That woebegone "On my nightstand" section of the sidebar over there has been completely pathetic for about a year now. Stale doesn't even begin to describe it.
A) I didn't cry at the end of The Fault in Our Stars*, and was afraid I might be shunned as a result. Better to appear slow and possibly too emotionally wrecked to go on.
B) I no longer have a nightstand.
C) I read loads of fantastic books, then suddenly became very territorial about the whole thing.
D) I thought people would prefer knowing how to make brownies and cheese dip, so I blew off the book reports.
The answer is, D), and a little bit of A)**.
But, on this very rainy afternoon, with the comforting drip drip drip of water leaking from flaking ceilings into various metal bowls on the floor, the slamming of the kids' doors as they hole up in their rooms with flickering laptop screens held seven inches from their faces, the odor of wet dog wafting around, and my husband stomping through the house grumbling about why everyone just leaves their shoes all over the place for him to trip on***, it seems like the perfect time to bury myself in a good, catch up, book post.
Books I've Loved
(all of these have been added to The Nightstand section of The Shop, with more specific "Why you might love it, too" notes)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman
Magical, lovely, and delightfully creepy. Gaiman at his best.
The History of Love - Nicole Krauss
I wanted to applaud at the end, and literally gasped at times as the threads came together. One of the best "interwoven stories" novels I've read.
I wanted to applaud at the end, and literally gasped at times as the threads came together. One of the best "interwoven stories" novels I've read.
The Financial Lives of the Poets and Beautiful Ruins - both by Jess Walter
Very different books. Financial Lives is a terrific black comedy, Beautiful Ruins an homage to the power of place and how art tells stories. Loved them both.
Very different books. Financial Lives is a terrific black comedy, Beautiful Ruins an homage to the power of place and how art tells stories. Loved them both.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - Rachel Joyce
Hands down the most endearing book I read all year. You won't forget it.
The Light Between Oceans - M.L. Stedman
A baby washes up on the rocks of a lighthouse isle. Can there be any harm in keeping her? Why, yes.
A baby washes up on the rocks of a lighthouse isle. Can there be any harm in keeping her? Why, yes.
The Snow Child - Eowyn Ivey
A lonely couple in the wilderness of a century ago seems to will a child out of the storm. Is she real?
A lonely couple in the wilderness of a century ago seems to will a child out of the storm. Is she real?
Amazing on Audible
Heft - Liz Moore
One of the most unlikely protagonists ever, Arthur is housebound, obese, painfully shy, and in dire need of connection to the human race. So of course, there's a teenager and a temp. Unforgettable. Perfectly written and read. Listen to it now!
One of the most unlikely protagonists ever, Arthur is housebound, obese, painfully shy, and in dire need of connection to the human race. So of course, there's a teenager and a temp. Unforgettable. Perfectly written and read. Listen to it now!
The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker
A gorgeous, unexpected love story. I could not stop listening to this tale of the struggle of two mythical beings who both emigrate, unwillingly, to NYC.
A gorgeous, unexpected love story. I could not stop listening to this tale of the struggle of two mythical beings who both emigrate, unwillingly, to NYC.
What Alice Forgot - Liane Moriarty
By turns hilarious and deeply sad, this is a story of a woman who wakes up to discover she can't remember the past 10 years of her life. The bad news is, most people seem to really dislike her.
By turns hilarious and deeply sad, this is a story of a woman who wakes up to discover she can't remember the past 10 years of her life. The bad news is, most people seem to really dislike her.
Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock - Matthew Quick
A gripping, moving and oddly charming tale of a teen bent on self-destructing before the day is over. Great YA fiction that doesn't involve archery of any kind.
A gripping, moving and oddly charming tale of a teen bent on self-destructing before the day is over. Great YA fiction that doesn't involve archery of any kind.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette? - Maria Semple
Laugh out loud funny, skewering everything in its sight (and there's a LOT to skewer) as a daughter hunts for her AWOL mom through found emails, receipts and other scraps of her life.
Laugh out loud funny, skewering everything in its sight (and there's a LOT to skewer) as a daughter hunts for her AWOL mom through found emails, receipts and other scraps of her life.
The 5th Wave - Rick Yancy
Like The Passage, but with really evil Aliens instead of Vampire Zombies. Thrilling indeed.
Like The Passage, but with really evil Aliens instead of Vampire Zombies. Thrilling indeed.
11/22/63 - Stephen King
Enthralling from the get-go, with the premise of traveling through time to stop Kennedy's assassination. Oddly, that's the least of what happens.
Enthralling from the get-go, with the premise of traveling through time to stop Kennedy's assassination. Oddly, that's the least of what happens.
Me Before You - Jojo Moyes
All the tears I didn't shed for Hazel fell out of me with this one. Formulaic all the way, but I didn't care.
All the tears I didn't shed for Hazel fell out of me with this one. Formulaic all the way, but I didn't care.
NOS4A2 - Joe Hill
When the devil is riding around with personalized plates, kidnapping kids to steal their souls and trap them in Christmasland, you know bad things are bound to follow. Highly entertaining, with great characters and plot twists.
When the devil is riding around with personalized plates, kidnapping kids to steal their souls and trap them in Christmasland, you know bad things are bound to follow. Highly entertaining, with great characters and plot twists.
Worth Picking Up, But Not Quite As Good as The Other Ones
(any why I dinged them a bit)
(any why I dinged them a bit)
Life after Life (imaginative writing in a very creative form, but a little hard to follow)
The Goldfinch (great characters, but way too long, and not as "weighty" as it wants to be)
Claire of the Sea Life (truly lyrical, but a little thin in the end)
Someone (I liked The Golem and the Jinni much better, and the books reminded me of each other)
The Fault in Our Stars (I loved it at first, but was ambivalent mid-way through)
The Dinner (truly creepy, but cold)
The Dinner (truly creepy, but cold)
Books Lots of Other People Liked But I Didn't
(and why you can skip these, IMHO)
(and why you can skip these, IMHO)
The Orphan Master's Son (an indulgent slog with a few moments of brilliance. Mostly in the beginning.)
Magnificence (It's bad when the house full of taxidermy is the most exciting character)
Magnificence (It's bad when the house full of taxidermy is the most exciting character)
Arcadia (The best part was the groovy cover)
Swamplandia! (Maybe I'm just not the abandoned alligator park type?)
Wild (enough with your toes, Cheryl!)
How I Live Now (Ends with mass slaughter in a barnyard, then a convenient flight back to NY. Right.)
Last Summer of the Camperdowns (One of those annoying books where nobody behaves logically, so of course things work out badly)
The Marriage Plot (Hated everyone in it)
The Marriage Plot (Hated everyone in it)
Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls (Dreary)
The Interestings (Not)
What's On The Nightstand Now
The slate for the 2014 Tournament of Books has been announced, and I've loaded up on a few of the contenders. I'm liking How To Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia at the moment, and can't wait to start these next few:
How about you? Read any great books lately? Or, I should just stick with the brownies and do this again when it rains in LA next year...
* My daughter, on the other hand, wept buckets.
** I'm actually 100% sure people care more about the brownies and cheese dip. And, for the record, I did get choked up during lots of these other books, so I'm not completely heartless. Maybe I'll bawl when the movie comes out.
*** Guilty.
** I'm actually 100% sure people care more about the brownies and cheese dip. And, for the record, I did get choked up during lots of these other books, so I'm not completely heartless. Maybe I'll bawl when the movie comes out.
*** Guilty.
I absolutely LOVED the History of Love. Laughed my butt off while reading Where'd You Go Bernedette. Don't know if you read The Elegance of a Hedgehog but the writing is just magical. Thanks for the reading list.
ReplyDeleteI've been on the fence about Hedgehog...and you just tipped me over. Thank you!
DeleteI may pick up The Light Between Oceans and definitely Where'd You Go Bernedette, I need some of that laughter.
DeleteI hope you enjoy them. Let me know!
Delete