What I’ve Been Reading

Hey hey! If you missed Friday’s post (because you were drunk on berries and hot dogs) then go ahead and catch up on some of my personal life…waiting…

Ok! Now, I know that you liked my last book review, so I’ve decided to gab some more about the next chunk of books I read! 

Definitely let me know what you think! Have you read any of these books? Do you have a suggestion for me to read next? I have a long list going, but I love new suggestions. 

The Good Luck of Right Now (Matthew Quick):This book was a surprising little read. It was a quick, light read and was entertaining, simply because you were spending the whole book trying to figure out who the characters really were. The story is told by means of letters from the main character, Bartholomew, to Richard Gere (or, simply a diary-like entry because Gere is in his imagination). Weird, right? You develop sympathy for the character as his mental deficits are revealed. Because you don’t start out knowing that anything is truly “wrong” with the main character, you are more apt to believe everything he says, and find the good in each character he meets.

I’d recommend it simply for the experience. So you can ask someone, “seriously, what did you think of that book??” Plus, it took me less than 2 days to read it, so, really why not?

 

The Goldfinch (Donna Tartt): I did it. I conquered the beast and read this Pulitzer prize winner. Yes, it took me a month because I had to take some serious breaks from it, but I did it. It was good. Trust me, it’s worth your time. The odd thing about this book, is that it is told from the point of view of a young teen boy. He has just been in an art museum bombing and survived, and the book drags you through the aftermath of his life. He is bounced from a stable yet pretentious family’s home to his father’s home in Vegas (who had been otherwise absent to him) and plunged into a life of alcohol and drug use. All the while, there is a back-story of a missing painting that he has in his possession, always haunting him and reminding him of that bombing. He is constantly torn between doing things he knows are wrong and wanting to be better than that. It’s an amazing story, and the characters stay in your heart long after the book is over. Because of the intensity of the content, I had to take breaks or “breathers” after every few chapters. I could really “feel” what he was going through and it was so tough to read.

I’d definitely recommend this one, and tell you to read it with patience. I think I would’ve gone into shock if I had tried to read it any faster. But, because I read it so slowly, once it was over, I felt a sad loss because the characters had been a part of my life for a month!

 

Why We Broke Up (Daniel Handler ie Lemony Snicket): This one is so fun and hits you in a way you’d never expect. This book is told in the form of letters from a teenage girl to her now-ex-boyfriend.  Through the letters, you learn all of the ins and outs of this short yet meaningful teenage relationship and learn where the shortcomings were and how it all fell apart. I think we can all relate to it. You’ll find yourself saying “that was so me in high school…this is so real!” It was almost painful to go back to that teenage angst but it was totally worth it.

This was another quick read! It’s pretty light and easy too, so it’s perfect for the summer. Plus, it’s illustrated! I haven’t read an illustrated book since I was a kid and they just don’t make them like that when you’re an adult. But, there’s a picture at the beginning of each letter and each letter ties to the picture. Very fun.

 

The One and Only (Emily Giffin): Another chick lit hit! I love Emily Giffin and I have all of her books and have been reading her for YEARS. That being said, yes she does follow a formula for her writing, making the storylines predictable. But that’s what makes chick lit fun! You get to know the main character, learn who she has a crush on and why it’s just wrong and yet you root for them anyways. I love it.
The main character in this book is a loveable average woman who has a deep love for sports…and her best friend’s dad. Ouch. But, I didn’t think it seemed incestuous like I heard some other people say. It wasn’t HER dad. Anyways, now you have to read it and judge for yourself!

 

The Matchmaker (Elin Hilderbrand): I died. So so good. I had never read a book by this author before, but she may be my new chick lit favorite! This story was totally irresistible and makes me want to live by the beach. I loved that the main character in this book was a middle aged woman, yet you felt like you could relate to her and didn’t wish it was about a bouncy young gal. She tells the story from the point of view of one main character, but she switches it up and gives you a few chapters from other characters’ views too, letting you fall in love with each one. It was so well done too (complete opposite of the mess that the third Divergent book became).

The main character is known around her hometown as the friendliest staple in the area, and the matchmaker too. So, when the love of her life (and father of her now-adult child) comes back to town, she is completely thrown off and doesn’t know what to do (she’s married and comfortable…but she knows that her old love is the true love of her life)! It’s amazing. You’ll cry. So good.

 

The Cuckoo’s Calling (Robert Galbraith ie JK Rowling): I’m currently reading this one! So, I’ll tell you about it when I’m done. But I just wanted to show you what I’m currently digging into. 

 

Disclaimer: this is not a sponsored post. Any links to books are just so you can see what they look like online and are not affiliate links.