Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Reading Update - January books in review

If you're my friend on GoodReads, you probably already know this info. If not, I thought I'd share with  you what I've read so far this year and whether I'd ultimately recommend it to you or not.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
     Format: Novel
     My advice: Loved it! It wasn't at all what I expected, but I really enjoyed this book because of the richly drawn characters. I laughed and I cried and my heart broke and then it was healed - all within the few hundred pages of this book. This is my fave book of what I've read so far in 2016.

Grey by E.L. James
     Format: Novel
     My advice: Ehh. It was entertaining, but I enjoyed it less than I enjoyed the 50 Shades Trilogy before it. Maybe it was because I'd already read the others, and pretty much knew everything he would say/do. I don't regret reading it, but it's not something I'd recommend to others necessarily.

The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier
     Format: Novel
     My advice: Really enjoyed it! After having visited the Cluny Museum in Paris this summer and seeing these tapestries in person, I was really motivated to read this novel that was based on the people who commisioned and wove the tapestries. Some of the language seems a bit stilted, but I think it's designed to be more reflective of the time period in which this book is set. Bottom line - def read it if you've seen the tapestries or if you love reading about the medieval era.

Chocolate and Vicodin by Jennette Fulda
    Format: Memoir
    My advice: Liked it. I think her writing style is fresh, and I enjoyed her direct approach in telling the story. I didn't like that the ending seemed rushed or that there were some sections of that time in her life that seemed glossed over while others were covered in minute detail. As someone who suffers from headaches, I was fascinated by the various treatments and tests she experienced, but I probably wouldn't recommend it to someone who hasn't experienced significant headache pain. I'm just not sure someone who didn't know the pain would understand her journey in the book quite so well. Bottom line - worth the read if you struggle with headaches.

Landline by Rainbow Rowell
    Format: Novel
    My advice: Okay. The concept of the book was actually pretty cool, the idea that you could communicate with a loved one in the past and then use that communication to shape your present actions. I just felt like the author never fully developed the connections in the novel. The ending felt rushed to me in comparison to the buildup of the exposition. I did like her approach to the characters living their modern lives; that felt very real to me. Bottom line - worth the read if you are into fun chick lit.

Life in Year One by Scott Korb
    Format: History
    My advice: Ehhh. Maybe it's because I love history. Or maybe it's because I have my master's degree in history. Or maybe it's because I've read a lot about this time period in both a religious sense and an historical sense. Whatever the case, I kept waiting to read something earth-shattering in this book about daily life in year one. I never did really read anything I didn't already know. Bottom line - worth the read if you don't know much about this time period but would like to learn.

6 comments:

  1. Have you read A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman? I loved it and highly recommend it. I was sad to be done with it.

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    1. I haven't read that - putting it on my list though.

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  2. I've put the Tracy Chevalier book and The Language of Flowers on my want-to-read list. I liked Landline, even though I was frustrated with the protagonist's seeming inability to take care of herself in various ways. The author is good at writing characters that feel real to me. I recently read When Breath Becomes Air, which is very good and very sad. I'm in the middle of Everything I Never Told You, which is also good & sad. I put in a book request for two early Nora Roberts romances at my library -- I definitely need something lighter in tone to read next. :)

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    1. I'm consciously trying to read a mix of light stuff as well as the darker titles.
      Sometimes, I get in a rut and only read the really difficult things - prob not a good move especially in the middle of winter. I like Nora Roberts for the light stuff too!

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  3. Thanks for the reviews. A man called Ove is actually my book clubs next selection.

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    1. I hope you liked them. I'm thinking of making this a monthly feature on my blog if I keep up with my reading schedule/goals for this year.

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