Favorites of 2015

I thought it would be fun to make a list of some of the things I loved in 2015!

1. Audiobooks
With all the long car trips I took last year, audiobooks were a lifesaver! They engage your mind more than music and help the time to pass much more quickly. This year I listened to:

     No Hero - Mark Owen

     No Easy Day – Mark Owen

     American Sniper – Chris Kyle

     Fearless – Eric Blehm

     Yes Please! – Amy Poehler (didn’t finish)

     Veronica Mars: Mr. Kiss and Tell – Rob Thomas

The first four are all about Navy Seals. Of course, American Sniper is well known after it was adapted to a popular movie last year, but while good it wasn't my favorite. I really liked "No Hero" for an inside look on what it means to be a Seal and the kinds of missions they go on. However my favorite of the four was "Fearless", a book about Adam Brown, who overcame a drug addiction to become a Navy Seal. 

The Veronica Mars books are based on a TV show that I used to love. This is the second book that's been written, and they're actually really good mysteries! I really enjoyed listening to this book!

I heard Amy Poehler's book was hilarious and that the audiobook was even better because she reads it herself and has fun extras, so I got it... but it was boring. I didn't think it was that funny and I guess I just don't care about Amy's life that much. I never finished it.

2. TV shows

My absolute favorite show this year was The Wire! I thought it was a brilliant and realistic portrayal of crime, drugs, cops, and kids in Baltimore, MD. I hardly ever go back and re-watch TV shows, but I kind of want to watch all 5 seasons again!

Also very good: True Detective, Game of Thrones (caution: adult content)

Pretty good: How to Get Away With Murder (first season was good, although it started to get a little too crazy by the end)

OK: Blacklist, House of Cards (I liked the first seasons, but I quickly got tired of both shows)

I also finally finished Revenge since I only had one season left to go! The first 2 seasons were definitely the best but at least they ended it before it dragged on too long.

3. Podcasts

I love the Jamie Ivey podcast to listen to while working it. It has made running on the treadmill bearable! The interviews last from 50-80 minutes and they discuss everything from families to adoption to faith to books. I get some of my ideas of what books to read and TV shows to watch based on these podcasts, and I love that Jamie asks each guest about their "3 favorite things"!

4. Alex & Ani and PuraVida bracelets

Alex and Ani is becoming very popular and they have many designs now, but I still like the simple gold charms the best. I like that each one has a different meaning. I want to get more and stack them! My sister bought me bracelets made in Costa Rica made by locals and the proceeds help support their economy. They're simple woven bracelets but some have adorable beads or charms - perfect for the summer!

5. Wine and Beer

Living in California I developed a taste for wine and beer, neither of which I was fond of before! Since then I have been to several wineries, cideries, and breweries and love trying new drinks!

My absolute favorite wine was La Folia's Barbera from Murphys in California. In Virginia, my brother's girlfriend introduced me to 19 Crimes, which has been a household favorite.

I am in love with Breckenridge Christmas Ale, which I first tried at a little restaurant in Lynchburg of all places! I also enjoyed Sam Adams Brick Red when in Boston, only to discover that it can only be found on tap in Boston, nowhere else!

Those are just the things I can think of off the top of my head, but I loved many things about 2015! I'm especially grateful I had the opportunity to live in California for five months and make some great friends out there. I loved getting to hike in Yosemite, explore San Francisco and try California wine! I was fortunate to be able to travel through Utah and visit four different national parks on the way back. And then I was blessed to be able to come home to Virginia and reconnect with some of my friends here. It has truly been an eventful year but I wouldn't have it any other way! Here's to more adventures in 2016!

Books I Read: 2015

One of my goals last year was to read 12 books, a repeat of a goal I had in 2014. An average of a book a month is doable for me and not that overwhelming- but still reminds me to do some reading when I get a chance! These are the books I read in 2015:

1-3. The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden - Jessica Sorenson (series of 3 books) (also Redemption of Callie and Kayden & Resolution of Callie and Kayden)
This is a young adult series that I read on my plane flights to/from Key West in January. It's a fun love story but also deals with some issues like abuse. Overall a very quick read, but it was great for vacation and I liked the characters. (3/5)

4-6. Recon: The Fringe series - Tarah Benner (3 books so far) (also Exposure and Outbreak)
This was a young adult series about a post-apocalyptic world in which characters live in huge facilities in the desert because the rest of the outside world is uninhabitable due to radiation. It starts out kind of weird, but I ended up loving the characters and the storyline was engaging throughout all three books. (4/5)

7. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline
This was another futuristic book in which characters are involved in a huge multi-player video game that is more real than their actual lives. One of the goals in this video game is to find a prize hidden by the creator. Pretty fun book. (3/5)

8. The Kitchen House - Kathleen Grissom
This is a historical fiction novel about a young Irish immigrant girl who ends up being raised by black slaves in the "kitchen house" on a Southern plantation. I really enjoyed it, although the author was a little melodramatic at times. I liked it better than the Help, which is a similar period piece. (4/5)

9. Life After Life - Kate Atkinson
I don't even know how to rate this book. It was so unusual. Basically every time the main character Ursula dies, she comes back to life and lives through the same experiences, up to a pivotal moment when a different choice or event changes the course of her life. It was good for awhile but then I started to get irritated with Ursula making the same bad decisions in life after life. There wasn't really an ending either. (2.5/5)

10-11. Legend & Prodigy - Marie Lu
These were enjoyable books as a diversion on plane rides, but ultimately forgettable. Like, I can barely remember them enough to write a synopsis, other than that the two main characters are named Day and June. I still have yet to read the third book, Champion. I'll probably read it just to finish the series even though these books were just ok, (2/5)

12-13. The Silkworm & Career of Evil - Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling)
I love this new series by J.K. Rowling. The Silkworm was not quite as good as Cuckoo's Calling, but I still enjoyed it, Career of Evil was better and I liked how it explored both Cormoran and Robin's pasts a bit more. These books are very "adult" with an extensive vocabulary and mature themes. It's not a fast paced serial killer thriller like James Patterson writes, but I like these books much better. Silkworm (3/5). Career of Evil (4/5).

I read a lot of series and young adult books this year, especially ones with futuristic or post-apocalyptic themes. This coming year I hope to branch out and read a greater variety of books. I'm making the same commitment of 12 books a year!