This is an occasional series that chronicles my quest to read 60 books this year. Book reviews 2014: take four. Let’s see how it went, shall we?
I have a confession to make. I checked out three actual books from the library, and they were all books I have been wanting to read. In my initial excitement, I thumbed through them and read about 15 pages in one. This was three weeks ago. Yesterday I returned them, all unread. Three weeks, and I didn’t read a single one of them.
Library fail. Not even the promise of a crazy James Franco book could get me to read hard copies.
It’s not that I wasn’t reading. In that same time period, I read five books. On my Kindle, on my iPhone, on audiobook.
The pile of physical books on my nightstand keep growing and growing, and I can’t seem to do anything about it. (Apologies to my friend Sara because I’ve been holding her books hostage for at least a year.)
I’m going to issue a challenge to myself to read one hardcopy book over Labor Day weekend. Hold me to it, OK?
The good news is that not only am I on pace to finish 60 books this year, I’m two books ahead of pace. I owe it all to audiobooks. Again, I can’t believe it took me so long to jump on the bandwagon.
(Do you follow me on Goodreads? You should!)
P.S. Book Reviews 2014: Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3
Book Reviews 2014: 40/60
I Totally Meant to Do That / Jane Borden
File under: Memoirs, essays
Plot: Southern girl moves to New York and talks about how different life is in the Big Apple.
Review: This was OK for a minute, then the shtick got old.
Amazon Goodreads
The Expats / Chris Pavone
File under: Espionage, mystery, suspense
Plot: Woman quits her CIA job to move overseas with her husband and children, only to uncover more secrets in her immediate circle.
Review: What a fun ride! I was on the edge of my seat to find out what the next twist was.
Amazon Goodreads
How to Love / Katie Cotugno
File under: Young adult, romance, coming of age
Plot: Teen mom comes to grips with her life and expectations when her baby daddy rolls back into town.
Review: This story felt realistic, the situations were almost embarrassingly accurate (if you recall high school with any kind of sincerity), and I was rooting for Reena to come into her own throughout. Plus, it was refreshing to read a teen mom story about a girl who turns out to be a good mom despite the circumstances.
Amazon Goodreads
Gladyss of the Hunt / Arthur Nersesian
File under: Literature, murder-mystery, New York
Plot: Virgin rookie cop gets mixed up with Hollywood actors as she investigates a serial killer.
Review: Arthur Nersesian pulls out all the stops with his usual cast of crazy characters (including New York), but the ending is a bit of a downer.
Amazon Goodreads
Reached / Ally Condie
File under: Y.A. dystopian fiction
Plot: Cassia and her two boyfriends inexplicably hold the key to saving the Society.
Review: If you’ve read the Divergent or Hunger Games trilogies, you know how this one goes. (A serviceable but predictable and ultimately disappointing ending, but (silver lining here) it’s a better ending than Divergent or the Hunger Games.)
Amazon Goodreads
California / Edan Lepucki
File under: Dystopian fiction
Plot: Couple deals with the end of the world — and question how they will raise a child in it.
Review: A breath of fresh air in the dystopian department, which is to say this is a major upgrade from the Y.A. stuff that’s prevalent in this genre.
Amazon Goodreads
A Desirable Residence / Madeleine Wickham
File under: Chick lit, WTF
Plot: A bunch of terrible people doing terribly stupid things.
Review: I’m not sure what the point of this story was. This is the first time I’ve ever been disappointed by a Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham novel.
Amazon Goodreads
How Did You Get This Number / Sloane Crosley
File under: Memoir, essays
Plot: Author copes with turning 30, among other things.
Review: A pleasant if not noteworthy collection based on Crosley’s quirky personality. An easy read for fellow thirtysomethings, but don’t expect too much.
Amazon Goodreads
The Transcriptionist / Amy Rowland
File under: Literature, philosophy
Plot: Newspaper transcriptionist unravels after an acquaintance commits suicide by lion.
Review: A brilliantly written narrative and commentary on how technology and news change our lives, for better or worse.
Amazon Goodreads
The Secret History / Donna Tartt
File under: Murder-mystery, suspense, literature, brat pack, creepy
Plot: What happens to a group of friends after they kill one of their own. A murder mystery in reverse.
Review: This is the kind of story that stays with you. Who are these people, you’ll ask yourself. These despicable people, the kind you can’t relate to yet nonetheless are drawn to like a magnet.
Amazon Goodreads
In a Nutshell
Three to read: The Secret History, The Transcriptionist, How to Love (the runners-up were also very good: Gladyss of the Hunt, California, The Expats)
Three to pass: I Totally Meant to Do That, A Desirable Residence, How Did You Get This Number (it wasn’t a very good round for essays)
So there you have it. Forty down, 20 to go. Wish me luck! What have you been reading lately? I’m always on the lookout for a good book …
Also: Linking this post with Modern Mrs. Darcy, where you should totally go for even more book recommendations.
