I made it through all my August to read books except The Tipping Point which I am currently reading, and I even snuck in two old picks that I hadn't read in the month I was shooting for. Sarah's Key was on my June reading list, and Me Before You was supposed to be read in May. But, I finally got around to both of them this month.
First up, let's talk abut what I read:
- The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch was not at all what I was expecting. It was more a biography than anything. I think this book definitely gained traction because Randy was dying when he wrote it. Everyone wants to feel like they will have something that outlives them and in Randy's case, his children were so young when he found out he was terminal, he felt like he wanted to leave some words of wisdom, stories, and such behind for them. I don't want to sound like I'm ragging on this book, because you gotta respect the place it came from, it just wasn't as amazing as it was hyped to be, but still worth the quick read.
- Me Before You by Jojo Moyes was good. It stuck with me for a while after I put it down. I'll be honest, I pretty much read it because I like to read the book before I see the movie, and I heard they're filming the movie version of this one right now. It was an interesting read, had good characters and I really liked how they developed and grew. Even the secondary characters were at least decently fleshed out. I don't want to give anything away, so if you haven't read it yet, it's worth the read.
- Unafraid by Susie Davis was reviewed by me here.
- Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott was pretty interesting. It's a collection of biographical essays. I like her. She reminds me of my friend Chris, who's a massage therapist. They always seem to be able to find the good in people and they have very clear ideas of who they are. I'm excited to read more of her writings.
- Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rossay left me with mixed feelings. A whole spectrum of 'em. I had never heard of the Vel d'Hiv Roundup during the German occupation of France, and I don't really understand why not, because it's sounds pretty horrible. The book alternates between Sarah's story during the round up and Julia's story taking place sixty years later. The book was suspenseful and heartbreaking, yet had a few happy points too. The ending is what really turned me off. It felt like De Rossay's editor told her the story needed a little more romance so they slapped together this not really believable chain of events to tie the two stories together even more and give Julia a happy ending. It was worth the read, but the ending really didn't feel realistic in my mind.
What I Acquired:
For once it's the same amount as what I read.
- Missing You by Harlan Coban was on my book wishlist. I don't remember why or when I put it there, but when I saw the book available on Bookmooch, I figured I'd snap it up.
- The Garden of Beasts is by Erik Larson, one of my favorite history writings. I already read Devil in the White City and really liked it. I had also bought a copy of this one for Jolene when we were paired up in a previous CG Books and Bloggers swap. I found it for a couple bucks at Goodwill and had to get it.
- A Secret Kept by Tatiana De Rossay was found on the same Goodwill trip. I hadn't read Sarah's Key yet, but this was on clearance for .99 so I thought I'd take a chance on it.
- On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson was acquired when I won a blog giveaway over a Just Bee and came with a super cute mug too. I love the shape of it. Anyways, Hannah had all good things to say about this book, and sense I like fantasy stories, I was super happy to win it.
- Blue Shoe by Anne Lamott arrived in the mail yesterday. It was another Bookmooch find. It's fiction, but sense I liked Traveling Mercies so much, I'm interested to read more of her works.
Read: 30
Acquired: 42
What about you? Did you read anything good last month? Let me know!
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