Before we can in to what I read, did you know it was National Book Lover Day yesterday? Newsweek shared a list of books you can read in a day (I had no idea Breakfast at Tiffany's was based on a book!), and Monica shared some fun ways to celebrate. Now... on to the books!
My Sister, The Serial Killer- Oyinkan Braithwaite: 4 Stars
library e-book
I read half of this in one sitting- all hail short chapters! I was completely captivated from the very first pages (how can you not be when it opens with a murder... by your sister, no less?!).
I liked that there was no gory serial killer scenes, only clean up, and there wasn't a lot of police investigation, because I often feel bogged down by those details. I kept waiting to find out what made her snap and start killing though, and felt let down that that was never explained.
The Yellow Envelope: One Gift, Three Rules, and a Life-Changing Journey Around the World- Kim Dinan: 4 Stars
library e-book
The author really annoyed me in the beginning, but by the time she was about halfway through India, I felt more invested and she seemed more authentic. I was much more interested in her interpersonal relationships than the actual traveling parts though.
What's Your Story? True Experiences from Complete Strangers- Brandon Doman: 3 Stars
library hardback
This was...fine. I guess I was hoping that it would be a bit more like Humans of New York, and it definitely wasn't. Most of the letters were of mommy/daddy issues, regrets, and a lot of pain. I mean, NONE of them were uplifting or happy, and I guess that's to be expected when some stranger asks you to write a "secret," but I didn't find it very interesting. Also, I couldn't read some of the letters because the handwriting was illegible, and the composition itself was messy. It wasn't broken up in any sort of way, just a complete mish-mash of personal stories, and I think that if it had been divided in some way it may have felt like a more "complete" book.
Love At First Like- Hannah Orenstein: 3 Stars
Netgalley
Maybe I should have known that this would be complete fluff after only getting through half of the first book I read by this author, Playing With Matches. As with that one, the synopsis was interesting enough, but then it just went all over the place with these outrageous setups and the MC acted more like a floundering 20-something than a functional 32-year old. Good for a palette cleansing beach read, but not much more.
Never Let Me Go- Kazuo Ishiguro: 3 Stars
library e-book
I only picked this up for the Man Booker category in Erin's Challenge. I probably would have put it down for some other books that came in from the library that I REALLY wanted to read, but since I had such a hard time with my other Man Booker choice and I want to complete the challenge, I stuck with it. The beginning pulled me in quickly enough, but then the author's writing style started to nag me. There was a lot of "...and then this happened, but before I can tell you about that, let me go back to three weeks earlier when this other thing happened...". The middle dragged. There was also terms that were mentioned but not explained until very late in the novel like "carers," donors/donations," and "possibles," and I think had they been explained earlier, I would have been more invested in the story. It did have me thinking about it for awhile after I'd finished though.
DNF: The Accidental- Ali Smith
library hardback
This was a Booker Prize for short-list novel that I just couldn't get into after nearly 20%. I really tried. The synopsis was compelling- a girl randomly shows up at a family's summer rental home and each family member think she's there for a different reason. Each chapter was told by a different family member's POV, starting with the 12-year-old daughter. I think if this had started off with one of the other characters, it may have captivated my attention a little more. I may pick it up again in the future, but I'm not in any hurry.
Currently reading: The Perfect Stranger- Megan Miranda
What are you reading lately?
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