Me and My Books

Well, coming off a week-long trip to Florida, I have been thinking back to the stack of good books I read. Actually, my reading streak started before that, but I was able to finish one book, read two more, and start another while on vacation. I am on a good book streak right now, so I thought I would share what I have been reading.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

I like to read books that are going to be movies in the upcoming year. I usually skip the movie because it's bound to be a disappointment, but Unbroken is one I just might have to catch. Unbroken is the life story of Louis Zamperini. He was a former bad kid turned U.S. Olympic track star turned U.S. airman. His plane crashed into the ocean in World War II and he, and two others, floated aimlessly for 47 days in a lifeboat. As if fighting off relentless sharks 24 hours a day wasn't enough, he was captured by the Japanese and held in a POW camp for a couple of years. The torture he endured is mind-numbing. But lest you think he caved in to the pressure of his conditions. He actually survived and lived a fulfilled live post-trauma. This was a hefty book but soooo good! Angelina Jolie has signed on to produce the movie. I just have to believe it's going to be a good one.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I also like to read youth fiction. The writing always tends to be very touching in an uncomplicated way. The Fault in Our Stars is about two teenagers with cancer who meet at a support group. The story follows them through their budding relationship, their support of fellow cancer patients, and even their own illnesses. It is sad and funny and so well-written. I zipped through it in a day. And I cried through the last 30 pages. It touched me very deeply.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Here's another piece of historical fiction that is slated to be a movie. (In fact, I have watched the trailer and I cried when I saw it.) The story involves a young girl named Liesel who is fostered to a couple in Germany during World War I. Her family decides to hide a Jew in their basement. But that is only part of the story. Little Liesel is a poor, uneducated girl, but she finds a book and steals it. Her foster father, an amazing man of character, teaches her to read and this opens up a whole new world to her. She then goes on to steal many books and shares them with the hidden Jew, as well as her neighbors while they are hiding in the bomb shelter. The book is written from the view point of "Death", so you can imagine that all does not necessarily end well. But it's not creepy or weird. It's an amazing book that I highly recommend.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

This past year I read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and then went on to read Dark Places by her, as well. Sharp Objects was her first novel. And, like the others, it is slightly sadistic with lots of twists and turns. It is about a twenty-something woman who is a reporter in Chicago and is given an assignment to cover the murders of two little girls down in her dinky hometown. She hasn't been back there in many years, for good reason. While there she reunites with her mother, step-father, half-sister (who she has never met) and many other former friends and acquaintances. And, you guessed it, they are all involved in these murders somehow. Although you think you know "who dunnit", it doesn't turn out exactly how you think it will. No, it's a little more "ooh, yuck" than you think. It was a good book. I read it in a day. I like Gillian Flynn's books because they are always set in Missouri, so I can feel the setting.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I am currently reading this book. I watched the movie one night by myself and absolutely loved it. Since the movie was so good, I just felt that the book would have to be better. I am really enjoying it so far, and am halfway through. It has some really great thought-provoking nuggets. And, there is just something peaceful about what the character did. After her divorce and a volatile relationship, Liz decides to spend the next year to find herself. She spends four months in Italy (Eat), four months in India (Pray) and four months in Indonesia (Love). If you are a woman who is feeling overwhelmed with life (and know that you would never just take off to find yourself ... because this book might make you want to), then this book is a good one to read!!


What's next on the list? I am currently reading a book called At Home in Dogwood Mudhole by Franklin Sanders for the TOS Review Crew. I have only just started but it has grabbed my attention right from the start. I will be posting a review on it soon. Then I am moving onto these books to get me through the remainder of the year.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner

Have you read anything good lately that you can recommend for next year's list??