Full disclosure:  I'm still reading two of these books, so I really only read 25 books in 2014, not 27. Whatever! 

Here's

where I left off in October. Since then, I've read a few more books, most of which I really liked. Keep reading for my Pulitzer Prize-level reviews.

Belinda

by Anne Rice writing as Anne Rampling

I was warned this book would get me pregnant, but, knock wood, it did not. It wasn't as erotic as I expected. Thanks,

Fifty Shades of Grey

. Anne Rice is one of my favorite authors, so I'm not surprised I liked her writing. I am surprised I liked a book wholly about statutory rape. I'm apparently into sexist books set in California in the 70s and 80s.

Heritage

by Sean Brock

Still reading - sorry!

Food: A Love Story

 by Jim Gaffigan

Also still reading, but funny!

Making Rumours: The Inside Story of the Classic Fleetwood Mac Album

by Ken Caillat

I liked this book. It's a somewhat technical story of how Rumours was made, told by the producer/lead engineer. My husband is a recording engineer, so I could keep up with the tech-speak, but it gets tedious in the last two chapters. 

The behind-the-scenes stories of what went on with the band in the studio make this book worth reading, but it's pretty sexist. Women are only mentioned in terms of their attractiveness, never in terms of their success or ability. I could have done without the author plugging his no-name "famous" daughter every chance he got, and there were way too many anecdotes about his dog, but overall I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who loves Rumours and/or Fleetwood Mac. 

Yes Please

by Amy Poehler

I loved this book! I even dog-eared and re-read a lot of passages. Of the three sections, I dog-eared the most from the fist section, but I found all three sections insightful and hilarious. A lot of my friends are responding negatively to this book, which confounds me. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it to friends.

Fourth of July Creek

by Smith Henderson

I liked this book, but not as much as I expected or wanted to. This is the problem with buying a book from a first time author who receives a lot of hype. The hype gives you high expectations, which clouds your reading experience. It's a good book. I say this sometimes in regards to male authors, but I feel like this book is more for men. There just weren't any female characters, or any characters, that I could latch on to. I don't regret buying it or reading it, and I may even read his second book if he writes one, but I don't know that I'd recommend this to many people.

One Bowl Baking: Simple, From Scratch Recipes for Delicious Desserts

by Yvonne Ruperti

I liked a lot of the recipes in this book, but would have liked more pictures. I appreciate the concept of one bowl baking, but found myself flagging mostly recipes that I either already know how to make, or would still use my stand mixer for. I do recommend reading the book, especially if you enjoy baking. I doubt I'll buy a copy, but I enjoyed reading it.

Shadow of Night

(All Souls Trilogy #2)

by Deborah Harkness

With only about 100 pages left, I had to walk away from this book. It was taking too long to slog through, I wasn't enjoying it, and I had much better books waiting to be read. I had a friend tell me how it ends so I can pick back up with # 3 if I decide to keep reading this series, #canstopdidstop.

Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned"

by Lena Dunham

This was a good read. There's a lot to take away from it. I particularly liked the parts about being a woman in her industry. It was a quick and easy read for me. I'd recommend it to friends and fellow fans of Lena. If you hate Lena Dunham, you will hate this book.

Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America

by John Waters

This was my first John Waters book. The book is divided into three parts: imagined best case scenarios; imagined worst case scenarios; and what actually happened. The imagined best case scenarios section is pretty funny. The worst case scenarios were a little harder to get through. And the real story of what happened is fascinating and hilarious. This book made me excited for all the types of people you can meet out in the world. Hello, extrovert! Introverts, this book will make you so uncomfortable. But still read it! Push through the pain!

It's a WEIRD book, but I liked it. I read the alien magical anus chapter twice. I couldn't stop laughing. You need an open mind and a high threshold for weirdness, but I recommend it.

Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges Trilogy #1)

by Stephen King

So good! It's more suspenseful than scary, but it is deliciously disturbing in only the way Stephen King can be. I couldn't put it down. Loved it!

#GIRLBOSS

by Sophia Amoruso

I loved this book! I was skeptical, and also had no idea who Sophia Amoruso was, but I was pleasantly surprised. At 38, I'm probably older than her target audience, but as someone in the early stages of starting her own business, I found it helpful and inspiring. The tone of the book is upbeat, positive and very much 'You go, girl!', which I like. I finished it feeling confident and excited.

My Goodreads 2015 Reading Challenge has started. My goal is to again read 24 books, or two books a month. I don't know how I'll pick only 24 books to read out of the stacks of books I have waiting, but there are worse problems to have. Two at the top of my list are

Station Eleven

and

Redeployment

. Ahem, Tiffany...

To be continued!