It was such a good summer but that's another post.

There were tons of Goodreads challenge books I had to skip because I truly had no way of getting them.

1.

This was a Goodreads challenge book. I love the movie, but the reason I didn't think I would like the book is because it is in letter format, and as in real life, the letters overlap, and my brain just saw chaos. But actually I got used to it almost right away and I adored it. It was like your heart getting hugged, it was like resting in a place where you knew you were safe, and it was SO DANG FUNNY. This was the classy and elegant, yet funny and fun, peaceful and happy book I so often want but most fall short.

2.

I listened to this on audiobook. It's more descriptions than anything but I just truly loved it and wanted to listen to more when I usually have to make myself listen to audiobooks. It really was beautiful in such a relaxing way. And even though the boys were supposed to be Norse I pictured them like Hollis and Patch (which did not end well for Patch).

3.

I loved Into the Wild years ago so this was next for my Goodreads challenge. This was my beach read except I actually barely read there. It was thick and packed with so much info to get through, but the second half really picked up and was hard to put down. It was not just about the Everest disaster, but Jon's intense grief afterwards at having survived when his newfound friends did not. I also found out when you climb Everest, you're at the summit for literally a couple of seconds before you climb down again, because it's just this tiny peak you stand on, and your body is wearing out with each second that passes so you have to hurry. And also one out of four people who attempt to climb it die.

4.

This was my next audiobook, and the narrator was Peter Coyote, aka the space helmet guy in E.T., so I loved it. I actually like Northwind better than Hatchet which is probably controversial but Hatchet was good too. I'll just always like any survival story.

5.

This was a Goodreads challenge book and I was sick of having to skip all the unaquirable books so in a fed-up frenzy I bought this one. I might actually donate it now that I'm done, because I'm so tired of dysfunctional family memoirs. I put this one on my Goodreads TBR back when I was into them. But it was still a good book.

6.

If my soul was the ground, this book would be the heavy, pounding rain. It fed me and spoke to me and I felt myself waking again. And it spoke of the legitimacy of wishing to live forever in the 1-hour radius you have lived in for every breath you've ever taken (hello).

I have nine books left in the challenge (how many I will ultimately be able to get my hands on, I do not know) and I will either finish it this year or die an untimely death and by default not finish it.