Book Club Friday: Happiness and baseball

Happiness and baseball go hand-in-hand for me, so it's kind of appropriate that I've read books about those topics recently.  Well, if I'm being honest, I've done more listening to books than reading lately.  But it still counts, right?  I hope so, because I've been marking it as progress on my reading goal for the year.  I've finished eight out of 35 books so far.

\\\\////

"The Happiness Project"

By: Gretchen Rubin

Description:  
Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. "The days are long, but the years are short," she realized. "Time is passing, and I'm not focusing enough on the things that really matter." In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project. ... With humor and insight, she chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier.

My thoughts:
I took my time with this one. I wanted to really soak in all the information.  And there's a lot of it.  I think there are lots of ways I can apply her strategy to my own life.  And I may start trying a few of them. I think being happy is a very important duty and I don't think we focus on that enough.

I gave it: 
5 out of 5 stars -- I loved it!

\\\\////

"Charlie All Night"

By: Jennifer Crusie

Description:
Dumped by her boyfriend and demoted from WBBB's prime-time spot, radio producer Allie McGuffey has nowhere to go but up. She plans to make her comeback by turning temporary DJ Charlie Tenniel into a household name. And if he's willing to help her cure her breakup blues with a rebound fling, that's an added bonus. Charlie just wants to kick back, play good tunes and eat Chinese food. He's not interested in becoming famous. But he is interested in Allie. And after all, what harm in a little chemistry between friends? But suddenly their one-night stand has become a four-week addiction. Night after night on the airwaves, his voice seduces her. . .and all the other women in town. He's a hit. It looks as if Charlie's solved all Allie's problems. . .except one. What is she going to do when he leaves?


My thoughts:
I wanted a lighthearted but engaging read to listen to during my frequent roadtrips. This fit the bill perfectly. It was light enough that I never cried or got confused, and the complex relationships and mystery at the station were intriguing enough to keep my attention. I liked the Alice character a lot, and could relate to her in a lot of ways. Charlie was easy to like too. And Mark was easy to hate. I know too many guys like him. Ugh. The narrator was decent too. It's probably hard to do male voices as a female, and there are a lot of male characters in this book, so she had to work hard. Overall, it was a good listen.

I gave it:
3 out of 5 stars -- I liked it.

\\\\////

"Calico Joe"

by: John Grisham

Description:
In the summer of 1973 Joe Castle was the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone had ever seen.  The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas dazzled Cub fans as he hit home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shattered all rookie records. Calico Joe quickly became the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of a hard-partying and hard-throwing Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faced Calico Joe, Paul was in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his Dad. Then Warren threw a fastball that would change their lives forever. In John Grisham’s new novel the baseball is thrilling, but it’s what happens off the field that makes CALICO JOE a classic.

My thoughts:
I've been meaning to read this for a long time. I haven't picked up anything by John Grisham in a long time, but this was a winner. A lot of baseball and some really thought-provoking situations and conversations. I really enjoyed it and only wish it was a little longer. 

I gave it:
4 out of 5 stars -- I really liked it!

\\\\////

Currently, I'm listening to the first Harry Potter book (yep, this is my first official foray into Hogwarts) and reading the third and final book in the "Matched" series.

\\\\////

What are you reading?