I wanted to love The Bear and the Nightingale so much. It's a book that was written with my personal sensibilities in mind. It's a fairy tale set in the wilderness of Russia, a small village full of superstition and religion. It's a dichotomy that's lived in the village for generations and one that gets' altered when a new priest comes to join the village. 

Joe Biden has a story that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. He lost his wife and newborn daughter in a car crash in his 30's and now during the last years of his time as Vice President, he lost his son to brain cancer. Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose is a novel that looks back at this time of his life, with harrowing detail. 

For my first book of 2018, I have to say I'm incredibly conflicted by Little Fires Everywhere. It's one of those novels that challenged me at every page turn. Little Fires Everywhere is a story about a neighborhood outside Cleveland that reminds me so much of a place I've lived for the last decade. It's perfectly manicured, expertly planned, and developed with an idea that you can create a perfect community. And whether you believe that this community is real, there's no doubt that there are always little fires everywhere. 

I love to read. I genuinely get just as excited about a new book as I do a new video, tv show, or movie. It's the one thing that keeps me sane on my drives to and from work every day. I also like to push myself to read books out of my comfort zone. To both enjoy fantastic fantasy worlds but also read about history and culture. Although I don't always accomplish that I will say that 2017 was a solid year of reading and by mid-December, I completed my goal of reading 30 books for the year. 

I love Tom Hanks. I've never really thought about who my favorite actor/actress is but I think if I did I would probably put Tom Hanks as #1. So, when I heard that he wrote a book of short stories I immediately pre-ordered it. I've grown to love books of short stories this year and Uncommon Type: Some Stories is both the best and at times worst of a book of short stories. 

I try to read a variety of genres, but one of my favorites is historical fiction. I'm a sucker for a good World War II book, even if there are hundreds if not thousands of good ones. When I first read the synopsis about Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan I'll admit I passed on it. But I kept seeing it come up on lists of best books of the year and eventually I just broke down and bought it.