Make Your Bed, Finding Audrey, and Fantastic Beasts: 2018 Reading Challenge

I love using OverDrive. When I was younger, I was judgmental of ebooks and audiobooks; however, I have since grown up and love using both. When I work or exercise, I get tired of listening to TV shows, so audiobooks are great for shaking things up. You can listen to them on your computer or on your phone if you have the app.

The first book of the year from OverDrive was Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I thought initially that I was going to be listening to the screenplay that had come out, but this was the textbook that was written. Surprisingly, I loved it. It did help that the guy who plays Newt in the movie was doing the reading and he was super into it. If you need something light, funny, and fast,  this book is perfect.

The second audiobook was Finding Audrey. I normally don't read realistic fiction books, but I was intrigued and downloaded it. This was immensely enjoyable. It is a glimpse into Audrey's life and her family, while she learns to live with her anxiety and depression. I've struggled with anxiety and depression for years and have started down the path to try and live better and not just survive with it. The story does avoid talking about what started Audrey's journey, which can get frustrating, but more real in a way. She is still trying to get better, so it is understandable that she wouldn't want to talk about it yet.

This book was recommended to me by my mom. She read it for a book club and she really enjoyed it. It's an expansion of a speech given at the University of Texas by Admiral William H. McRaven. He goes over different principles that he learned while serving in the Navy SEALS. His points are:
                1. Start your day with a task completed
                2. You can't go it alone
                3. Only the size of your heart matters
                4. Life's not fair, drive on!
                5. Failure can make you stronger
                6. You must dare greatly
                7. Stand up to bullies
                8. Rise up to the occasion
                9. Give people hope
               10. Never, ever quit!
It's a quick read and pretty interesting. Definitely a good book while you're waiting for the doctor or on a short flight.

What are some of your favorite audiobooks or inspirational stories that you've read?

The Way of Kings: 2018 Reading Challenge

I finally finished this 1200 page behemoth...

This is officially the longest book that I have ever read. It took so long, but I am proud of myself for finishing.

Goodreads Preview
From Goodreads: "Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.

It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them and won by them.

One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.

Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by over-powering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity.

Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar's niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan's motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war."

My Thoughts
I'm glad that I've read other stories by Brandon Sanderson before reading this one. It would've been harder to keep up with this one if I hadn't read and enjoyed others. Before reading this one, consider reading other books by this author first.

The only thing I always enjoy was the jumping between characters. There are several characters that get a section of the story and I found myself getting frustrated with the changes because I would want to keep reading about the character. Also, a few of the characters were seen for about a chapter and then not seen again. Why give them that much focus if you aren't going to use them? However, the book is well written enough that if I put the book down for a few days, I could start up again and not forget what was going on (my problem with the Wheel of Time). For me, I can't always read every day so it's important that I don't have to restart multiple times.

There was a lot to enjoy with this story. The scenery is colorful and easy to picture. The characters a varied and interesting. There are even female characters that are exciting to follow. Usually, with books like this, the girls are a bit of a letdown. I didn't particularly like Shallan, but my husband has read the next book and is reading the most recent story and he has said that she gets way better.

Kaladin and Dalinar are probably my top favorite characters so far. Their development is amazing, but they still have their struggles. I love the final scene with Kaladin and Dalinar the best.

What books have you read so far this year?