Here's what I've been reading the past few months.
The Martian by Andy Weir
This is absolutely my top number 1 recommendation right now. If you read only one book on this list, I think this should be it. Even though there are likely some that are more eloquently written, this is my fave. A highly engaging, compulsive read about a parallel timeline where we're sending manned missions to Mars. One guy gets accidentally left behind (explained in the first few sentences of the book) and becomes The Martian - the one person from Mars. Most of the book is set up as a captain's log style journal about his efforts to survive on Mars. As crazy as it sounds, it really doesn't come off as that far-fetched in the book. (Soon to be a movie with a pretty awesome cast - with Matt Damon in the title role).
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
I read most of this book on Halloween in between trick or treaters and stayed up late, late, late to find out how it ended. I couldn't stop reading it. (Sidenote: I'm beginning to wonder if all of these books actually are compulsive reading or if maybe I'm just a compulsive reader). It's hard to talk about my thoughts on this book without potentially giving away the ending, but this book made me feel ALL OF THE FEELINGS at one point or another. It's basically about a quadropelegic who wants to end his life and his relationship with his care taker. I read it while the news was filled with the young women who had set the date that she was going to end her own life, so the novel rang with an eerie sense of reality. It definitely made me question what I think about physician-assisted suicide and whether or not as a Christian there's an ethical stance I need to take. Come talk to me if you read it so that we can debrief.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The lives of a young, blind French girl and a genius of a teenage German radio engineer ultimately collide around D-Day in this exquisitely written book. The prose is absolutely gorgeous, and the characters (at least the good guys) are delightfully engaging. It's been a long time since I've read something this beautifully written. But, you know, it's World War II, so sad stuff happens along the way as well as things that are very hard to read about. However, it's well worth the read.
Paris in Love by Eloisa James
This memoir is by a sometimes Shakespeare prof and sometimes romance author writing outside of either genre and yet still touching on both. She took her family on sabbatical in Paris for a year and the result was this deft, clever memoir put together from facebook and twitter posts along with a few longer essays. It may sound weird to assemble a book in that manner, but it works here. Each little blurb is like a perfect of picture of exactly what was going on at the moment. And she portrays with biting humor what living in the City of Lights is like with an American teen and tween in tow. Bonus: It's the perfect book to read when interruptions are likely.
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
I purchased this book last summer in preparation for a fall schedule with several international trips. This is a big, thick big (at least it has a lot of dots next to it on my Kindle) and seemed like it would be conducive to helping me ignore the fact that I was trapped in a metal tube flinging around the earth for 16 hours at a time. Some people rabidly recommended this book to me. And others were like "meh." Romance? Adventure? Kilts? And it's on sale! What's not to love about this book (is what I thought to myself). Except then I started reading it, and made it about 2/3rds of the way through, and am kind of like "meh." So maybe I'll finish it one day, but also, I'm OK with not finishing it. If you're interested it's on sale for even more now (which is always annoying).
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
I actually haven't started this book, but I went ahead and purchased it when the Kindle version was on sale for $3. It's on several book club lists, so I thought I'd give it a try. It's apparently based on the true story of a female Southern abolitionist and the slave she was given as a child. It's supposed to be epic, and sweeping, and empowering, and lots of other good things. I do hope to read it soon.
Serial
If you're one of the seemingly few people left in America who haven't listened to this podcast yet, then I encourage you to hop online and start downloading it without delay. It's great for listening to on a long drive, or on the treadmill, or commute, or while doing dishes, or folding laundry, or going to get the mail. Listening to this podcast is the first time I've ever wished for a longer commute. It's the true story of a high school senior who was murdered in 1999 and the ex-boyfriend who was convicted of the murder. But was he wrongfully convicted? Sarah Koenig sifts through evidence both old and new to try and answer this question. While it's technically not a book recommendation, it's certainly proved to be a good conversation starter. Make sure you know someone else who has listened to the series so that you can trade theories. There's lots of additional podcasts and online articles on the topic as well.
What are your reading recommendations?
The Martian by Andy Weir
This is absolutely my top number 1 recommendation right now. If you read only one book on this list, I think this should be it. Even though there are likely some that are more eloquently written, this is my fave. A highly engaging, compulsive read about a parallel timeline where we're sending manned missions to Mars. One guy gets accidentally left behind (explained in the first few sentences of the book) and becomes The Martian - the one person from Mars. Most of the book is set up as a captain's log style journal about his efforts to survive on Mars. As crazy as it sounds, it really doesn't come off as that far-fetched in the book. (Soon to be a movie with a pretty awesome cast - with Matt Damon in the title role).
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
I read most of this book on Halloween in between trick or treaters and stayed up late, late, late to find out how it ended. I couldn't stop reading it. (Sidenote: I'm beginning to wonder if all of these books actually are compulsive reading or if maybe I'm just a compulsive reader). It's hard to talk about my thoughts on this book without potentially giving away the ending, but this book made me feel ALL OF THE FEELINGS at one point or another. It's basically about a quadropelegic who wants to end his life and his relationship with his care taker. I read it while the news was filled with the young women who had set the date that she was going to end her own life, so the novel rang with an eerie sense of reality. It definitely made me question what I think about physician-assisted suicide and whether or not as a Christian there's an ethical stance I need to take. Come talk to me if you read it so that we can debrief.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The lives of a young, blind French girl and a genius of a teenage German radio engineer ultimately collide around D-Day in this exquisitely written book. The prose is absolutely gorgeous, and the characters (at least the good guys) are delightfully engaging. It's been a long time since I've read something this beautifully written. But, you know, it's World War II, so sad stuff happens along the way as well as things that are very hard to read about. However, it's well worth the read.
Paris in Love by Eloisa James
This memoir is by a sometimes Shakespeare prof and sometimes romance author writing outside of either genre and yet still touching on both. She took her family on sabbatical in Paris for a year and the result was this deft, clever memoir put together from facebook and twitter posts along with a few longer essays. It may sound weird to assemble a book in that manner, but it works here. Each little blurb is like a perfect of picture of exactly what was going on at the moment. And she portrays with biting humor what living in the City of Lights is like with an American teen and tween in tow. Bonus: It's the perfect book to read when interruptions are likely.
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
I purchased this book last summer in preparation for a fall schedule with several international trips. This is a big, thick big (at least it has a lot of dots next to it on my Kindle) and seemed like it would be conducive to helping me ignore the fact that I was trapped in a metal tube flinging around the earth for 16 hours at a time. Some people rabidly recommended this book to me. And others were like "meh." Romance? Adventure? Kilts? And it's on sale! What's not to love about this book (is what I thought to myself). Except then I started reading it, and made it about 2/3rds of the way through, and am kind of like "meh." So maybe I'll finish it one day, but also, I'm OK with not finishing it. If you're interested it's on sale for even more now (which is always annoying).
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
I actually haven't started this book, but I went ahead and purchased it when the Kindle version was on sale for $3. It's on several book club lists, so I thought I'd give it a try. It's apparently based on the true story of a female Southern abolitionist and the slave she was given as a child. It's supposed to be epic, and sweeping, and empowering, and lots of other good things. I do hope to read it soon.
Serial
If you're one of the seemingly few people left in America who haven't listened to this podcast yet, then I encourage you to hop online and start downloading it without delay. It's great for listening to on a long drive, or on the treadmill, or commute, or while doing dishes, or folding laundry, or going to get the mail. Listening to this podcast is the first time I've ever wished for a longer commute. It's the true story of a high school senior who was murdered in 1999 and the ex-boyfriend who was convicted of the murder. But was he wrongfully convicted? Sarah Koenig sifts through evidence both old and new to try and answer this question. While it's technically not a book recommendation, it's certainly proved to be a good conversation starter. Make sure you know someone else who has listened to the series so that you can trade theories. There's lots of additional podcasts and online articles on the topic as well.
What are your reading recommendations?
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