New reads:

This week I'm reading The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. It's my pick for my bookclub's September selection and so far, I'm really enjoying it.

Here's what it's about, if anyone's interested:

"A.J. Fikry's life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died; his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history; and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island -- from Chief Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who's always felt kindly toward him; from Ismay, his sister-in-law, who is hell-bent on saving A.J. from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who persists in taking the ferry to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.'s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, he can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.

And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It's a small package, though large in weight -- an unexpected arrival that gives A.J. the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn't take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J., for the determined sales rep Amelia to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light, for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.'s world. Or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn't see coming.

As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love."

My senior year of high school, I wrote my AP English paper on isolation in Silas Marner by George Eliot. Have you ever read it? It's a lovely little novel. As I read this though, I can't help but draw similarities to Silas Marner. Anyone else see them?

What are you reading these days? Anything you want to recommend?

New reads:

Sorry for the radio silence lately, guys. I've just gotten into a really bad habit of being lazy. That ends now (hopefully -- habits are hard to break, you know).

I'm done begging apologies -- onto some books!

This week I'm reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. Have you read it? What did you think? Almost everyone I know who has read it either really loved it or really hated it. There seems to be no middle ground here.

Here's what it's about, in case you're interested:

"We are in an elegant hotel particulier in the center of Paris. Renee, the building's concierge, is short, ugly, and plump. She has bunions on her feet. She is cantankerous and addicted to television soaps. Her only genuine attachment is to her cat, Leo. In short, she is everything society expects from a concierge at a bourgeois building in a posh Parisian neighborhood. But Renee has a secret: she is a ferocious autodidact who furtively devours art, philosophy, music, and Japanese culture. With biting humor she scrutinizes the building's tenants -- her inferiors in every way except that of material wealth.

Then there's Paloma, a super-smart twelve-year-old and the youngest daughter of the Josses, who live on the fifth floor. Talented, precocious, and startlingly lucid, she has come to terms with life's seeming futility and has decided to end her own on the day of her thirteenth birthday. Until then she will continue hiding her extraordinary intelligence behind a mask of mediocrity, acting the part of an average pre-teen high on pop subculture, a good but not outstanding student, an obedient if obstinate daughter.

Paloma and Renee hide both their true talents and their finest qualities from a world they suspect cannot or will not appreciate them. They discover their kindred souls when a new tenant arrives, a wealthy Japanese man named Ozu. He befriends Paloma and is able to see through Renee's timeworn disguise to the mysterious event that has haunted her since childhood. This is a moving, witty, and redemptive novel that exalts the quiet victories of the inconspicuous among us."

Here's the honest truth. I am one of those rare people who is in the gray on this one. I haven't finished it yet. But I am struggling with it. Maybe it's because I haven't gotten very far. Maybe it's because something got lost in translation from the native French. Regardless, I'm having a hard time with it. I will finish it because that's what I do but I'm not sure how I feel just yet. It could go either way at this point.

New reads:

I just finished reading Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards, one of my very favorite books from my childhood. Once, in the fifth grade, I lost my copy, and then for my birthday last year my mom (who bought me my first copy) gave me another one. I have enjoyed reading this again. It's such a sweet little story. 

Here's what it's about, in case you're interested:

"For an orphan child whose life is filled with comfortable, predictable sameness, with no particular hardships, life is, well, all right. Really, what does Mandy have to worry about? So it comes to a surprise even to Mandy when a small restlessness begins to grow in her. This lonely ache sets her to wandering father afield, and leads her to a startling and wonderful discovery over the orphanage wall -- a very old, very small, seemingly abandoned cottage. Embarking on a clandestine domestic fantasy involving gardening tools and soap flakes, Mandy finds herself being less than honest about where and how she's spending her days. Holding her secret closer and closer to her heart, this imaginative dreamer inadvertently endangers her reputation -- and her life.

For every child who has fallen in love with The Secret Garden or A Little Princess, Julie Andrews Edwards's 1971 novel will be a heartwarming discovery. Any sometimes-lonely child with a giant imagination will recognize Mandy's dreams and rejoice in her ultimate fairy-tale happy ending."

I was a terribly imaginative child (still am) and was immediately drawn to this story. I always wanted to be an orphan -- it was my favorite thing to pretend -- and I'm only now just realizing that's probably why I devoured books like this (and Little Princess, Secret Garden, and Secret Language). I longed to live in an orphanage (or boarding school) and discover a secret place of my very own. 

I didn't realize until I was much older (and really into Sound of Music) that this author and Maria Von Trapp were one and the same. 

Rereading it as an adult, this story has lost none of it's magic. It's still just as charming as ever. I chose it as #25 on the "26 Books to Read in 2015" list: a book more than 10 years old. One of my favorites then and one of my favorites now.

New reads:

We have a tradition at our house, as I'm sure most of you do, of a bedtime story. We snuggle down after bath time and disappear into a great story. It's a tradition I'm hoping will continue as our family grows (you should see my list of books). Story time is one of my favorite parts of the day and I love sharing my love of reading with M.

Our local library is participating in 1000 Books Before Kindergarten and we are on board. It's a super simple concept: you read books to your child and keep track of what you read on paper. When you reach 1,000, you get free books. We're already close to 100 and we've only been keeping track of them since January so you'd be surprised by how fast it goes. I think it's a fantastic way to promote literacy and really great for those goal-oriented kids because they get to see their progress.

We've been checking out tons of new books from the library lately with plans to purchase our favorites for our home library. Here are some of the ones we've read lately:

1. Dream Animals -- Such a cute story about dreams. The illustrations are beautiful. Hands down, my favorite of the bunch.
2. Wolfie the Bunny -- Wolfie (a wolf) gets adopted by a family of bunnies. It's a great story about mixed and nontraditional families.
3. A Sick Day for Amos McGee -- Amos McGee, a zookeeper, gets sick and can't go to work so his animal friends come to him! Again, gorgeous illustrations and such a sweet story. We really liked this one.
4. Snoozefest -- A sloth goes to Snoozefest -- like a musical festival but for sleeping. Adults will appreciate the clever comparisons to real life. Or, at least I did. 

I fell out of the picture book circle sometime in early elementary school. Things have changed so much and I hadn't realized. The classics are still there but there are so many special stories out there. It's been a real joy discovering them all.

New reads:

This week, I'm reading (or rereading) Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. I actually started this book over two years ago (yikes!) but never finished it. As part of my book club, we decided to read it in thirds and discuss it but I never made it through the first third. Then, after finally finishing The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder recently, I was inspired to give Wolf Hall another go. 

You can see my initial review of it here. I chose it as #26 on the "26 Books to Read in 2015" list: a book based on a true story.

Like I said before, it's a real piece of work. A beautifully written story but it can be hard to read sometimes. If you aren't familiar with Thomas Cromwell (most people aren't) and Henry VIII, I suggest a quick internet search before picking up this book. And I actually feel like reading (or watching) The Other Boleyn Girl might help you here. Don't feel too badly if you have to educate yourself before attempting Wolf Hall. I had to read an English history textbook before jumping in.

New reads:

This week, I'm reading The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder by Rebecca Wells. It's a book that I started in 2013 (see here) but never finished. I'm not really sure why I never finished it because, from what I can remember, I liked it very much. Maybe I just got too excited about the other books awaiting me that I just got impatient. I put it down and it's been sitting on the bookshelf ever since, waiting for me to come back. Well, that time has finally come. It's my pick for #11 on the "26 Books to Read in 2015" list (see here): a book you started but never finished.

Here's the plot:

"The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder is the sweet, sexy, funny journey of Calla Lily's life set in Wells' expanding fictional Louisiana landscape. In the small river town of La Luna, Calla bursts into being, a force of nature as luminous as the flower she is named for. Under the loving light of the Moon Lady, the feminine force that will guide and protect her throughout her life, Calla enjoys a blissful childhood -- until it is cut short. Her mother, M'Dear, a woman of rapture and love, teaches Calla compassion, and passes on to her the art of healing through the humble womanly art of "fixing hair." At her mother's side, Calla further learns that this same touch of hands on the human body can quiet her own soul. It is also on the banks of the La Luna River that Calla encounters sweet, succulent love, with a boy named Tuck.

But when Tuck leaves Calla with a broken heart, she transforms hurt into inspiration and heads for the wild and colorful city of New Orleans to study at L'Academie de Beaute de Crescent. In that extravagant big river city, she finds her destiny -- and comes to understand fully the power of her "healing hands" to change lives and soothe pain, including her own. When Tuck reappears years later, he presents her with an offer that is colored by the memories of lost love. But who knows how Calla Lily, a 'daughter of the Moon Lady' will respond?

A tale of family and friendship, tragedy and triumph, loss and love, The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder features the warmth, humor, soul, and wonder that made Wells one of today's most cherished writers, and gives us an unforgettable new heroine to treasure."

I'm really enjoying this read. It's light, entertaining, and warm. The characters are endearing. The writing, like her other novels, is wonderful. Ms. Wells does such a good job of making the places and people come to life. I especially love the relationship between Calla Lily and her mother -- a relationship that is an integral part of the story. The whole mother-daughter relationship is woven through the entire book. It's such a large part of who Calla Lily is. That relationship never leaves her. It's beautiful. I have cried on more than one occasion while reading this book.

If you're looking for a good summer read, I encourage you to check this one out. It makes me want to move to hot, sticky Louisiana and spend my summers soaking in the La Luna River.

New reads:

I just finished reading Summer Sisters by Judy Blume. I have read just about every single book Judy Blume has ever written -- Freckle Juice, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Super Fudge, Blubber, Here's to You, Rachel Robinson, Tiger Eyes, Deenie, and my personal favorite, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. She was a major influence on me during my most influential years. She taught me a lot about the world and life and I feel, in a way, that we are old friends. Apparently, I'm not the only one (see this book, which, yes, I own and love). Judy Blume played such a large role in the lives of the women of my generation. It's like we're somehow all connected. She is the tie that binds us. So, I'm not sure how I missed this book of hers. Somewhere along the way, it slipped by me. But then I saw it at one of the recent library book sales and snatched it up.

I read it as part of the "26 Books to Read in 2015" challenge (more on that here). It's #15: a book set in summer.

It's an easy, light, and enjoyable read. As if I expected anything less from Ms. Blume. Here's what it's about, if you're interested:

"When Victoria Leonard answers the phone in her Manhattan office, Caitlin's voice catches her by surprise. Vix hasn't talked to her oldest friend in months. Caitlin's news takes her breath away -- and Vix is transported back in time to the moment she and Caitlin Somers first met, back to the casual betrayals and whispered confessions of their long, complicated friendship, back to the magical island where two friends became summer sisters.

Caitlin dazzled Vix from the start, sweeping her into the heart of the unruly Somers family, into a world of privilege, adventure, and sexual daring. Vix's bond with her summer family forever reshapes her ties to her own, opening doors to opportunities she had never imagined -- until the summer she falls passionately in love. Then, in one shattering moment on a moonswept Vineyard beach, everything changes, exposing a dark, under-current in h er extraordinary friendship with Caitlin that will haunt them through the years.

As their story carries us from Santa Fe to Martha's Vineyard, from New York to Venice, we come to know the men and women who shape their lives. And as we follow the two women on the paths they each choose, we wait for the inevitable reckoning to be made in the fine spaces between friendship and betrayal, between love and freedom.

Summer Sisters is a riveting exploration of the choices that define our lives, of friendship and love, of the families we are born into and those we struggle to create. For every woman who has ever had a friend too dangerous to forgive and too essential to forget, Summer Sisters will glue you to every page, reading and remembering."

It's marketed as an adult book but really, it felt like the same old Judy Blume. Predictable, yes but predictability in a Judy Blume book is one of the things I love most about her. You can count on it. What a comforting thing to be wrapped in her embrace once again after all these years. Some things never change.

New reads:

My newest read is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. It's my pick for #17 on the "26 books to read in 2015" list: a book that will make you smarter. Have you read it? I had put it on my "to read" list years ago but then never got around to reading it until one of the ladies in my book club picked it for our next discussion. I've been reading it for the past few days and I love it. It is so interesting.

Here's what it's about:

"Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells -- taken without her knowledge -- became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first 'immortal' human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they'd weigh more than 50 million metric tons -- as much as a hundred Empire State Buildings. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of canceer, viruses, and the atom bomb's effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the millions.

Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.

Now Rebecca Skloot takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the "colored" ward of Johns Hopkins  Hospital in the 1950s to stark white laboratories with freezers full of HeLa cells, from Henrietta's small, dying hometown of Clover, Virginia -- a land of wooden slave quarters, faith healings, and voodoo -- to East Baltimore today, where her children and grandchildren live and struggle with the legacy of her cells. 

Henrietta's family did not learn of her 'immortality' until more than 20 years after her death, when scientists investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. And though the cells had launched a multi-million dollar industry that sells human biological materials, her family never saw any of the profits. As Rebecca Skloot so brilliantly shows, the story of the Lacks family -- past and present -- is inextricably connected to the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of. 

Over the decade it took to uncover this story, Rebecca became enmeshed in the lives of the Lacks family -- especially Henrietta's daughter Deborah, who was devastated to learn about her mother's cells. Deborah was consumed with questions: Had scientists cloned her mother? Had they killed her to harvest her cells? And if her mother was so important to medicine, why couldn't her children afford health insurance?

Intimate in feeling, astonishing in scope, and impossible to put down, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks captures the beauty and drama of scientific discovery, as well as its human consequences."

I don't typically read nonfiction but I have enjoyed every moment of this book. The author has done a good job bringing the very real people in this story to life on the page. I feel like I have met them. I feel their emotions (grief, anger, confusion). I never knew things like this actually happen and now that I do, I feel like I should be asking questions. 

It's very enlightening. Pick it up. Educate yourself. It'll be good for you.

New reads:

This week, I'm reading Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon. It's the eighth and latest installment in the Outlander series. I've slowly been making my way thru the series (see here, here, and here for a peek into the series) and have finally caught up. Even though I got this book when it came out last summer, I was way too busy and way too sleep-deprived to pick it up. So, it sat patiently waiting on my bookshelf until I felt ready to pick it up. I chose it for the #7 pick on the "26 books to read in 2015" list: a book by an author you love and finally got around to picking it up.

I'm not done with it but so far, I'm loving it. These books are big, each one close to 1,000 pages. They're a commitment and while I love the story, sometimes they can drag on. This one doesn't seem to be that way though. I'm a lot more involved in the story this time and eager to see where it leads. I've been breezing thru it and really enjoying the adventure I'm on. It takes a good storyteller to keep an reader's attention for so long. Gabaldon does an excellent job.

Here's the plot summary, if you're interested:

"In her now classic novel Outlander, Diana Gabaldon told the story of Claire Randall, an English ex-combat nurse who walks through a stone circle in the Scottish Highlands in 1946, and disappears... into 1743. The story unfolded from there in seven bestselling novels, and has been called 'a grand adventure written on a canvas that probes the heart, weighs the soul and measures the human spirit across [centuries].' Now the story continues in Written in My Own Heart's Blood.

1778: France declares war on Great Britain, the British Army leaves Philadelphia, and George Washington's troops leave Valley Forge in pursuit. At this moment, Jamie Fraser returns from a presumed watery grave to discover that his best friend has married his wife, his illegitimate son has discovered (to his horror) who his father really is, and his beloved nephew, Ian, wants to marry a Quaker. Meanwhile, Jamie's wife, Claire, and his sister, Jenny, are busy picking up the pieces. 

The Frasers can only be thankful that their daughter Brianna and her family are safe in twentieth-century Scotland. Or not. In fact, Brianna is searching for her own son, who was kidnapped by a man determined to learn her family's secrets. Her husband, Roger, has ventured into the past in search of the missing boy... never suspecting that the object of his quest has not left the present. Now, with Roger out of the way, the kidnapper can focus on his true target: Brianna herself.

Written in My Own Heart's Blood is the brilliant next chapter in a masterpiece of the imagination unlike any other."

I'm hoping to finish it this weekend. And good thing, too -- I have been neglecting all of my other projects and responsibilities (not of the parental variety, don't worry). I have a lot of other things I should be working on but can't seem to put this book down to get anything done.

New reads:

This week, I'm reading All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Have you read it? You probably have. I am probably the last person on the planet to read it. In fact, I'm reading it as part of the 26 books to read in 2015 project (more on that here). It's my pick for #20: a book "everyone" but you has read.

I'm not quite finished but I've been reading a little every evening and am really enjoying it. Here's what it's about, in case you're interested:

"Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum's most valuable and dangerous jewel.

In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure's converge.

Doerr's 'stunning sense of physical detail and gorgeous metaphors' (San Fransisco Chronicle) are dazzling. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, he illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. Ten years in the writing, All the Light We Cannot See is a magnificent, deeply moving novel from a writer 'whose sentences never fail to thrill (Los Angeles Times)."

It's beautifully written and a really rich story. I am invested in the characters and since I know where it's all headed (it's 1944 France, after all), I find myself dreading the ending that was all too common to so many people.

It's a great book. I can see why people are raving about it. If you haven't picked it up yet, you should definitely carve out some time to spend with these characters.

New reads:

I just finished reading Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple. Have you read it? I've heard a lot of people talking about it lately and couldn't wait to dig in. Here's what it's about (from the back cover):

"When fifteen-year-old Bee claims a family trip to Antartica as a reward for perfect grades, her fiercely intelligent but agoraphobic mother, Bernadette, throws herself into preparations for the trip. Worn down by years of trying to live the Seattle life she never wanted, Bernadette is on the brink of a meltdown. As disaster follows disaster, she disappears, leaving her family to pick up the pieces. Which is exactly what Bee does, weaving together emails, invoices, and school memos to reveal the secret past that Bernadette has been hiding for decades. Where'd You Go, Bernadette is an ingeniously entertaining novel about a family coming to terms with who they are, and the power of a daughter's love for her imperfect mother."

I loved it. It was a really fast read and very enjoyable -- light and funny. And Bernadette? Loved her. She was probably my favorite character. Maybe one of my favorite characters ever. Top 20, at least. She's smart, independent, and does and says whatever she wants. Like this little gem:

"My heart started racing, not the bad kind of heart racing, like, I'm going to die. But the good kind of racing, like, Hello, can I help you with something? If not, please step aside because I'm about to kick the shit out of life."

I found her very refreshing and relatable. And I vowed to try and be a little more like Bernadette from time to time.

So, did you read it? If so, what did you think? Did you like Bernadette as much as I did? And if not, what are you waiting for?! It's great, I swear. You will not be disappointed.

New reads:

This week I'm reading The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe. It's about a doctoral candidate at Harvard named Connie, who in an attempt to find an original source for her dissertation, stumbles across a woman named Deliverance Dane and what seems to be a book of "recipes". Deliverance Dane lived in Salem, Massachusetts during the witch trials and was caught up in the whole witch hunt thing and somewhere along the way, her book disappeared. Connie begins her search for the missing book, learns about herself and her family's past, and fights against those that seek to harm her. There's adventure, mystery, romance, and even historical aspects to the story.

While I enjoyed the story, it seemed a little predictable to me. I found it very similar to the All Souls Trilogy by Diana Harkness, and to be honest, I liked those better. I did enjoy the historical parts, though. And I found it interesting that the author, Katherine Howe, is a descendant of two different woman who were accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials. So, in a way, it seemed a little autobiographical. Or, at least like she used parts of her own life to create her story.

It is a fast read and I'd recommend it to anyone that likes stories with a twinge of supernatural, historical fiction, or mystery.

New reads:

This week I'm reading The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. Like the book, I'm going to make this short and sweet. 

It's about a guy who I'm pretty sure has Asperger's Syndrome. He's very smart and very methodical but just a little socially lacking. He's made rules to help him deal with life and up until the beginning of the novel, it worked very well for him. He decides though that he'd like to get married but every women he's ever met is lacking the missing the qualities he's after. So, he invents a survey in order to weed out the unlikelies and find his perfect "candidate". By accident he meets a woman who is the complete opposite of what he looking for and through helping her with a project of her own, realizes that he may have been wrong to make such strict requirements when it comes to love.

It's cute, it's short, it's predictable. I probably would never have picked it up on my own but it was this month's book club selection. I'm glad I did. I found it enjoyable.

It's also #4 (a book your friend loves) on my list of books to read in 2015. You can read more about that challenge here.

New reads:

This week, I'm reading Great with Child: Letters to a Young Mother by Beth Ann Fennelly.

It's a book of letters sent from one friend to another, giving advice on motherhood and life. I have found them greatly moving, funny, and comforting. I have found motherhood to be isolating at time and when I read this book, I don't feel so alone. It feels like hanging out and chatting with two lovely friends.

Whether you're a new mom (or dad) or not, I definitely recommend this sweet little book.

New reads:

When I was preparing to go on maternity leave, I thought it would be three months of lounging around with a baby. I thought I'd get lots of reading done. I was looking forward to finally knocking out all the books in my "to read" queue. I was ready for a summer spent with my favorite characters. Silly me. There were a few months there that I didn't pick up a single book. Months, as in plural. Not that I didn't have some down time. Newborn babies sleep a lot. I was just so exhausted for the longest time that when he slept, so did I. But now that baby boy is almost three months old (unfathomable), I've actually had the time and energy to get some reading done. My most recent read: The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness.

The Book of Life is the last of the All Souls Trilogy. I first discovered these books three years ago and loved them. The first, A Discovery of Witches (see here), was deliciously exciting. I ate it up. The second, Shadow of Night (see here), was the same way. I took that book with me on a beach trip and spent most of the time curled up on the porch of our beach house reading. Needless to say I had been eagerly anticipating the third and last installment for over two years. It finally came out this summer and a few weeks ago, I managed to find the time to read it. 

It was good. I liked it. But it wasn't waiting-for-two-years kind of good. I felt like the author rushed through the story in order to wrap it up. I wish she had taken her time. I would have been okay with a longer book (obviously, considering I've been working through the Outlander series for over a year now). I also felt like she focused on some things but oddly enough, ignored other details that I considered pretty integral to the story. It felt strange. And there were times where I felt the writing and/or story line were pretty cheesy. But I'm happy with the way she ended things for all the characters and I felt like she wrapped the series up well, with no huge holes or missing resolution.

If you've been looking for a good read, I would recommend this series. I liked all of the books (but the first was probably my favorite). Give them a go. 

New reads:

This week, I'm reading An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon. It's the 7th book in the Outlander series. The newest installment comes out next month so I am trying to hurry and get through all 800+ pages of this novel before the new one is released. I've also got a sort of ticking time bomb situation happening here so I want to get all my reading wrapped up/caught up before it goes off as I doubt I will have much time for leisurely reading in the coming months.

Here's the plot, if you're interested:

"Jamie Fraser, former Jacobite and reluctant rebel, is already certain of three things about the American rebellion: The Americans will win, fighting on the side of victory is no guarantee of survival, and he'd rather die than have to face his illegitimate son -- a young lieutenant in the British Army -- across the barrel of a gun.

Claire Randall knows that the Americans will win, too, but not what the ultimate price may be. That price won't include Jamie's life or his happiness, though -- not if she has anything to say about it.

Meanwhile, in the relative safety of the twentieth century, Jamie and Claire's daughter, Brianna, and her husband, Roger MacKenzie, have resettled in a historic Scottish home where, across a chasm of two centuries, the unfolding drama of Brianna's parents' comes to life through Claire's letters. The fragile pieces reveal Claire's love for battle-scarred Jamie Fraser and their flight from North Carolina to the high seas, where they encounter privateers and ocean battles -- as Brianna and Roger search for clues not only to Claire's fate but to their own. Because the future of the MacKenzie family in the Highlands is mysteriously, irrevocably, and intimately entwined with life and death in war-torn Colonial America. 

With stunning cameos of historical characters from Benedict Arnold to Benjamin Franklin, An Echo in the Bone is a soaring masterpiece of imagination, insight, character, and adventure -- a novel that echoes in the mind long after the last page is turned."

I just started it this weekend, so I'm not very far into the story yet, but I am excited to see where it goes. The last few books have been building to a great conflict and while they were good, it started to feel like things were dragging on a bit. I am anxious for things to start happening and feel like this book might bring all of the resolution I have been seeking. So, hopefully it will be a much faster read.

New reads:

This week I'm reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. It's been on my reading list for a while and I finally got around to picking it up this weekend. I borrowed it from a friend at work who was nice enough to lend it to me when I casually mentioned in passing that I was interested in it. I know it's being made into a movie but honestly, I'm probably not ever going to watch the movie. So, I'm reading it.

Here's the gist:

"Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green's most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and being in love."

Have you read it? Did you like it? Call me crazy, but something tells me this story is going to be sad. And probably won't end happy. I'll give it a chance... but I'm just calling it now.

New reads:

This week I'm reading The Maze Runner by James Dashner. I didn't even know this book existed until the ladies in my book club suggested we read it for a short, relaxing read before summer break. And apparently, it's being made into a movie? And there are actually four novels? How did my radar completely miss this one?

I welcome the change of pace from the tomes I've been reading lately (see here and here). Have you heard of this story? Have you read it? I can't be the only one who had never heard of it.

In case you're like me and somehow missed the boat on this one, here's the brief summary:

"When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He's surrounded by strangers -- boys whose memories are also gone.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It's the only way out -- and no one's ever made it through alive.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying."

It's definitely interesting. And once you get through the first few chapters and all the story set up, it gets pretty good. I've heard a lot of people compare it to Divergent and The Hunger Games series and I'd say I have to agree. It's sort of a hybrid of the two. So, if you liked either of those, you'll probably be really into this one. I'm glad I gave this one a try, even if I didn't love it. I don't think I'll read the rest of the series though. I'm a little tired of the whole dystopian society thing, truth be told.

New reads:

This week, I'm reading The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I've heard a lot of hype over this, her newest novel. I had read some of her other works (see here) and liked them so I put it on my to-read list (along with just about every other book ever written) and promptly forgot about it -- I am deep in the throws of the Outlander series and didn't want to start another book in the middle of my time-traveling adventure. But as is sometimes the case when you belong to a book club, I had to take a hiatus from my personal reading to delve into the selection for this month's discussion. That selection is this book. Have you read it? At over 800 pages, it's quite a commitment but so far, I'm enjoying it. It's a lot faster of a read than I anticipated. 

As with her other novels, I enjoy the author's writing style. She does a very good job of drawing readers in. And I'm learning a lot about art, which is something I have come to appreciate since reading Steve Martin's An Object of Beauty (see here).

In case you're interested, here's the brief synopsis: 

"Composed with the skills of a master, The Goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through present-day America and a drama of enthralling force and acuity.

It begins with a boy. Theo Decker, a thirteen-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don't know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by his longing for his mother, he clings to the one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the criminal underworld.

As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antique store where he works. He is alienated and in love -- and his talisman, the painting, places him at the center of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle.

The Goldfinch is a novel of striking narrative energy and power. It combines unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and breathtaking suspense, while plumbing with a philosopher's calm the deepest mysteries of love, identity, and art. It is a beautiful, stay-up-all-night-and-tell-all-your-friends triumph, an old-fashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and the ruthless machinations of fate."

I'm only about half way through but with all my other books in boxes, I'm not in any great hurry to finish it. Do you have any idea how hard it is to try to read a book slowly when it's grabbed your attention? Absolute torture. Perhaps I will just have to pay a visit to the library soon.

New reads:

This week, I'm reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. We are reading it at my book club at work and while it's been on my "to read" list for over a year, I'm only now getting around to reading it. That's just one more way I benefit from being in this group with some pretty awesome ladies -- not only do they introduce me to new genres, authors, and stories that I never would have found on my own, they make me actually sit down and read those "I've been meaning to" books on my list.

Here's what it's about:

"Marriage can be a real killer. One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work 'draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.' Gone Girl's toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn.

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media -- as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents -- the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter -- but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around."