photo by shutterhacks
What did you read this summer?
Here's my list:
The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins- Okay, these books were awesome. I am so not the kind of person who feels like I can only read and promote books that require advanced literary theory. Of course this story about a teenager's take on her post-apocalyptic life isn't like... an enlightened piece of art. It's such a fun and engrossing read, though. I was totally hooked and gobbled them up, one right after the other.
Midwives by Chris Bohjalian- This was another fast, entertaining read. It is the story of a midwife who attends a complicated birth which ends in death. It is told from the point of view of the midwife's daughter as she and her family go through the aftermath of the tragedy. The story is totally gripping and satisfying.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer - This book is possibly the most beautiful book I've ever read. It is startling in its unique ability to break hearts.
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen - Blah. I'm mad at Jonathan Franzen. This book is enormous. The first 400-500 pages were great. The characters were awful in a totally juicy way and I was so sucked in that I actually recommended this book to other people. About halfway through, the story suddenly stalled in a HUGE way. It became dense and preachy and boring. I eventually just gave up and stopped reading. I felt totally cheated by investing myself in the first half of the book. I don't know. Freedom just bombed, for me.
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - I love Young Adult novels. They're totally guilty reading for me. Kind of like watching tv. I love that they deal with real and heavy topics, (like anorexia, in this case) but in a fun and easy to read way. I just gobble them up. Wintergirls was just okay, though. I have to admit that I don't care for Laurie Halse Anderson's style of writing. It's spare, like most YA writers, but I find it kind of lacking in authenticity, too. The bad boy character in this novel was totally cheesy and unbelievable. I didn't dislike the story, though. I give it 3.5 stars out of 5. It was worthwhile, but didn't blast me out of the water.
Cut by Patricia McCormick- Another YA novel, but this one was really gripping. It's a story about a girl who is staying in a mental institution and who refuses to speak. I read it all in one day, easily. Even with 2 children and a busy schedule. The main character was likable and sympathetic and the other teens at the institution were entertaining. This was a totally worthwhile and well written YA book.
Insecure at Last by Eve Ensler - I loved this book. It deals with our obsession with the notion of being secure, on a personal AND national level. Ensler really examines how being preoccupied with security propels us into a state of insecurity, since true security is actually unachievable. This book is a narrative of her personal life, as well as an account of the work she's done with abused women in remote, violent areas. I expected to be turned off by Ensler, considering the "I am woman!" tone of some of her work, but this piece didn't come off that way at all. It is remarkable.
Lessons From A Dead Girl by Jo Knowles - I don't know about this book. It's another YA novel and I enjoyed reading it. I actually read it in two sittings and was really grabbed by the story and the characters. It's about a girl who is being abused by another young girl, which makes for a very engrossing premise. The characters weren't totally believable for me, though. Or maybe I just felt like the motives of the abuser-girl were a little contrived. Something about it just didn't feel totally honest. Still, though... I give this story 3.75 stars out of five for being such a gripping story.
The Beach Trees by Karen White - I read this for Blogher's Book Club. It was cheesy and flowery and full of cliche. It also wasn't a totally terrible book. You can read my full review here if you want to know more.
The Kid by Sapphire - I also read this for Blogher's Book Club. This book was really unusual and kind of amazing. It was actually a really difficult read, because of the subject matter and the actions of the main character. It made me sick, sometimes. There were also parts of the story that came off as being a little too hip artistic NYC youth-ish... but in the end, I assert that The Kid is kind of a masterpiece. You can read my full review here if you want.
What about you? Did you read anything good this summer? What should I add to my Fall Reading List?
Thanks for this great list and info.! I just wrote down 'Secure at Last' and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close'. They sound awesome.
ReplyDeleteP.S. How do you not fall asleep when you read with your two little ones!? Reading is hard for me these days!
Great list, Amanda. I've only read a few of those books. Have you read Everything is Illuminated by jsf? I think it's much better than the one on this list, though I love them both. I tried reading his wife's book, A History of Love and couldn't do it. Maybe I should give it another shot. I've actually been reading very little this summer. With wedding stresses I find my ability to concentrate severely limited! Thanks for the reviews!
ReplyDeleteI remember reading Cut when it first came out and really disliking it. I remember finding it superficial and a little annoying. I know it was really popular though, so I'm in the minority.
ReplyDeleteAlso, you read a lot more than I did. I'm a little in awe and a little jealous.
Cassie, I totally do fall asleep! haha. I can't remember the last time I didn't go to bed at night with the light on and a book in my hand. I just do the best I can to make time every day to read. An hour here or there in the evenings and especially on weekends, or while Louise is napping. It's hard to do anything without just wanting to sleep, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteSarah - No, I haven't read it. It's weird because I loved Extremely Loud etc. but it didn't really make me want to run out and read another one of his books. Does that make sense? Like, it was mind blowingly beautiful, but also kind of careful and ponderous and I'm not sure I want to read more of his stuff.
ReplyDeleteSarah, I think I kind of give YA novels a pass in the category of depth. Some of them are really bare bones, like Laurie Halse Anderson's books, and I feel like the characters are barely there. With Cut, I totally get that it's not exactly a mind blowing narrative. I mean, there's a fat girl who eats pancake after pancake when she's upset, it's totally superficial. But, for a YA book, it sucked me in and the main girl had my sympathy, so I consider it a winner.
ReplyDeleteI read the Hunger Games trilogy too, and about 30 other books. Some were for review, some just because I wanted to read them. I'm also a big fan of YA books, even though I'm far from a YA now.
ReplyDeleteI'm a new follower from vB.
Nikki, I'm so glad to have you here! Feel free to pass on any book recommendations when you read something good!
ReplyDeletewow you read a lot of books this summer! i absolutely love your reviews. i hope you do more in the future. i've heard the hunger games are awesome, but for some reason i always assumed they were political/business thrillers - boring! i think i need to actually look them up though, because i'm apparently really wrong. and if you find any GOOD YA novels about eating disorders, please let me know. i'd love to read those and possibly pass them on to my girls at work.
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