Ten on Tuesday | What I've Read.

...I've been meaning to post a Book Report. Thanks to Book Riot's Read Harder challenge, I've been reading more and exploring new genres. Today, Carole's asked us to share the last ten books we read; I think it's time for that Book Report!

The image above is my finished shelf for 2015. 16 books (all but that first one, Maeve Binchy's Week in Winter have been for the Read Harder challenge), 11 I listened to and five I read (although I listened to The Little Prince, I looked at the book for all the pictures ;-) You can see all the details on Goodreads. Here are my highlights:

Americanah. This was my first 5-star book of the year. Total kudos to the challenge for pushing me to actually read it. I first heard about it on the Book Riot podcast and pooh pooh'd it as anything I might like. But it was pretty much the front-runner choice for a book by an African author. For good reason. I listened to this one which I definitely think enhanced the experience. The narrator has a wonderful African English accent and she knows how to pronounce all the names. I'm embarrassed how much I learned about blacks - especially American blacks - but I've taken the learnings to heart. Highly recommend to just about everyone.

The Martian. My second 5-star book (and another recommendation from the podcast). Again, not one I would've chosen on my own. Science Fiction. "MacGyver in Space". yeah...not my thing. But this was such an interesting story (totally appeals to the Georgia Tech geek that I am) and I loved Mark Watney - he made me laugh and even cry a few times. Also, it was a book I read. no multi-tasking here. I loved every minute. and there were a few late nights and early mornings before I finished it. I'm not recommending this one to many; but I hope my dad reads it!

Emma. One of the challenge categories is a book written before 1850. I planned to re-read something by Jane Austen because hey, I'm getting stretched in other areas and I adore Jane! After Longbourn, I was thinking it would be Pride and Prejudice, but then Emma jumped to the top of the list when I saw that Alexander McCall Smith will be releasing an Emma re-telling shortly. This was actually a re-listen. I wholeheartedly recommend Elizabeth Klett's Librivox recording. I first read/listened to this in 2010; then I was wrapped up in the Clueless re-telling...this time I knew how it worked out but it was still a delight. Austen's wit and perception really shine through, and I can almost hear a twinkling eye in Klett's narration.

One Summer. I just finished this and again, I'm grateful to the challenge for pushing me to it. Non-fiction is really not my thing. Bill Bryson might change my mind about that! This is an in-depth look at America, June-September, 1927. Oh my what a mess. And oh my how Bill Bryson can make sense of it, and weave dozens of seemingly unrelated stories into a cohesive whole.

I have nine more books to complete the challenge; I've selected all but the "guilty pleasure". Because honestly, I can't imagine what kind of book that would be. What would you recommend?

Thank you, Carole, for the prompt! I'm looking forward to adding a lot more books to my to-read shelf! (click here to join the Ten on Tuesday fun.)

...and finally, because it is, after all, Tuesday - and Charlie was here all day! He played, we played, I watched him play. This little montage sums up his approach to toys right now. He sees, he tastes, he sets it aside (and moves on to something else)!