson
9. South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami
10. Pet Sematary by Stephen King
11. The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber
12. The Bullet by Mary Louise Kelly
13. Blue Sun, Yellow Sky by Jamie Jo Hoang
14. Blood on Snow by Jo Nesbø
15. The Children’s Crusade by Ann Packer
16. Strays by Jennifer Caloyeras
17. Waiting for Snow in Havana by Carlos Eire
18. We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach
19. Misery by Stephen King
20. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
21. Luckiest Girl Alive (audio) by Jessica Knoll
22. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagahira
23. The Last Pilot by Benjamin Johncock
24. Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote
25. Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal
26. Wind / Pinball by Haruki Murakami
27. Summerlong by Dean Bakapoulos
28. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
29. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
30. Nantucket by Nan Rossiter
31. The Captive Condition by Kevin P. Keating
32. Days of Awe by Lauren Fox
33. Villa America by Liza Klaussmann
34. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
35. The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant
36. Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
37. Finders Keepers by Stephen King
38. Avenue of Mysteries by John Irving
39. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
40. Norwegian by Night by Derek B. Miller

The Desert

It’s a winter themed post so why the blue sky? Because I live in California and this IS winter for us. Sure, it might be a chilly 58 degrees but this is typically what the weather is like during the Rose Parade and probably the reason for all of our population woes! I lied about the temp, my weather app says 83 right now!

These guys, Tanya @ Girlxoxo and Andi @ Estella’s Revenge posted about their winter essentials so I figured I would too even though mine are not critical for survival in the balmy California air.

Satsuma Body Butter by The Body Shop. I love this stuff! I love the smell of it (smells like a freshly peeled orange) but I also love what it does for my skin. I use the body butter as a hand cream. It’s a crisp, fresh scent but I think it would be too strong if I covered my body in it.

Revlon’s Super Lustrous Lipstick in Rum Raisin. This color has been around for AGES! It’s the color I wear during the cooler months because of my pale skin! With paler skin, and the dark hair, I look a little sickly if I don’t have a pop of color. Too much color I look like a vampire but this color is just enough to make me look alive.

Charity Pot cream by Lush. They reformulated this product but you can still get the original if you ask for it. Anyway, this product (as a moisturizer) did not work for me. It actually dried my skin out which is why I then started to use it as a face cream and by doing that, I somehow blotted out my oily skin and now my skin is normal! No kidding! I smooth it on at night and somehow it balances my skin out and I no longer have oily skin complaints. Weird, huh? I love it. Plus, it smells like Tootsie Rolls which is a nice scent to fall asleep to. A bonus, 100% of the price (minus taxes) goes to grassroots organizations which are listed on the lid so you get to choose which one to support.

Candles. Oddly enough, during the winter I like to smell beachy scents like Yankee’s Beach Holiday.

Jammies!! I live in the them. Victoria’s Secret Dreamer Flannel PJs are super wearable and get better with wear! I own three pair and they are well-worn and loved but it’s time for some new ones!

What are your faves for winter?

Chatting with friends about books and life…