Wildwood illustration by Carson Ellis
I've been reading a lot, but I realize I haven't posted about any books lately. Here's a little round-up of a few of the books I recently finished.
Wildwood
- Colin MeloyThis is a fun and unique fantasy book. I am a big fan of The Decemberists (the author, Colin Meloy, is the lead singer), which is mostly why I picked this up. I love his lyrics, and he has such a lovely way of using words. It is different from what I typically read, and I think the target audience is probably made up of pre-teens. It is not an instant classic, but I enjoyed it.
See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody - Bob Mould
I've been on a bit of a music biography kick lately. I definitely enjoyed this one by Bob Mould, of Husker Du and Sugar fame. I became a fan of his music in 1992, with the release of Sugar's Copper Blue (a great album, by the way), and I then spent time getting to know his other work. The book is written chronologically, and the style is as if you are simply listening to him talk about his life. It's extremely honest, and I love it for that.
The Paperboy - Pete Dexter
A friend of mine recommended this one to me. I liked the writing, but appreciating the style of writing isn't enough for me to recommend the book. It kept me interested along the way, but it's a dark story with an unsatisfying resolution.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) - Mindy Kaling
Hilarious. If you are headed to the beach and want a book you can finish in one afternoon, chuckling all the way, bring this one. Funny, entertaining, and interesting to get a little sneak peek into The Office.
The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards
This is another one that was recommended to me. The premise of the book sounded interesting, and it is. However, it goes on for far too long, and none of the characters appealed to me. After a while, I just wanted it to end. A lot of people loved this book, but although I did finish it, I can't say I enjoyed it.
I have a nice big stack on my nightstand, and I'm excited to dig in. What have you read recently?
I just got done with another Carl Sagan book (The Varieties of Scientific Experience) It was good, but it kind of just reiterated everything I learned in school, so it was a bit of a snoozefest for me. I just borrowed The Last Nude by Ellis Avery, from the library and it's been ok so far. I feel like I'm in a book rut! The last two I tried to read I couldn't get into.
ReplyDeletei love wildwood! aren't the illustrations great too?
ReplyDeleteHollie - I have a Neil de Grasse Tyson book on my nightstand. I'll let you know how it is. The book I'm currently reading is really good so far - it's called Gone Girl. I'll keep posting as I read, because I like getting book recommendations as well. And Kate - Yes! The illustrations were probably my favorite part of Wildwood. Very cool!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendations, and for your honesty on the ones you didn't enjoy. Do you continue to wade through the unsatisfactory ones, or just stop reading them? I'm always torn on whether to continue. What if it suddenly gets better? I like the sound of the Mindy Kaling one - just had a peek on Amazon and it looks like fun. I'm reading Rachel Johnson's Diary of the Lady: My First Year as Editor. It took a bit to get going, but is nicely funny - a good dip in and out of kind of book.
ReplyDelete