Books in Review

As I am in three book clubs, I always seem to have a stack of books that grew all the time. I never get to the bottom of these stacks, but I still try.

First up,

Perks of Being a Wallflower

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I just finished this young adult book and I thought it was a great read for anyone, but especially a teen. There are some inappropriate parts (isn't that high school though?), but there is a lot of relatable events: puberty, feeling alone, not fitting in, parties, crushes, etc. The whole book is written in letter format to an unknown person. If you want a trip back to high school, pick this novel up, you'll finish it in two days like I did. Also, I pledged to read books before seeing the movie, and I'm excited to see this one.




The Kitchen Daughter

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I read this quick tale last month-- another quick one. It was an endearing story about a young girl living life on the autism spectrum. You see the world through her eyes. She copes with problems in life through cooking-- some excellent recipes also. The story isn't what I expected-- it's not another story about autism; it's about so much more. If you choose to read it, you'll see some patient parenting as well as a strong bond between sisters. Set aside a night or two and you won't be disappointed in this book.


Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

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Another book for book club, this is a love story set in England. All the ladies raved about the book. I, however, was annoyed by the main character's uppity, British attitude, especially since he hates on Americans at so many points in the book. I also was annoyed with his firm stance on manners and pedigree. It is a cute love story and I'm not sure why, but I love romances with older characters. Major is in his sixties and he falls in love for the second time in his life. I find it refreshing that love isn't just something that happens in your teens or twenties, but at any point in life-- it's never too late. If you love the Brits and romance, pick it up. It took me about a week to read.


Dress Your Family in Corduroy

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My bestie ReRe and I swap books whenever we get together and this was one of her recommendations. I absolutely loved it-- so great. This is a collection of autobiographical essay/stories of David Sedaris's life growing up. I found it hysterical, light, and definitely something I could relate to. Sedaris obviously loves his family and shows it by making fun of their idiosyncracies. I also loved that it was a book I could pick up, laugh, put it down and a week later, I could do it again.

Gone Girl

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This book was the first choice for our first attempt at creating a book club with friends, so cleverly named: Book to the Future. I loved the book. Normally, I'm not into thriller/mystery/murder stuff, but this was well-written and maddening. It also was a story I couldn't figure out for the longest time-- a twist at every corner. It was a long book, but worth the read. The suspense will keep you flipping. I managed to read this book in two days in the summer when I had the time.


Middlesex

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Lastly, is the book Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. My good buddy Jules (who has quite an adorable baby, I must say) suggested this read the last time I posted about books to read. I then suggested this for Book To The Future to read as our second book. I, unfortunately, didn't like the book as much as I wanted to. The premise is a young girl who is born hermaphroditic and then she lives life as a male when she enters her teens. I found that part of the book extremely interesting and it was the whole reason I wanted to read it. However, the first 350 pages is a detailed historical account of her family emigrating from Greece to the U.S. Again, interesting, but not my style of book. I liked that it took place in Michigan, since I am a Yooper, but the historical aspect was too much for my brain. If you are a patient reader who is into history, then I think you'll really love it. I was also very busy and it took me about 3 weeks to read this because I didn't have a lot of time and I couldn't get involved and invested like I wanted to. I must say the last 150 pages were quite intriguing though.