I've been in a READING SLUMP for the last couple of years. I've always loved reading, but for a good, long while I just didn't seem to "have time" to read. I would hear people talking about books they were reading and I wished that I could get as excited about it as they sounded. I read a few books, but for the most part I spent any free time I had watching tv and surfing the web on my laptop.
Suddenly all of that has changed. I don't know why, but all of a sudden I CANNOT stop reading books! It's been so much fun and I've read some really good books, so I thought I would share my book list with you along with my thoughts about each book. Here's a list of the books I read in May:
THE ROSIE PROJECT by Graeme Simsion. This book tells the story of a socially awkward genetics professor and one of his "projects". The main character was odd but somehow likable and it was kind of weird to recognize a few things that we had in common (such as being introverts and maybe a little bit OCD). The book was an easy read and it was kind of cute, but I didn't love it as much as I thought I would when I selected it.
ONE PLUS ONE by Jojo Moyes. I read ME BEFORE YOU by the same author and loved it so wanted to give this book a try. It's completely different, but I really liked this one too. This tells the story of a mother trying her best to raise her daughter and foster boy after her husband left them. It sounds depressing and there was a bit of that, but also a real sense of admiration for the determined little family that stuck together through some difficult times. There was humor + romance in the story too, and I came to love the characters. This was a good read and I would recommend it.
GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn. Well then. This was very different. I think it's safe to say that by the end of the book (or sooner) I really didn't like ANY of these people. Ugh. But, that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the story because I did. It was suspenseful, interesting, upsetting and crazily enjoyable. I had a few people tell me that I shouldn't read it because it was too strange, but I disagree. I'm glad that I read it, and I would recommend it.
STATION 11 by Emily St. John Mandel. This book was about survivors after a pandemic that wipes out 99% of the world's population. It's not sci-fi or sciency (that's a word, right?) at all, but instead focuses on humanity and philosophy. I found the book to be interesting, imaginative and haunting. It made me think about what's important, how I spend my time and how I WANT to spend my time. I finished it about 1-1/2 weeks ago and I STILL think about it. For that reason alone, I would recommend this book.
THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN by Paula Hawkins. I just finished this book last night, and even as I was racing to finish it I was wishing it wouldn't end. It was one of the few books that I finished and thought about starting over again. The characters were interesting, the plot was interesting and there were parts of the book that I could total relate to - and others parts not at all. Some people have compared it to Gone Girl and I can see that, but yet they are really, really different. Of all the books on this list, this is my #1 recommendation.
I borrowed all of these books from my local library. A couple were on the shelf when I stopped in, but for the most part I logged onto the library website and requested the books that I wanted. Then - usually in a day or two - the library called to let me know that the book(s) I requested were ready for pick up. So slick!
Have you read any good books lately? What's on your reading list? Please share in the comments - I'd love to add more books to my TO READ list. If you are looking for additional book recommendations be sure to click on the "books" link on the right sidebar where you'll find a long list of books I've read.