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1readinggeek
1. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
I was surprised by this book. I expected it to be a real downer - and there were some heartbreaking moments - but it was much more uplifting. To have the strength he had while enduring what he did is inspiring. It not only gives a fresh insight on dying but also helps one put things in perspective. The last paragraph - not counting the epilogue - is one of the most beautifully-crafted paragraphs I've read in quite some time...and made me cry like a baby.
I was surprised by this book. I expected it to be a real downer - and there were some heartbreaking moments - but it was much more uplifting. To have the strength he had while enduring what he did is inspiring. It not only gives a fresh insight on dying but also helps one put things in perspective. The last paragraph - not counting the epilogue - is one of the most beautifully-crafted paragraphs I've read in quite some time...and made me cry like a baby.
2readinggeek
2. Putin's Russia by Anna Politkovskaja
Vladimir Putin has been in power for nearly 20 years and it seems very, very little has changed. This book was published in 2004, but I was surprised by how the criticisms/concerns of nearly 13 years ago could just as easily have been made/had 13 minutes ago.
Vladimir Putin has been in power for nearly 20 years and it seems very, very little has changed. This book was published in 2004, but I was surprised by how the criticisms/concerns of nearly 13 years ago could just as easily have been made/had 13 minutes ago.
3readinggeek
3. The Doll's House: A Detective Helen Grace Thriller by M.J. Arlidge
I realize this is only the third entry in the Helen Grace series, but I have been pleasantly surprised to find that the books remain topnotch. I am reminded of the Tana French Dublin Murder Squad series. I never grow tired of them and look forward to the next one.
I realize this is only the third entry in the Helen Grace series, but I have been pleasantly surprised to find that the books remain topnotch. I am reminded of the Tana French Dublin Murder Squad series. I never grow tired of them and look forward to the next one.
4readinggeek
4. The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness and Obsession by David Grann
I liked that this was a bunch of short stories. I was a bit disappointed, however, that a couple of them didn't have any real closure, but I guess that's what makes them "real life." Real life doesn't always come with a ribbon wrapped in a nice pretty bow on top. The story about the father accused of setting a fire that killed his three children was the one that really stuck with me. The idea that someone who possibly didn't commit a crime was executed because of expert testimony that appears to be anything but "expert" really made me question my support of the death penalty. It's not every day that you read something that does that.
I liked that this was a bunch of short stories. I was a bit disappointed, however, that a couple of them didn't have any real closure, but I guess that's what makes them "real life." Real life doesn't always come with a ribbon wrapped in a nice pretty bow on top. The story about the father accused of setting a fire that killed his three children was the one that really stuck with me. The idea that someone who possibly didn't commit a crime was executed because of expert testimony that appears to be anything but "expert" really made me question my support of the death penalty. It's not every day that you read something that does that.
5readinggeek
5. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
I know a lot of people look down their noses at YA literature - I'm ashamed to say I've done it myself - but this book really makes an impact if you open your mind to it. The idea of reliving a day of your life isn't a new one, but by the end of the book and Samantha's last "relived" day, I was thinking about the people I would have to say goodbye to if this were my last day and how they would remember me. I was in tears at different points of the book, but it did more than make me cry. It made me realize that I often take things and people for granted. Any book - YA or otherwise - that can change your outlook and attitude is a good one. I'm looking forward to watching the movie, hoping it does the book justice.
I know a lot of people look down their noses at YA literature - I'm ashamed to say I've done it myself - but this book really makes an impact if you open your mind to it. The idea of reliving a day of your life isn't a new one, but by the end of the book and Samantha's last "relived" day, I was thinking about the people I would have to say goodbye to if this were my last day and how they would remember me. I was in tears at different points of the book, but it did more than make me cry. It made me realize that I often take things and people for granted. Any book - YA or otherwise - that can change your outlook and attitude is a good one. I'm looking forward to watching the movie, hoping it does the book justice.
6readinggeek
6. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
This is one of those books that everyone assumes I've read simply because I'm an English teacher. (Well, let me let you in on a little secret: This English teacher has tons of "classics" she hasn't read...and she doesn't care.) I'd never been interested in reading this book because I'm not a big fan of Mark Twain. The only reason I agreed to spend part of my precious spring break reading it was because my student-teacher voiced an interest in teaching it, and I didn't want to say "yes" or "no" without having read it. I'm glad I did read it because it's a pretty good book. I may break down and give some other Twain titles a go...or not. It just depends on what I'm feeling.
This is one of those books that everyone assumes I've read simply because I'm an English teacher. (Well, let me let you in on a little secret: This English teacher has tons of "classics" she hasn't read...and she doesn't care.) I'd never been interested in reading this book because I'm not a big fan of Mark Twain. The only reason I agreed to spend part of my precious spring break reading it was because my student-teacher voiced an interest in teaching it, and I didn't want to say "yes" or "no" without having read it. I'm glad I did read it because it's a pretty good book. I may break down and give some other Twain titles a go...or not. It just depends on what I'm feeling.
7readinggeek
7. The Snake Charmer: A Life and Death in Pursuit of Knowledge by Jamie James
This book chronicles the life of Dr. Joe Slowinski, a man who dedicated his talents to studying creatures that most people avoid. It appears to be an honest portrayal because there are things presented about him that aren't particularly flattering or, at times, likeable. It's nothing major, but I like the idea of a person's life being shown warts and all.
This book chronicles the life of Dr. Joe Slowinski, a man who dedicated his talents to studying creatures that most people avoid. It appears to be an honest portrayal because there are things presented about him that aren't particularly flattering or, at times, likeable. It's nothing major, but I like the idea of a person's life being shown warts and all.
8readinggeek
8. All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda
I liked the way this book was arranged. By moving backward through time, I really had to pay attention to what was taking place and how characters changed both in the past and future. I was disappointed with the way everything kind of wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly, but overall I was entertained.
I liked the way this book was arranged. By moving backward through time, I really had to pay attention to what was taking place and how characters changed both in the past and future. I was disappointed with the way everything kind of wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly, but overall I was entertained.
9readinggeek
9. The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer by Skip Hollandsworth
I don't think it's giving anything away to say the identity of the Midnight Assassin is never revealed, but it was a fascinating look at what things used to be like in the worlds of law enforcement, race relations, newspapers, etc.
I don't think it's giving anything away to say the identity of the Midnight Assassin is never revealed, but it was a fascinating look at what things used to be like in the worlds of law enforcement, race relations, newspapers, etc.
10readinggeek
10. Syndrome E: A Novel by Franck Thilliez
I was really into this book for about the first 250 pages. Then it took a turn that made it really hard to stay on board. Everything seemed to be pulled into the fray: CIA, French Foreign Legion, etc. It was just a little too much for me to believe. The bulk of the book was entertaining, but the end was disappointing.
I was really into this book for about the first 250 pages. Then it took a turn that made it really hard to stay on board. Everything seemed to be pulled into the fray: CIA, French Foreign Legion, etc. It was just a little too much for me to believe. The bulk of the book was entertaining, but the end was disappointing.
11readinggeek
11. Cold Calls by Charles Benoit
This was a really fast read, but it suffered from the same problem as Syndrome E: A Novel: an underwhelming ending.
This was a really fast read, but it suffered from the same problem as Syndrome E: A Novel: an underwhelming ending.
12readinggeek
12. The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry by Jon Ronson
I'm still not sure if this book is fiction or nonfiction, but it ended much better than it started.
I'm still not sure if this book is fiction or nonfiction, but it ended much better than it started.
13readinggeek
13. The Fireman: A Novel by Joe Hill
The beginning and ending were good, but I felt there was some editing that needed to be done. The scariest thing about the plot wasn't the disease; it was how easily people turn on one another.
The beginning and ending were good, but I felt there was some editing that needed to be done. The scariest thing about the plot wasn't the disease; it was how easily people turn on one another.
14readinggeek
14. The Grizzly Maze: Timothy Treadwell's Fatal Obsession with Alaskan Bears by Nick Jans
I went into this book expecting to read about a nut who was overly obsessed with bears. In some ways, I wasn't disappointed. What Jans did that surprised me was humanize Treadwell in a way that made me not only feel sorry for him but also appreciate what he was trying to do. Don't get me wrong. I still think Treadwell was very, very wrong to handle himself the way he did, and he appeared to be an opportunist in every sense of the word. That being said, I think he did have good intentions; he just found the glow of the spotlight a little too attractive.
I went into this book expecting to read about a nut who was overly obsessed with bears. In some ways, I wasn't disappointed. What Jans did that surprised me was humanize Treadwell in a way that made me not only feel sorry for him but also appreciate what he was trying to do. Don't get me wrong. I still think Treadwell was very, very wrong to handle himself the way he did, and he appeared to be an opportunist in every sense of the word. That being said, I think he did have good intentions; he just found the glow of the spotlight a little too attractive.
15readinggeek
15. Somebody I Used to Know by David Bell
One of the things I liked about this book was that I thought early on I had it all figured out, but I was WRONG. Being surprised was a good thing in this case. The end didn't work so well for me because everything was wrapped up so quickly that there wasn't really time to wrap my head around what was happening. It wasn't an overly complicated ending, but there were several loose ends that were wrapped up in the last few chapters. Also, there was a character who played a rather crucial role through roughly three-quarters of the book who just kind of disappeared when everything came to a head. I would have liked to have gotten her reaction to the events that took place. Other than that, it was a quick, relatively satisfying read.
One of the things I liked about this book was that I thought early on I had it all figured out, but I was WRONG. Being surprised was a good thing in this case. The end didn't work so well for me because everything was wrapped up so quickly that there wasn't really time to wrap my head around what was happening. It wasn't an overly complicated ending, but there were several loose ends that were wrapped up in the last few chapters. Also, there was a character who played a rather crucial role through roughly three-quarters of the book who just kind of disappeared when everything came to a head. I would have liked to have gotten her reaction to the events that took place. Other than that, it was a quick, relatively satisfying read.
16readinggeek
16. Julia Pastrana: The Tragic Story of the Victorian Ape Woman by Christopher Hals Gylseth
It's amazing what society used to find entertaining and/or appropriate. For a book purporting to be about Julia Pastrana, I wished there had been a bit more about her. I appreciated the additional information about other "sideshow attractions," but I felt there wasn't enough detail about Pastrana. Her death was basically summed up in a paragraph or two. In a weird - albeit unintentional - way, the book was a bit disrespectful to her in that sense.
It's amazing what society used to find entertaining and/or appropriate. For a book purporting to be about Julia Pastrana, I wished there had been a bit more about her. I appreciated the additional information about other "sideshow attractions," but I felt there wasn't enough detail about Pastrana. Her death was basically summed up in a paragraph or two. In a weird - albeit unintentional - way, the book was a bit disrespectful to her in that sense.
17readinggeek
17. Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell
I can't remember the last time I read a book like this one. I'm normally not a fan of "period literature," but this was a good read. I liked that Morrell used different techniques to reveal facts: journal entries, flashbacks, etc. The truly amazing thing was that everything worked together even though things were written/told from different characters' memories/perspectives. That's not an easy thing to do.
I can't remember the last time I read a book like this one. I'm normally not a fan of "period literature," but this was a good read. I liked that Morrell used different techniques to reveal facts: journal entries, flashbacks, etc. The truly amazing thing was that everything worked together even though things were written/told from different characters' memories/perspectives. That's not an easy thing to do.
18readinggeek
18. Penpal by Dathan Auerbach
In my opinion, a scary book doesn't have to have a lot of blood, guts, and gore. This book doesn't have much of that, but it is genuinely unsettling in places. Unfortunately, a lot of that creepiness was undone by an ending that didn't make a whole lot of sense. I "got" what happened, but there were still too many holes to make it a true ending. Perhaps that was the point?
BTW - The wrong book is tagged. :(
In my opinion, a scary book doesn't have to have a lot of blood, guts, and gore. This book doesn't have much of that, but it is genuinely unsettling in places. Unfortunately, a lot of that creepiness was undone by an ending that didn't make a whole lot of sense. I "got" what happened, but there were still too many holes to make it a true ending. Perhaps that was the point?
BTW - The wrong book is tagged. :(
19readinggeek
19. Dare Me by Megan Abbott
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It didn't exactly wrap up the way I wanted or expected, but sometimes that's a good thing.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It didn't exactly wrap up the way I wanted or expected, but sometimes that's a good thing.
21readinggeek
21. The Trespasser: A Novel by Tana French
I have loved all of the Dublin Murder Squad series. I do have to say that I think this was the weakest of the entries. It was still really good, but I felt there were parts that dragged on for longer than necessary. I liked the working relationship between Conway and Moran, and I really appreciated that it stayed professional. All that groping-in-the-cloakroom stuff makes me ill. :)
I have loved all of the Dublin Murder Squad series. I do have to say that I think this was the weakest of the entries. It was still really good, but I felt there were parts that dragged on for longer than necessary. I liked the working relationship between Conway and Moran, and I really appreciated that it stayed professional. All that groping-in-the-cloakroom stuff makes me ill. :)
22readinggeek
22. The Snowman by Jo Nesbo
I was actually disappointed in this book. I wanted to read it before the movie hit theaters, so maybe I wasn't reading it the way I should have. I felt it was a bit disjointed. I kept getting characters - other than the main ones - confused. I understood what was going on, but I just didn't care. The added disappointment was that the movie didn't come to my local theater, which means by the time I see it, I'll probably have to reread the book.
I was actually disappointed in this book. I wanted to read it before the movie hit theaters, so maybe I wasn't reading it the way I should have. I felt it was a bit disjointed. I kept getting characters - other than the main ones - confused. I understood what was going on, but I just didn't care. The added disappointment was that the movie didn't come to my local theater, which means by the time I see it, I'll probably have to reread the book.
23readinggeek
23. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
You can't go wrong with Hercule Poirot. I read the book several years ago, but wanted to reread it before the Kenneth Branagh movie. I didn't manage to pull that off, but it didn't matter. I enjoyed the movie - even if there were some unnecessary "additions" - and finished the book a couple of days later.
You can't go wrong with Hercule Poirot. I read the book several years ago, but wanted to reread it before the Kenneth Branagh movie. I didn't manage to pull that off, but it didn't matter. I enjoyed the movie - even if there were some unnecessary "additions" - and finished the book a couple of days later.
24readinggeek
24. The Wilderness of Ruin: A Tale of Madness, Boston's Great Fire, and the Hunt for America's Youngest Serial Killer by Roseanne Montillo
The book covered more territory than I expected. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but there was a lot of "jumping around." It covered all the elements of the title, along with Oliver Wendell Holmes, Herman Melville, and a host of other people/things. I think there might have been a little too much going on for a 275-page book.
On a side note, I must say Oliver Wendell Holmes is an enigma wrapped inside a puzzle. He was very much opposed to harsh punishment of Jesse Pomeroy - the "youngest serial killer" of the title - in the late 1800s. He went so far as to write letters to the Massachusetts governor supporting commuting Pomeroy's death sentence to life in prison. Yet in 1927, while a justice on the US Supreme Court, he was far less compassionate. In Buck v. Bell, he said that Carrie Buck could be forcibly sterilized because of her "feeble-mindedness." Compassion for a child murderer, but no compassion for a "feeble-minded" individual. Go figure.
The book covered more territory than I expected. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but there was a lot of "jumping around." It covered all the elements of the title, along with Oliver Wendell Holmes, Herman Melville, and a host of other people/things. I think there might have been a little too much going on for a 275-page book.
On a side note, I must say Oliver Wendell Holmes is an enigma wrapped inside a puzzle. He was very much opposed to harsh punishment of Jesse Pomeroy - the "youngest serial killer" of the title - in the late 1800s. He went so far as to write letters to the Massachusetts governor supporting commuting Pomeroy's death sentence to life in prison. Yet in 1927, while a justice on the US Supreme Court, he was far less compassionate. In Buck v. Bell, he said that Carrie Buck could be forcibly sterilized because of her "feeble-mindedness." Compassion for a child murderer, but no compassion for a "feeble-minded" individual. Go figure.
25readinggeek
25. Final Girls by Riley Sager
I was really with this book until the end. It wasn't that I didn't see the ending coming...which I didn't. It was that the ending seemed rushed. Everything else was drawn out over a couple of hundred pages. Then, over the course of roughly 25 pages, a "shock" ending was dropped on me. I would have liked a bit more explanation to those twists and turns.
I was really with this book until the end. It wasn't that I didn't see the ending coming...which I didn't. It was that the ending seemed rushed. Everything else was drawn out over a couple of hundred pages. Then, over the course of roughly 25 pages, a "shock" ending was dropped on me. I would have liked a bit more explanation to those twists and turns.
