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Part of my list of things to do before 40 is to read 40 books and so far I've read *wait for it* twenty-one!
Okay, maybe that is not a lot compared to some but since I only read 14 books last year, I am totally patting myself on the back.
I finished all of the Harry Potter books
(even saw all eight movies
) and I can finally say that I get a whole new set of pop culture references that I've been missing out on.
(even saw all eight movies) and I can finally say that I get a whole new set of pop culture references that I've been missing out on.I've also read a biography written by a nun who taught me in grade school, One Nun's Story
. I can tell by her writing that her true love is for poetry but it is a lovely telling of what it was like to be a nun at its height in 1950s until now.
. I can tell by her writing that her true love is for poetry but it is a lovely telling of what it was like to be a nun at its height in 1950s until now. I adored her when she was at my school and I will love her always. I came across the book when I was going through my moms things. I actually started reading it because my mom was a nun and I wanted to feel close to her. As I was reading, some things seemed very familiar and I jumped ahead to discover the author was someone I knew. Such a surprise!
Don't Let Me Go
Don't Let Me Go draws you in from the first sentence and breaks your heart by the end of chapter two. The way one little girl brings together an apartment building as a family to help her so she can stay with her addict mother is heart wrenching and life affirming.
Ms. Hyde successfully shares the story from two very different points of view and you truly get a glimpse into the hearts of those affected by the decisions of others who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. Read with a tissue box.
Odd Thomas: An Odd Thomas Novel
I saw the movie
at my husband's suggestion and fell in love with the characters and, of course, the books are even better. Odd's friends are so much more than supporting characters but stars in their own right supporting him and his unusual gift to see and help spirits pass into the next life. The first book takes you into his world right from the start as he catches a man who killed the young girl he raped. You follow Odd as his intuition and second sight takes him on an emotional roller coaster to protect the innocent, prevent a tragedy, and his love, his Stormy.
Dean Koontz's words are poetic and swoon worthy. I have highlighted more in the book than I did in Good Omens. I am on the third one now and I truly love his use of language.
Chasing the Sun: A Novel
It took me a while to really get into Chasing the Sun and at first it appears to be a book about the kidnaping of a successful businessman's wife and the process of negotiating her freedom but, ultimately it is so much more. I felt like I was pulling apart the layers of an onion reading this and just when you think there is more, it ended.
I am not sure how I feel about this book. I can't say I liked it nor can I say I disliked it but it was certainly a fascinating read.
I Am Livia
Livia is Augustus Caesar's' wife and she tells the tale of how she came to be his wife and their life together as he took over the world.
I will admit that I am not all that up on the history of this time period but I certainly am now. I would read and then look up the events that Livia describes, beautifully and with such intimate details it was easy to submerse myself into her world for awhile.
Livia, jumped from the pages as she described her life from a young girl about to be married off to the grandmother she would become. Such a rich story of survival, deceit, and triumph. I hope every word is true. I was so sad when the book ended.
Motherland: A Novel
The description of this book is so off base unless, of course, you are one of the social elite.
With her trademark blend of “social satire, interpersonal drama, and urban glamour” (The New York Times), Amy Sohn delivers a candid, unsentimental look at modern marriage.
In her acclaimed novels,
Amy Sohn has beguiled us with her pinpoint observations of how we live and love, giving voice to our innermost thoughts and everyday anxieties. Now, in Motherland, her most diverting book to date, she introduces us to five mothers and fathers in Cape Cod, Park Slope, and Greenwich Village who find themselves adrift professionally and personally. (source)I actually hate myself a little after reading this and not because I wish I had their lives but because I wasted time on this book. I want my time for this book back.
If you are a fan of The Housewives of [insert city] or over indulgence you will love this story. If this is how rich people live and spend their lives I don't envy them, or feel sorry, most of the characters are unredeemable which I did not think possible, at least not on this scale. I must say that I would be embarrassed to be depicted in this if I had money but with the amount of money I would take in alimony and child support from my inevitable divorce, I guess I would not care.
