Books I’ve Read Recently

I don’t feel like I’ve done much reading since last I posted one of these updates. I think probably because it’s summer, and everyone is home, so I feel like a bit of a turd if I excuse myself to read for hours. I think it’s that and the Olympics have taken up every spare minute of my free time lately.

Moving on, here’s what I’ve made it through recently. Notice my excitement? Does it seem like there’s nothing good to read right now?

Sisterhood Everlasting This is the follow up the the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. Yes, I’ve read them all. This was a quick, enjoyable read and I’m not at all embarrassed to admit reading it. I mean, mostly not.

The Imperfectionists  I read this because it was recommended by something high brow like Entertainment Weekly or People for people who are enjoying the show The Newsroom. This was the most depressing book I’ve read in a very, very long time. Each chapter is the story of a different person involved with an international newspaper with flashbacks to the creation of the newspaper that all come together at the end. There wasn’t a single chapter that wasn’t a complete downer. There was one moment where I thought that perhaps something cute might be happening and it turned into something completely humiliating. And the bad thing that happens to one of the characters is so awful that I felt like the author had gone too far. I almost put the book down with 10% to go. The New York Times Sunday Book Review published a rather glowing piece, and I will admit that the stories tie in to each other quite nicely, but seriously. Depressing. In case I haven’t driven this point home, at one point one of the characters is looking for a job that won’t let her down, so she goes to work for Lehman Brothers. I mean, COME ON.

The Marriage Plot This was our book club book for July, my pick, and overall I enjoyed it. Some people went crazy for this book, and I always feel like I’m missing something when that’s the case. I liked it, but I’m not going to beg you to read it. The thing that I can’t really seem to let go is that despite the character Madeleine’s apparent fixation with “The Marriage Plot” this isn’t particularly well developed. For a book that was more thought than action, this kind of left me thinking that I had missed something.

Gone Girl Perhaps I should have just listened to Elizabeth when she said this:

And it felt so full of “tricksy little author tricks!”. Like, yeah, for you! You successfully made me like a character, and then changed my mind! And then you made me change my mind again! And then again! Fancy! Except I don’t care about that at all!

Unfortunately, I had forgotten that she said that, and listened to the rest of the internet. I liked this book until I was 51% of the way through. Then I spent the rest of the book being annoyed with the author.

Faithful Place This was my first Tana French, and sometimes Twitter doesn’t steer you wrong. I just really loved the writing and the story, even if crime novels aren’t necessarily my thing. I want to read everything she’s written.

I’m currently halfway through Gold, and I’m liking it, but I can’t yet recommend it. If I were in the habit of recommending books I liked at the halfway point, I would be telling you to read Gone Girl and One Day. I also have started Shadow of Night, but haven’t made any real progress. What should I read next?