January 24, 2014

Recently Read



The Lowland, by Jhumpa Lahiri.  I liked this book.  It's the story of two brothers from India.  I hate reviews that tell you too much about the plot, so I won't.  I'll just say that it's about difficult choices, decisions that impact others and last a lifetime.  It's also about family.  It's well-written, and I'd recommend it.

Waging Heavy Peace: A Hippie Dream, by Neil Young.  Yes, I know...another memoir by a music icon.  What can I say?  Musicians fascinate me.  Neil Young is pretty cool, and reading this book is like hanging out with him and talking over several drinks.  Even though he doesn't drink any more.  The book is all over the place - it's not in any kind of order, time or otherwise - and yet it works.  He writes as I imagine he talks.  He's led a pretty interesting life, and he is so passionate about his interests that it's fun to read.

The Girl You Left Behind, by Jojo Moyes.  I loved this book.  Written by the same author as Me Before You, which I also loved, this one has a much more uplifting ending.  It starts out in France during World War 1, with a young woman and her sister, attempting to maintain their hotel/bar and take care of their children after their husbands leave to fight and their town is occupied by the Germans.  It moves to present day London, where a woman is four years removed from losing her husband.  Her favorite possession is a painting her late husband bought her on their honeymoon - the same painting that hung in that hotel in France.  A legal battle over ownership of the painting ensues, and the entire history of the painting and its subject make up the story.  It's beautiful, and unlike so many of the books I've loved recently, the ending is wholly satisfying.  Highly recommend.

2 comments:

  1. Thank you Mary! Jo Jo Moyes was recommended in our book group. Someone had read "Me Before You" and wanted to talk about the book, she said it was one of those books that stays with you for a long time. My kind of reading. My daughter downloaded "The Girl You Left Behind" onto our Kindles...I will move it to the top of the list. Neil Young...what can I say, a teenage memory does not go by without thinking of one of his tunes. Thank you for all these recco's!! xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. always looking for great new reads.. thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. I really love hearing from the people who read this little blog of mine. Thanks for stopping by!

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...