Category: Book Talk

What I’ve Been Reading

Lauren7 Comments

Joey has never been a big reader. I think he was halfway into an autobiography by Larry Bird when I first met him and I think he finished it like last year. I think.

Anyways, after hearing him say his problem was that nothing ever holds his attention, I suggested he pick up a thriller. Something along the lines of a Stephen King or a James Patterson novel. A month and 3 (very long) books, later, I find myself dating someone who’s always reading. Meanwhile, I’m playing around on my phone, letting my brain rot and wondering what is going on?!

But I guess I did finish a few books recently too, so maybe I’m just being dramatic.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

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My favorite book. Favorite. I still remember reading it for the first time and being so so sad when I finished it. There’s nothing grandiose or life-changing about it. It’s just a cute little story about a writer from London who starts a correspondence with a literary club on Guernsey, an English island that was occupied by the Germans during World War II (the book takes place right after the war ends). The whole book is written in letters, which I love. The book is endearing, enchanting, heartbreaking at times and so so happy at others. Also, I find it incredible that the book was co-authored (mostly written by Mary Ann Shaffer and finished by her niece Annie Barrows after Mary Ann’s death) and yet, it is seamless. I just adore this one.

The Kite Runner

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Everyone read this already years ago, right? Okay, we’ll I’m behind on the times. I read this one while we were in Jamaica and turns out, it’s popular for a reason. It’s really good. I judge a book on its ability to make the reader feel. That, and a good plot, interesting characters and an author who actually knows how to write. The Kite Runner has all of these. It’s basically the story of two boys who are not only man and servant, but also best friends. I will say that the book definitely tugs at your heartstrings. At times, I was so mad at the main character and at others, I was so proud of him. I think this one is worthy of the hype.

Bel Canto

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Another vacation read and sorry Mom, but I was not a fan of this one. My mom and I usually align on the kinds of books we enjoy but this recommendation was a miss for me. It started out promising, when a group of politicians are taken hostage by a terrorist group. The remainder of the book details the relationships and bonds that are formed between the two groups. It’s very heavy on character development, while the plot slows to a crawl. I think this is what my mom loved about it and why I didn’t like it. One of the hostages happens to be a highly-acclaimed opera singer and I’ve heard that the book itself it supposed to read like an opera. You can’t like em all, I guess.

Happy Friday!

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Are you a big reader?

What are you reading/or read recently?

Do you have a favorite book/author/genre?

A Book Review: Outlander

Lauren5 Comments

A few weeks ago, Joey and I stopped into Barnes and Noble so he could find a book for himself. While strolling through the aisles of the fiction section, I saw a big thick book propped up on one of the lower shelves. I pointed at it and very jokingly said, “There ya go, Joey, read that little one.” Then I gave the book a closer look, and exclaimed, “Oh my god, I’m reading that!”

Oh the joys of reading something on your Kindle and not being able to see a physical copy of the book.

I found Outlander by Diana Gabaldon in my mom’s Amazon collection (I believe it came highly recommended by a client of hers) and yes, it’s very long. I find it so much harder to review a lengthy book. There’s so much going that I basically find it impossible to deem it all good or all bad. And this book, how do you even classify it? It is a book about time travel? Is it a love story? Is it an action novel? Or is it a historical fiction that takes place during the 18th Century in Scotland? All of the above!

I won’t bore you by recapping the entire plot, but I’ll give you the gist. The main character, Claire, accidentally time travels back to 18th Century, where she meets the ancestor of her husband. He becomes the villain of the story. She goes on to marry and fall in love with a younger Scottish redhead named Jamie and the rest of the novel revolves around all the trouble they constantly find themselves in.

Overall, there was plenty to enjoy about the book. By the end, I felt like I had such a clear sense of who all the characters were and genuinely liked most of them. The romance between Claire and Jamie was very endearing and I loved the historical aspect of the book. I was a few credits away from a history minor in college, but I couldn’t get the hang of writing those history papers. Something about my writing being too “flowery.” I don’t know what those professors were talking about, considering how short and to the point this post is…

What I didn’t like, however, was all the rape and violence going on. I know that was typical of 18th Century Scotland, but it just isn’t my thing. And the book was a little, ahem, long. Did I mention Outlander is a seven book series? I just didn’t love it enough to read the other six. I guess I’ll just forever be in suspense about what happens between Claire and Jamie.

On to something shorter and less violent.

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Do you mind reading a long book?

If you start a series do you finish it no matter what?

What are you reading right now?