Oh gosh, it's been a while since I told you what I've been reading! You probably think that since I'm so crazy busy with crochet, that I don't have time to read, but I find the time. I read at least 30 min every night as I'm winding down for bed and I frequently listen to an audiobook as I go about my nightly kitchen chores. The result is a rather long list of books I've read (or partially read...) since my last book post. :)
Infamous by Suzanne Brockman (on audio)
This was pretty entertaining. It's about a historian who is a consultant on a movie set. The movie is an old western based on a legendary character (fictional legendary character). A wrench is thrown into the mix when a descendant of the character comes and challenges the historian's knowledge of the subject. Throw in a ghost from the past, a murder plot and some romance, and you have a light and entertaining book.
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
I admit it... I didn't finish. There were holds on the book at the library and I didn't have time to read it through when it needed to be returned. By the time I had gotten it again, I had lost interest. It's a book about a set of twins who were the product of an Indian Nun and a British Doctor who were aid workers in Ethiopia. A real saga of a book. Very interesting, just not compelling enough for me to finish...
Dead until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Dang, another vampire book. This book is the basis for the HBO tv show, True Blood. It was an interesting book, not high literature. A pretty young misfit small town girl (with special powers) falls for a big-city Vampire who is trying to be fit into the mortal world.
The Shack by William P. Young
Whoops, I didn't finish this one either. A spiritual, Christian allegory about a man facing a crisis of faith who goes in search of peace and finds GOD. I don't know why I didn't finish it. I'm a pretty spiritual person already.
The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay, all by Suzanne Collins
These were really fascinating. These 3 young adult books are a series about a girl, Katniss. The books are set in the future when the United States no longer exist. Instead there are segregated colonies that are forced to compete to the death by sending a teenage representative into a Survivor type game. Only, the game is to the death. I didn't think that I would like the violence and science-fiction type story-line, but it was very compelling and I couldn't wait to read how it all played out. I admit, I let Chickee read them and she flew through them too.
Knit Two by Kate Jacobs
The second book in a series, the first one was 'The Friday Night Knitting Club'. This was ok, somewhat predictable.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
An interesting story, recently made into a movie with Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson. It's about a young man, driven by tragedy away from his home only to find a new home of sorts with a circus. He gets a rude education about the ins and outs of circus life and hierarchy of the performers and staff. Was it set in the 1930's I think? I can't remember. The author did research of the old traveling circuses and had some very interesting notes in the back of the book. I didn't even like reading about poor treatment of animals in a book, so I'm glad I didn't see the movie because that would have been even more disturbing. Still, an important part of the love story between this animal trainer and the unavailable performer... their love was taboo for multiple reasons.
High Five, Hot Six, Seven Up, Hard Eight All by Janet Evanovich
These are Stephanie Plum novels. They are all the same... all hysterically funny. Stephanie the reluctant bounty hunter in pursuit of colorful elusive characters all while juggling the on again off again relationship with the steamy police detective, Joe, and the mysterious bounty hunter, Ranger. Too funny.
Audition: A Memoir by Barbara Walters
I'm still working on it. I like being able to read the book and know Barbara's voice as I go. She is very frank about her life and especially her relationship with her special needs sister. She has an interesting comment, that people often say that they wish they had Barbara's life and she says something to the effect of 'then you have to take ALL of it, the good and the bad'. She didn't always have it easy and it is a good reminder when we find ourselves envious of others and how we perceive their lives to be idyllic.
Quicksilver by Amanda Quick (audio)
It was a dumb book, but it was the only audio book I had at the time to entertain me while I did chores... A period book about a lady with paranormal powers who gets caught up in a serial murder plot. Of course there is a handsome, dangerous, detective of sorts who helps and protects her while they solve the case. Boring and far-fetched. I think there were several times when I groaned out loud at it. In the past, I have enjoyed this author, but this series is just not worth my time.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Now, this was worth reading. Set during WWII, a young Chinese-American boy befriends an American girl of Japanese descent in Seattle. The two are separated by the Japanese internment camps and they are separated by the racism of his Chinese father against the Japanese. Very fascinating. The story spans the generation using effective flashbacks back and forth between the present and the past. As the two struggle to maintain contact.
No comments:
Post a Comment