Thursday, March 11, 2010

11. Read at least 12 books a year, only 1 more to read!!









 Here are some pictures of our many, many books. We love books. I love the way they smell and the way the feel (and for those reasons alone I will never get a Kindle). Don't get me wrong, I love the stories. But, there's so much more to a good book. Like snuggling up under blankets with a cup of tea while you read.





12. Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos. Good read, but not my favorite. Quirky book even if it is overall forgettable. I'd recommend it though.
11. The Hours by Michael Cunningham - Loved it. One of my favorite books. Cunningham is pretty much brilliant, which I'm guessing is why he won the Pulitzer Prize. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves good literature. Almost all his sentences were beautifully crafted. The plot was engaging. The characters fascinating and deep. Can't wait to discuss this in book club this upcoming year.

10. Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs - Rated R for explicit homosexual rape, sex, and language. But it's well written, funny at times, and a terrifying look into abuse and mental illness. It's a good book - but only because it's true. Overall, I'd recommend it to those who have had severe abuse in their past (because they can relate and it wouldn't be as shocking) and for those who can stomach lots of language and sex. And I mean explicit. I literally almost threw up at one of the sexual abuse scenes...it's that disturbing. Can't say I'd recommend it to the masses though.

9. Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay - Sad. Tragic. Haunting. Endearing. Highly recommend, especially if you like Nazi Germany stories.

8. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon - Loved it and would recommend it to anyone. It's very well written, has a great storyline and characters, and is very believable.

7. The Help by Kathryn Stockett - LOVED it. HIGHLY recommend it. One of my favorites this year. It's well worth all the rave it's gotten.

6. Waiting for Snow in Havana by Carlos Eire - Wouldn't recommend. Although I have a dear friend who liked it and apparently, Amazon.com reviewers liked it, too. I thought his story had so much potential, but failed in his delivery of it.


5. Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name by Vindela Vida - Somewhere between a recommend and highly recommend. It's PG13, so take that into account when you pick it up. And it's very heavy. Do not read it when you want an easy novel - you will be disappointed. But, if you're in the mood for some family disfunction (which if you know me, is one of my favorite types of books), this is the book for you.
4. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
2. Travels with Lizbeth by Lars Eighner

1. A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas


I would highly recommend 3. Recommend 4. and 2. and never recommend 1. I'll update this post as I finish the books.

2 comments:

  1. I'm committed to the good ol' fashioned books, too. Check http://myconvertiblelife.blogspot.com/2009/08/friday-five-american-lit-101.html, http://myconvertiblelife.blogspot.com/2009/07/friday-five-short-good-reads.html and http://myconvertiblelife.blogspot.com/2009/07/friday-five-good-reads.html for some recommendations.

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  2. I've already gotten your list and have it in a Word doc on my computer. That's why I read "Their Eyes Were Watching God". One of my favorites! You have great taste!

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