It’s been a while since I’ve shared what I have been reading, but this past month I’ve found a few gems worth sharing. Life certainly hasn’t slowed down, but I’m thankful that I’m still able to find pockets of time for enjoying a good book. My day just goes better when I’m able to find time for reading.
Anyway, here’s what I’ve read recently.
{Keep Me Posted by Lisa Beazley} Two sisters, once close but now living half a world away from one another, aren’t great at keeping in touch. Sid lives in Singapore and avoids all forms of social media, while Cassie can’t seem to keep herself off of Facebook. Sid suggests they get back into each others’ lives the old fashioned way, with hand-written letters. Both think it’s a great idea, until Cassie accidentally makes a mistake that lands the sisters’ private communications on the internet, seen by all. When I read the description for this book, it sounded like a fluffy read that typically wouldn’t interest me. However, when I read multiple recommendations for it, I picked it up and I’m glad I did. I loved the relationship between the sisters, and while I was irritated with some of Cassie’s choices, I found myself able to relate to her in many ways. My rating: 3.5/5 stars.
{The Martian by Andy Weir} You probably know the premise for this already, but Mark Watney is an astronaut (as well as a botanist and an engineer) and part of a manned mission to Mars. The rest of the crew is forced to evacuate and leaves Watney behind, thinking he is dead. Watney, meanwhile, is alive and stuck on Mars for the foreseeable future, with limited resources and no means of communication. This is another one I never would have picked up if it hadn’t been recommended by so many readers I trust (including my dad). Now it’s me recommending it to everyone I know… I could not put this book down. I enjoyed the writing, especially Watney’s sarcastic sense of humor (I couldn’t stop myself from reading particularly funny parts to Aaron), as well as the story’s suspenseful nature. My rating: 4/5 stars.
{Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer} Oskar Schell is a 9 year old boy whose interests range from stamp collecting to inventing, and outside of his father and grandmother, he has few friends. When his father dies in the World Trade Center on September 11, Oskar feels like he lost the only person who understood him. While looking through his father’s things one day, he stumbles on a key with unknown origins. He then goes on a mission to solve the mystery of where the key came from and what it opens; his mission takes him all over New York City and connects him to all kinds of people. I started reading this after watching part of the movie (That’s another story–every time my husband and I try to watch a movie together I end up having to stop because I can’t stay awake!). Although there were times I had a hard time following the story, what made it worth the read for me was seeing everything from Oskar’s perspective–his grief, his quirkiness, his relationships. I can always appreciate a story with great characters, and I really liked Oskar. My rating: 3.5/5 stars.
{A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny} In this second novel in Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache series, Gamache is called in to investigate the murder of CC de Poitiers, a fairly new resident of Three Pines. Sometimes an investigator’s challenge is trying to find motive when a well-liked person is killed; in this case the problem is narrowing down the options. Despite her lack of popularity, not just anyone could pull off a murder like hers–she was electrocuted on a frozen lake during the annual curling match that the whole town attends. I’m a new fan of Penny’s and of this series; she once again drew me in completely, and I didn’t want to stop reading until I knew what happened. My rating: 3.5/5 stars.
{Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal} In my opinion, this is one of those books that is better read without knowing much about it. It almost reads more like a collection of short stories than a novel, with each story focusing on different events and characters in the protagonist Eva Thorvald’s life. This was one of my favorites of the month. I enjoyed the unique way the story of Eva’s life was told, and the way that food played a central role in every story. My rating: 4/5 stars.
Have you read anything good lately?
Stay tuned, I plan to share a few of Jona’s picks later this week.
Linking with Modern Mrs Darcy.
