summer reading
I love reading and I’m a relatively fast reader. That is, when I actually sit down and read. I usually only do that on vacation or right before bed. Since I’m not typically on vacation, that means I average about 20-30 minutes of reading on weeknights before I inevitably fall asleep. Sometimes the Kindle falls on my face and that’s super fun.
BUT with traveling to Korea (14 hour flight each way) and having lots of downtime in Korea (I was sleeping on a floor with no tv and mainly with people who don’t speak English), I had lots of time for reading. So here’s a little recap of what I’ve read recently and my thoughts.
From Goodreads: John Crowley’s masterful Little, Big is the epic story of Smoky Barnable, an anonymous young man who travels by foot from the City to a place called Edgewood – not found on any map – to marry Daily Alice Drinkwater, as was prophesied. It is the story of four generations of a singular family, living in a house that is many houses on the magical border of an otherworld. It is a story of fantastic love and heartrending loss; of impossible things and unshakable destinies; and of the great Tale that envelops us all. It is a wonder.
My thoughts: I attempted to read this book for awhile and only got about 100 pages into its 562 pages. It was beautifully written but it wasn’t very plot heavy and it literally would put me to sleep after just a few pages. I really wanted to like it but I couldn’t get into it. And then I decided life is too short to read books you don’t want to. If I give this a try again, I’ll let you guys know. Or has anyone else read it and had different thoughts?
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
From Goodreads: The summer that Nixon resigns, six teenagers at a summer camp for the arts become inseparable. Decades later the bond remains powerful, but so much else has changed. In The Interestings, Wolitzer follows these characters from the height of youth through middle age, as their talents, fortunes, and degrees of satisfaction diverge. The kind of creativity that is rewarded at age fifteen is not always enough to propel someone through life at age thirty; not everyone can sustain, in adulthood, what seemed so special in adolescence. (…)
My thoughts: I was surprised that I ended up really loving this book. I thought it started off slow and was going to be sorta meandering with no development. But then it really picked up and followed the main characters from teenagers throughout adulthood. The characters weren’t always likable, but that made them more real to me.
The Husband’s Secret by Lianne Moriarty
From Goodreads: Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive. . . .
Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.
My thoughts: I really loved this book too. It was a fast read since it was really plot driven. At the end of each chapter, I wanted to read more to see what would happen next. This would be a great beach/vacation read.
Big Little Lies by Lianne Moriarty
From Goodreads: Big Little Lies follows three women, each at a crossroads: Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay. New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all. (I shortened the description a bit.)
My thoughts: Same author as The Husband’s Secret and I read this one right after. It has a similar feel to it but much different stories. This was also an engaging read and I wanted to see what would happen next. Add this one to your beach list too.
From Goodreads: At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State — and she would do it alone.
My thoughts: I am the total opposite of outdoorsy and would probably pay a million dollars to not have to ever hike for more than a few hours. So this wouldn’t usually be a book I chose. But I saw the movie when it came out and liked it a lot. A lot of the book is about finding herself and reconciling her life and the loss of her mother. Though my feelings and experiences have been much different, it was still really relatable and engaging. A good “I want to think about life” book.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
From Goodreads: Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?
My thoughts: I love some good suspense but hate scary movie type suspense. I read this book in two days (laying on an uncomfortable mattress on the floor in Korea) and didn’t want to stop. The main character is a hot mess but you’re rooting for her and also want to shake her at the same time. And I’m a total dummy with guessing endings of books/movies so I’m always surprised. This is the book everyone is talking about right now and for good reason.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
From Goodreads: Henrietta Lacks, as HeLa, is known to present-day scientists for her cells from cervical cancer. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells were taken without her knowledge and still live decades after her death. Cells descended from her may weigh more than 50M metric tons.
HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks was buried in an unmarked grave.
My thoughts: I don’t read a ton of non-fiction, so this was a nice change of pace. I love math but am not super science-y so it was nice to read something different and I learned a ton. I was shocked that this woman’s cells were taken from her without her knowledge in the 1950’s. The cells have helped science so much, but much of the book talks about the struggles of her descendants since that time and the fact they don’t even have health insurance. It raises questions of who owns your tissues once they aren’t a part of your body anymore, as well as questions of medical ethics in general. A good read if you’re in the mood for some non-fiction.
Whew. That makes me look like a read a ton, but these are from the last few months. And half of them are from my time laying on the floor in Korea, so yeah. I wish I could read this much all the time!
Did you read any of these books or are they on your list? Did you have different thoughts on any of them? And what recommendations do you have for me or other readers? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
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