May top reads

May was a busy month with little time for serious reading but, of course, I still managed to pick up some good ones. It seems I overloaded on sci-fi and fantasy this month! Everything I read and watched is, as always, reviewed here. (For last year’s reviews, go here.) 

• Bumped, by Megan McCafferty – post-apocalyptic YA fantasy that almost has you believing it could happen. 
• Dark Places, by Gillian Flynn – brilliantly written but very, very disturbing.
• Bellwether, by Connie Willis – funny, satirical, romantic sci-fi, and only a little bit disturbing. 

The best of the month’s movies were…

• Saving Grace – light-hearted and funny
• Thin Blue Line – you’ll either love it or hate it – British humor 
• The Mountains of the Moon – powerful and intense 

So what have you read or watched lately that’s worth sharing?

January top reads

As always, I glommed down a bunch of books this month, and also watched quite a few movies. They’re all reviewed on my Books, etc. page. (I’ve been doing this since around September last year; go here for 2014’s reviews.)

I thought it would be good to give an extra mention to the ones I enjoyed most, so here goes:

• Next, by Michael Crichton – an intense fantasy thriller, gave me chills
• Heartburn, by Nora Ephron – lightweight, funny, easy read
• Coming Clean, by Kimberly Rae Miller – a moving memoir about growing up with hoarders

And the best of the month’s movies were…

• The Grand Budapest Hotel – witty and powerful; I have to own it because I’ll need to watch it again, and then  again
• Election – a fun comedy despite some dark humor
• The 100 – complete junk, and I’m a junkie 

Hmm, not the most challenging month of reading, I must confess. No matter; I’m halfway through a wonderful book, and have a pile of promising reads next to my bed. February’s looking good!