I absolutely hate when random people ask you
what you’re reading and you’re reading book candy. It never happens when you’re
reading War and Peace or some other classic. And it’s not like the book is
garbage, on the contrary, the book is actually pretty amazing and you’re
enthralled by it. Instead, it just has some crazy title like “Clockwork Angel”,
is full of fantasy creatures (yes, vampires. There are always vampires.), and
the cover page makes you look like the type of person who collects unicorn and
fairy figurines. So just like you usually you do when someone asks what you’re
reading, you show them the cover and you see their eyes get all judgey and
haughty. It makes me crazy! I want to be like “I read close to a hundred books
a year asshole, they can’t all be literary masterpieces so shut the hell up and
keep the judgment to yourself.” And this is especially true when you know, just
know, that these people don’t read themselves. Mother truckers.
Okay,
back to what I have been reading lately. I know I’ve been gone awhile. It’s
just that I started this new master of laws program and it’s like law school
all over again, a freaking time suck. And I know I say it every time but here’s
the thing people: law school is bloody hard work because it literally takes
over your life and the time you spend doing other things like showering or
eating is really just time that you spend feeling guilty that you’re not doing
more work in school or studying harder.
Even
still because I can’t stand to take too long of a hiatus from books, I have
found some time to read (hooray for the metro!). While I don’t have the time to
go through all of the books I’ve read recently, I mean it has been around 6
months since my last post, I am going to give you the highlights on what to
read and what to skip because let’s be honest that’s all you need to know
anyways.
We
Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver: Must-Read. A book told from the
point of view of a mother whose son committed mass murder at his high school.
This book was as thought provoking as it was heartbreaking. I was left thinking
about it long after I finished reading it.
The
Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling: Maybe Read-It. Rowling is an amazing storyteller there is no
doubt about that and regardless of the reviews concerning this book I was going
to read it. My only complaint was that it took me awhile to fall into the book
and it took me until the very last 100 pages to get to the point where I
couldn’t put the book down.
The
Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler: Skip-It. A book about women who love
Jane Austen so much they start a book club revolving around her books. The only
reason I read this was because a reviewer said they envied those Austen virgins
who are coming to book club without having read any Austen novels. The review
mirrored my feelings towards Harry Potter virgins. Unfortunately, the book
wasn’t all that good luckily, as my next review highlights, I didn’t hold it
against Austen.
Sense
and Sensibility by Jane Austen: Read-It. A classic that was so beautifully and
humorously written, I now consider myself an Austen fan and I cannot wait for
my next Austen novel. Confession time: I listened to part of this book on tape
and liked it more than the parts I read to myself. I think the main reason is
because some of the humor was so subtle that I missed it when I read it myself,
that, and the reader had an amazing British accent.
If
I Stay by Gayle Forman: Read-It. A YA novel about a girl’s choice to stay in
this world or leave following a horrible car accident. This book was an easy
read that touched my heart and made me cry (so many books have been making me
bawl lately and I’m getting real sick of my husband asking why I bother reading
something that makes me so sad). Want more reasons to read it? There is a
sequel! If you’re looking for a good book that you’ll blow through quickly and
keep you interested, this is it.
The
Book Thief by Markus Zusak: Read-It. Throughout this entire novel I was waiting
for the other shoe to drop. I was literally terrified for the future of each
and every character in the book. Let me tell you, this is not the way to go
through a novel, so stressful! That being said, this book will be a classic so
even though it will stress you the fuck out you should read it. Now.
Outlander
by Diana Gabaldon: Must-Read. This is the first book in a series of seven (?)
and I’m hooked! I have found my new series! A fellow bookworm recommended this
to me a couple of years ago and from her description I could tell she adored
the series. It’s recommendations like those that lead me to seek out a book. If
it can capture one reader’s heart I want to let it capture mine. The story
follows Claire, a combat nurse during WWII, who is vacationing in the Scottish
Highlands with her husband following the end of the war. After discovering a
mysterious rock formation, think Stonehenge, she is transported back to 1743.
Don’t let the time traveling throw you off, this book is less about the
scientific logistics of the time and space and continuum and more about the
love story of Claire and Jamie and what a story it is!!
So
I would say my book picking skills are pretty good. I mean 6 out of the 7 books
I read are good enough for me to recommend to you. Jeez, I’m amazing!
And
onto the next . . . I am currently reading Clockwork Angel by Cassandra
Clare.
