12 Books in 2018 (Part 1)

I loved reading as a child and young adult. It set me on a path towards a liberal arts major in college and, ultimately, law school. As an attorney, I read hundreds of pages of material every week, but it's not the sort of stuff that sparks the imagination.

So, when I was pulling together a list of goals for 2018, I decided to read 12 books this year just for fun.

To facilitate this, armed with last year's library card and a hand-me-down iPad, I downloaded the Libby app, linked it to my library card number, and unlocked a universe of ebooks. Incredible! I am in love with this tool that makes the library's collection so accessible.

Here are six books that I've read just for fun during the first half of 2018:

• The Midwife's Revolt by Jodi Maynard. Historical novel that was a bit stingy with its facts.

• The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. There's a lot of pride in the prose. As with most tragedies, I was full of frustration with the major characters. Not a pick me up, but this is literature where the rest of the books on this list verge on something you'd expect to see on Bravo.

• Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. Start with Everything I Never Told You. 

• Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. In the same vein as The Girl on the Train. Cheer on the underdog. Revel in the plot twist.

• Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. A beach read begging for screen adaptation. 

• The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. The protagonist is not as likable as Eleanor Oliphant, but the plot twist is on par. A decade ago, I would have found it all incredibly far fetched. Now I know better.