Books and More Books

Even though this winter has been mild here in Ohio, there still has been plenty of time for curling up next to the fire with a good book and a cup of coffee.

Did you buy that? I hardly ever get to do that! If truth be told, it’s reading for 20 minutes at night before my melatonin kicks in. I usually do get to read through 2 cups of coffee on Sunday mornings though. Usually.

My friend Jenni told me about “Unbroken” by Laura Hillebrand. I’m usually not a nonfiction fan; Jenni and I have very similar taste in books though so I gave it a chance. I’m so glad I did! This book was AMAZING. I loved the story, I couldn’t put it down, I devoured it. Here’s the description from Amazon:

“On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.

The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he’d been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.”

I had to use their description because I just couldn’t put this book into my own words. I just loved it. I hope you’ll take a chance on it, even if you’re more of a fiction fan like me. Thanks, Jenni!

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I have to say I’m getting a little annoyed at my favorite writers that seem to be churning out books just for the hell of it. I thought Janet Evanovich’s Explosive Eighteen was just so-so. I only laughed out loud once or twice; if you read her books, you know that’s bad. James Patterson’s Private was so blah. The only reason I read the whole thing was because it was Patterson. The book ended and I didn’t feel like it wrapped up or that the story gelled at all. Me no likey. Patricia Cornwell’s new one, Red Mist, fared better in my opinion. It still wasn’t as good as her others but I enjoyed it. It kept my interest and I liked how it ended.

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If you want to read something nice and light that you can finish in a day or two, pick up Mindy Kaling’s “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?” I’m a huge “The Office” fan so I enjoyed reading Mindy’s musings from that point of view. I think you’d like it even if you didn’t watch “The Office” but maybe not as much. It was funny and brainless. Exactly what I needed!

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Kristin Hannah’s Night Road was a wonderful book even if it was a little cliche and sappy. I like that in a book sometimes. In Night Road, Jude is a mother of twins, a boy and a girl. It follows their journey through a horrible tragedy. I really like how Hannah weaved everything together. The messages in the book are very important and worth noting. I can’t tell you much more without giving it away!!! It’s a great one.

I also read Hannah’s “A Handful of Heaven“. It was really good and unique…but very predictable! I don’t enjoy predictable. The story is set during the gold rush and in Alaska. A privileged woman from Missouri ends up running a store and living with a loner in the Yukon. Gee, what will happen? I enjoyed Angel Fall’s and Firefly Lane by this author much better. I’m anxiously awaiting all of Hannah’s other books that are waiting for me on my Kindle!!

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I’m almost finished with “First Thrills” by Lee Child. It’s a collection of short stories by some of the most famous mystery/thriller writers combined with some new and upcoming mystery/thriller writers. I am loving it! I can easily finish 2 short stories before I fall asleep. I’m hoping to find some new authors from this too. There have been a couple of fantastic stories in here and I’m definitely going to look up those authors!!

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Last, but most assuredly not least, Gabe and I have been reading “The Hunger Games” trilogy together. This is my third time reading the series, but it’s Gabe’s first. I, of course, am thrilled to share this with him. I wasn’t sure he was ready for it honestly. I thought it might be over his head or that it would be a little too scary. He loved it! We’re in the middle of “Catching Fire” right now. For his birthday, he’s taking his 2 best buddies and going to see the movie.I just love sharing books with Gabe!

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So that’s what I’ve been reading lately. What about you? Please share!!