'Tis the Season for Reading

Well, I just added another four books onto my What I Read in 2016 list.

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

This book was so, so good!  I had trouble closing it and wished I could have just read it straight through.  Bonus - I liked the ending and thought it fit well with the rest of the book.  The Dog Stars is about a pilot, Hig, living in a post-apocalyptic world.  I felt connected to the main character and his desire for human connection.  The writing style (fragmented and/or run-on sentences) takes a bit to get used to.  It felt choppy at first but I quickly adjusted and then it made sense the further I read.  If you enjoy post-apocalyptic books, add this one to your "books to read" list.

The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

The main setting for this book is a dump in Cambodia.  The main characters live in the dump, collecting and selling trash to pay for food and their rent.  The book focuses on a couple and their young son, who is constantly sick.  The woman discovers a secret about the mean-spirited rent collector, and uses that to help her son.  When I first read a brief description of the book, I expected blackmail and such to be part of the plot but that wasn't the case.  It's best described as a book about hope and "you can't judge a book by its cover."  I'd give it a solid 4 stars.  Although this is a work of fiction, the setting and characters are real and based off of a documentary created by the author's son, a fact I found interesting.

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

Have you read this book?  It kept popping up here and there so I decided to check it out.  It's best described as a story of two families and infidelity.  I thought the writing was strong and I enjoyed the little twists.  I know some don't like when chapters skip around in time but I find it adds interest. I really wanted to like this book more but the ending didn't do it for me.  I was actually surprised when my kindle told me the book had ended.  So a good book to read but a meh ending.

Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton

Sooooo I liked reading the first half of this book, maybe because it was so personal.  The second half, for me, dragged on, and I don't want to take away from the author's experience, thoughts and message but it was just too wordy for me.  Personally, these type of books usually aren't my cup of tea but I've taken an interest in blogger books.  This is a bestseller and was selected for Oprah's book club so maybe it's just me.

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Before I go, I wanted to offer a gift suggestion for the holiday season.  If you have an avid reader in your life, especially one who is a train/subway/bus/plane commuter, a Kindle Paperwhite is a great gift.  I was skeptical at first when Rich gifted one to me but I absolutely love it.  It has made reading, including the act of getting a book, so much easier.  My commuting bag was always full - shoes, food, work, umbrella, extra socks - the kindle fit in better than a book.  Now, when Rich wants to go to sleep before I'm ready to, I can just read in bed without disturbing him and without bothering my eyes.



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