May 2, 2014

April Books


Prized  by Caragh O'Brien A
I knew I'd make it around to the sequel of Birthmarked eventually!  I think you all need to start reading this series.  Really.  If you liked The Hunger Games, you'll like this.  It has all the elements of a futuristic dystopia with a heroine who is truly likable.  Up next: Promised.

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell B+
I love this movie (Hint, hint: gift idea.  I can't find it anywhere.) I've been chasing down the book for years now (I guess I haven't been chasing very quickly. It's copyright 2005 and all.)  The book is actually a lot different from the movie, but I really enjoyed it.  I naturally gravitate toward people who use cooking and baking as a coping method, because I do that too.  However, as someone who has never lived in an apartment or in a city, I'm fascinated by Julie.  If you like food, you should read this book.  Even though the recipes aren't super-appealing to me, foodies would love this book. Julie Powell was dedicated.
Also, there's no "Julia" in the book.  It's all about Julie, her family, her relationships, her personal growth.  My fear was that it'd be half-biography-of-Julia-Child and it definitely wasn't.  I wasn't crazy about the author's non-opinion of heaven (which is just depressing), but oh well.

Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly  A++
Last year, we listened to Killing Lincoln on our way back to Missouri from Pennsylvania.  We bought it in a moment of sheer desperation at Barnes and Noble.  It was a worthwhile $25 investment because 14 hours is a long time to drive.  (However, if you want to buy it from me for $15, I'd be more than willing to ship it your way.)  I knew I wanted to read Killing Kennedy but didn't have the patience for it.  Enter the audiobook…
I really enjoyed it!  Something about Bill O'Reilly reading it reminds me of a history lecture. I feel like I learned a lot from it and found the entire book fascinating.  If you're a Mad Men fan, I think you might like it too, whether or not you have an interest in non-fiction.  I enjoyed the way O'Reilly built up a background of JFK and Jackie and their personality likes and dislikes.  He really made them into "people", not just historical figures I learned about on Mad Men (kidding).
For example, did you know that MLK Jr. was an adulterer?  I didn't.  I don't know that I'd be able to teach MLK Jr. lessons to children now without thinking about this book.

Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris A-
This book was the 3rd in the Harper Connelly series.  It was the most interesting so far, but also has some unexpected twists.  Harper and Tolliver go to a small town in North Carolina to investigate a serial killer. I like listening to the Harper stories. There is nothing more productive than finishing a book while you're driving.  It's, in my opinion, the best possible use of time.  I do recommend reading the books in order.  Don't start with this one, or you'll be kinda lost.

Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist  B+
Very thought provoking.  I enjoyed it and would recommend it.  It's a collection of stories and life lessons.  I found some of it hard to relate to but, overall, a pleasant read. I enjoyed Bread and Wine a bit more because I thought her recipes were fantastic and she should just write a cookbook already (has she?)

What are you reading?  I'm quite proud of this reading progress I have going.  It's making me feel  quite accomplished.  My goal was 3 books a month in 2014.  I've gone way past that!

Books from January, February, and March.

9 comments:

  1. Thanks for reviewing julie & julia! I haven't gotten my hands on the book yet either, but I loved the movie. I'm glad it's not about Julia really--not that I don't like her, I'm just far more interested in the one doing the challenge, you know?

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  2. I just finished The Pecan Man a few days ago. It's a really quick read, and I liked it. I'm in the middle of Pride and Prejudice, but that kind of book tends to take me a while to finish. I'm also reading Girl in Translation and enjoying it so far.

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  3. You are on a reading role! I finished Room last week and I'm in the middle of The River of No Return. I honestly think it's one of my favorite books so far and I'm not even finished with it.

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  4. I loved Julie & Julia too... such a cute movie too, but I love anything with Giselle from Enchanted :)

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  5. Looks like you found some good books this month!! I'm still throwing around the idea of reading Birthmarked...and I've had Julie and Julia on my list for a while - I love the movie and I used to watch Julia Child's cooking show every time it was on when I was a kid.

    Speaking of the movie - you can buy it on Amazon! :)

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  6. My mom gave me a copy of Killing Kennedy last summer. Maybe I should read it. I also have a couple books geared towards kids that she gave me about the Revolution and such. I'll get around to them eventually, but the romances keep calling my name!

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  7. You are a reading machine! Since I finished Allegiant, I haven't been in the mood to read...even though I did update my Goodreads account to show that I'm reading "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas." I've only read the first two chapters. I'll be a reading fiend in 23 days.....(aka when school's out).

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  8. I'm impressed! I"m working on reading more and will certainly look to your suggestions for future reads. xxi

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  9. I want to read all those Bill O'Reilly books! One day...

    I wasn't like "OMG I love this book!!" about Birthmarked, so I'm not in a huge hurry to read the next one. Books have been disappointing me lately...

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