Hello fellow Lit Nerds! I know I write book reviews for some
of the books I’ve read in the past, but I figured I would give a quick summary
of all the books (I can remember) I’ve read this year, especially since some of
them didn’t make it to a full review.
It’s Just a F***ing Date[1]- I won’t sugarcoat
it, this is a ‘self-help-esque’ book about dating. It’s a fun read full of good
points and helpful advice, but it definitely loses steam midway through.
While at parts the book seems preachy and almost sexist against the male
population, as a whole the first half of the book was fun and easy to
read. The second half of the book, however, completely missed the mark.
Lone Survivor- If you’re into
military books or just history in general, this is a great read. This is
the story of Marcus Luttrell, Operation Red Wing and Seal Team 10. What I
liked about this book is that it is a piece of history that my generation
actually lived through, so I was familiarized with some of the events.
You are forewarned though, it is a little lengthy, as Luttrell goes very
much into depth about his BUDS training. But, if you are between
this book and the movie, I would say to read the book first. I know a lot
of people did not agree with me on this, but I think the movie did not do the
book justice, as some event depictions are just more heart wrenching and
detailed in the book.
The Fault in Our Stars- There is a blog[2] about this, so I will
be short, but of course this book is now a cult classic and YA
phenomenon. John Green manages to rip our hearts out and fill us with
hope as we follow the story of two young lovers battling their way through
cancer and falling in love along the way.
Looking for Alaska- I made the mistake
of reading this right after The Fault in Our Stars. I say
that was a mistake because it took away from Looking For Alaska as
its own book. There were similarities between the two books, but that can
really just be attributed to Green’s writing style. Alaska is
a darker book than The Fault, filled with shenanigans and a little
more dark/adult humor. This is the story of a young outcast who transfers
schools in his senior year in search of ‘The Great Perhaps’ and makes an
interesting group of friends along the way. The book follows Pudge and
his new found friends as they play pranks and create havoc on their school, all
which leads up to this big event. Alaska is not as
dreamy and loving as The Fault, but it is a great read in its
own right.
Girls in White Dresses- If you have seen my
previous blog post[3], you know that I am in
love with this book. This book follows four friends as they navigate
through life post-college in a sea of weddings, bridal showers, and love
lost. I read it at a time in my life where I could absolutely relate, as
all of my friends are getting married and all my weekends are filled with
wedding festivities, but it is a great read. I recommend this to everyone
I talk to books about. This book, while talking about weddings and
marriage in a satirical manner, filled me with hope for the future and kept me
entertained until the end.
If I Stay- Oh the things that I
can say about this book. I recommended it to one person who found it too
depressing and put it down before reaching the end of the first chapter.
I loved this book; I read it in a week. It was sad, because of the
subject matter, but I never felt that it depressing. Depressing
insinuates that there was no sign of hope. If I Stay is
about the protagonist, Mia, who is driving in a car with her family when they
get into a fatal car accident which takes the lives of her family and leaves
her hanging on by a thread with a choice to make; stay or leave. Gayle Forman
writes this sad youth novel in such a way that you find yourself rooting for
Mia and wanting to know what she decides more than feeling sorry for all that
she lost. I am not the strongest person when it comes to reading, my mood
for the day very much changes depending on the subject matter I am reading (I
do not read, I crawl inside books and live there) but this book never made me
sad enough where I had to put it down. That’s not to say I didn’t have
some tears through some parts, but I would read this book again.
Slaughterhouse Five- One of Vonnegut’s
classics, and for a reason! This book was a dense read, but I never once felt
overwhelmed by it. It is a little hard to describe this book, as it
starts as a WWII novel and turns into a story following Billy Pilgrim and his
life in the war and being a time traveler who was kidnapped by aliens. I
had no previous knowledge of the subject matter, nor a particular interest in
Dresden, but this was an interesting read. There were a ton of good
quotes that I loved, and each chapter made me more and more intrigued to see
where this story was going. It isn’t an easy read, in the sense that if
you’re looking for something mindless you are better off with another book, but
it is not a difficult book to get through or understand. This is just a
read that does require your attention.
Where’d You Go Bernadette- I could talk for
days about this book! Where’d You Go is the latest
subject of my blog article[4], and my newest favorite
book. This is an absolutely amazing summer read, as it is a fun read,
both captivating and carefree. This is the story of Bee Branch whose
eccentric mother, Bernadette goes missing after a series of whirlwind events. Where’d
You Go has bombshells and gems hidden behind every corner, that will
keep the reader guessing until the end.
I am currently (and frantically) ravaging through reading lists to
see which book will be a good next read to bring with me on vacation and follow
up Where’d You Go. I am still in mourning of exiting that
great world, but I am sure the next book I read will distract me from my
mundane activities and transport me to another world [as any good book should
do!] So if you have any recommendations or books you would like a blog
written on, feel free to write it in the comments, I am always open for book
discussion!
Xoxo,
Nerd Girl
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