Wow how time flies. I started what I thought would be a repeat feature on the same date last year about good reads I’ve had. And now a year later, I’ve written #2 in the series. Oops… Anyway, better late than never right? I can only resolve to definitely write (and read) more this year.
The Fault in Our Stars: there are books that make you laugh, and books that make you cry, and books that make you think. And once in a while, a book comes along and touches your life in a way that few other things in life can, and you will never forget it. This was one of those books for me. I feel like nothing I write would do it justice, but here is a really great review of the book that said it all for me.
Me Before You: I picked this up on a whim and could not put it down. Based on the description of the book, you’d expect it to be chick-lit, but it’s not. At least not to me, I think it’s so much more than that. For starters, it’s not about a slightly one-dimensional female protagonist whose only goal in life was to find her Prince Charming. This is a book about a girl living her life in the relative safety of her small town, with a steady boyfriend, and your average dysfunctional family, who meets a boy who had everything then lost it all in a terrible accident. I know, the set up sounds cliché, but their story isn’t. Sometimes, our lives run along just fine, until a single event/encounter changes it forever.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: this was the only book I brought on our honeymoon, and I started it on a train from Siena to the Cinque Terre. It was so enjoyable, I couldn’t even be distracted by the beautiful scenery flowing pass me outside the window (at least until we got really close to the Cinque Terre and you can see the sea from the train, but that’s another story) If you are familiar with Jonathan Safon Foer, you know his style is quirky. And this was a story that was at once so lovely, so funny, so sad, so wonderful and so heartbreaking. I felt these exact emotions when I read The History of Love as well, which is written by Jonathan’s wife, Nicole Krauss.
The Emperor of Paris: I admit it, I’ll pretty much read anything that takes place in Paris :) But then again, a terrible book that takes place in Paris is still terrible. This one, though, was excellent. The author writes in short paragraphs and writes short novels, but manages to convey so much with so little. The language is elegant and poetic. The author makes use of every word and phrase, and nothing is wasted, extra or purposeless. You know how some novels seem needlessly wordy? This brings me back to my high school English classes when one of my English teachers would occasionally take out an entire paragraph in my essays because they were wordy, haha. Though I think short and concise can sometimes be blunt and boring, but this wasn’t the case. The amazing language and power of words aside, this is at the heart of it, a sweet love story.
The Twelve: I’m a HUGE, I repeat, HUGE fan of Justin Cronin’s first novel in this apocalyptic trilogy. Naturally I was beyond excited when I got my hands on an advanced reading copy of the book almost 2 months ahead of the publication date! I started it at once and barely put it down. This was not a disappointment and was well worth the wait. The book picks up where the first one finished and also introduces some new characters. Once again, I was completely immersed in this whole new world that the author created. If you didn’t like The Passage, you probably wouldn’t enjoy this one. I can’t wait for the final book of the trilogy!
Last, but not least, The Art of Racing in the Rain: this book had been on my To-Read list for at least 4 years, ever since it first came out. I mean, come on! That cover?! (It’s a little bit hard to see in the above photo, but if you google it, you’ll see what I mean) Finally I picked it up in the fall from among a pile of books I had and I just loved it. It was everything I thought it would be and then more. To put it simply, it’s wonderful story about life, family, love, loyalty and hope told through the perspective of Enzo, who is a Lab/Terrier mix. I never cared or knew much about racing but I found Enzo’s insight on the human condition through the analogy of racing not only refreshing, but deeply moving.