Fall Book Roundup

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.