Linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy for Twitterature!
Yay books!
Sometimes you get really lucky and find a string of books that keeps your attention... then sometimes you read winner after winner and the birds sing and the sun shines and... well you get the picture. It was a good book month for me, and I can't wait to share!
The Road by Cormac McCarthy - In a near future post-apocalyptic setting, staying alive is the only goal, but the father and son main characters have a relationship that transcends that. Equally beautiful, touching and disturbing, this book really struck me as one that will stay with me for a long, long time.
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant - How have I gone all these years without reading this beautiful, wonderful book? This is one I skipped when it was popular because, well, because I was a snob and didn't want to read what everyone else was reading, but it's been on my to-read list for years. And it was so wonderful. This fictional story of Dinah, daughter of Jacob, is one of the most astoundingly beautiful things I've read in a long time.
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion - This story was super cute and held my attention to the last word. Don is a professor of genetics who is pretty set in his ways. He decides it's time to find a wife based on a certain set of very specific criteria... then he meets Rosie, who is absolutely none of those things. What happens next is predictably unpredictable and touching and funny and wonderful. I picked this one based on MMD's reviews and she was spot on!
The Returned by Jason Mott - This was probably my low reading point for the month. The tv show based on this book has been ALL OVER THE MEDIA, so I thought I would give the book a try, and it was only ok. As a matter of fact, it was so meh that I skipped the tv show too.
The Maid's Version by Daniel Woodrell - This super quick read (it's only about 150ish pages) is about Alma, who is telling the story of a long-ago explosion at a local dance hall to her grandson. She is the only one who knows what really happened on that long ago day, and by retelling the story she pieces it together for the readers.
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain - I saved the best for last! This is a fictionalized account of Hadley Hemingway, first wife of Ernest Hemingway, and their early years together. I've always been a huge fan of Hemingway's work, but to me Hemingway was - in my mind - a fully formed brilliant author. This background into his early years when he was a struggling writer trying to find his voice was an amazing addition to what I already knew about him. I can't say enough good things about this book. After I finished it, I fell down the rabbit hole of research into his life and that of his first wife and what happened to them in later years. I picked this title based on the recommendation of Moira at Hearth & Homefront from last month's Twitterature, and she loved it so much she started a whole new series called Book Club Bites with this title as the first feature. It's an amazing concept so be sure to check it out!
That's what I've been reading for the past month. Now I'm off to read all your fabulous Twitterature posts to get some ideas of what to read next!
The Road does stick with you long after you close it. I too enjoyed the Rosie Project and the Paris Wife. I been meaning to read The Returned because of all of the fan-fair, I am interested to see how the show turns out.
ReplyDeleteI am a fellow book snob and ignored The Red Tent for the very same reason! Maybe I should get over myself and read it already!
ReplyDeleteI've also been meaning to read The Rent Tent-- you just gave me the push to put in on my to read list!
ReplyDeleteOh, my goodness! The Paris Wife was one of my absolute favorite reads from last year - I read tons of Hemingway for school and while I liked some of his writing, I was always more fascinating by his life. This book added an entirely new layer and I did the same thing after finishing; researched their life (and the Fitzgerald's) and then immediately re-read A Moveable Feast! I've had The Red Tent & The Road on my bookshelf for years and haven't read them, eek...thanks for the great recommendations!
ReplyDeleteI have seen SO much press about The Returned. I really wanted to like it...
ReplyDeleteIt really was wonderful! I managed a bookstore for many years and I'm just discovering that I missed out on a lot of great books for that very reason. I've been slowly going back and trying to pick up things I've missed over the years, and this one was simply stunning.
ReplyDeleteOh you really should! It captured me from the first sentence until the last.
ReplyDeleteI can't stop thinking about The Paris Wife! It was just so amazingly done, and it sparked such an interest in all their lives for me. The Red Tent and The Road are both definitely worth the read, too. I've read so many great things lately that I'm having a hard time deciding what to read next.
ReplyDeleteHave you read the Aviator's wife? it's about Anne Morrow Lindburgh and reminds me a lot of The Paris Wife. LOVED The Rosie Project and you got me thinking that The Red Tent needs to be on my list soon!
ReplyDeleteI've thought about reading The Red Tent, and was looking at The Rosie Project. I'll put those on my list!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't tell, did you like The Maid's Version? The premise sounds interesting...
ReplyDeleteI haven't read The Aviator's Wife, bit it sounds like I really need to. Thanks for the suggestion!
ReplyDeleteThey are both great reads, but for totally different reasons!
ReplyDeleteOh yes - I see that my review sounds completely neutral. Oops. It was good, but in my mind I think it got overshadowed by some of the other things I read that were outstanding. It was definitely worth the read, though!
ReplyDeleteLoved The Paris Wife and The Red Tent, both of which I've read fairly recently also. My book club discussed The Red Tent last month and I was so glad for an excuse / kick in the pants to finally finish reading it. The Rosie Project - I downloaded it ages ago and still need to read it!! Must get to that soon!
ReplyDeleteI loved The Red Tent! It was such a great story! I've had The Road on my bookshelf for a long time, so maybe I'll read that soon! The Paris Wife has been on my radar, too, so I'll be getting to it asap! Thanks so much for the suggestions!
ReplyDeleteThe Rosie Project is a fun, fast read! It's a really good "in-between" book when you're reading heavier stuff.
ReplyDeleteAll those were wonderful, but it's The Paris Wife that I can't stop thinking about.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking to my Book Club Bites post! I'm so glad you enjoyed it…and the Paris Wife! I just found out about a new book called Mrs. Hemingway that tells the story of all 4 wives. I can't wait to see how it compares!
ReplyDeleteI must find a copy of Mrs. Hemingway ASAP. Thanks for letting me know about it!
ReplyDeleteThe red tent is one of my all time favorites loved that book! I'll have to check out some of these other ones!
ReplyDeleteI loved The Paris Wife, too, and find Hemingway's life and writing intriguing. I have fallen off the reading bandwagon lately, because - life - and I've been picking through The Sun Also Rises since the end of February. I'm not sure if it's taking me so long to get through it because of busyness, or because I don't want it to end.
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