Read These!

Nine Inches by Tom Perotta

Nine Inches is a collection of short stories. It is awesome! Each story is unique and intriguing and makes you want a whole book based on just the little snippet Perrotta shares with the reader. I couldn’t possibly pick a favorite but some of the topics were a pedophile police officer, a recent graduate selling drugs because he didn’t get into college, a 12-year-old Chinese-American girl pitcher on an all boys team, a teacher who is in love with one of his colleagues even though he’s married with two kids and a husband who’s lost everything after cheating on his wife. I enjoy reading a collection of short stories; there’s something in that feeling of accomplishment when you finish a whole story in one sitting.

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

This book is the second in the Maze Runner trilogy by Dashner. It was just as good, if not better, than the first. The boys have escaped the Maze and believe they are saved and will now enjoy a nice, quiet, safe life. Wrongo! The boys are still part of an experiment to save the human race only this time they are running for their lives. Cranks (zombie-like people) have taken over the world…and the world has been ruined by sun flares. It is scorchingly hot and there are cranks everywhere. Thomas, the main character and leader, must decide who to trust and how to keep he and his buddies alive. I really enjoy Dashner’s trilogy; it’s unique without being too weird. I’m reading the last one, The Death Cure, right now. So far so good!

Insurgent and Allegiant by Veronica Roth

I finally finished this trilogy by Roth and I really liked it. Many of my friends were disappointed by the second and third books but I really enjoyed them. In the second book, Insurgent, Tris and her friends have decided to fight the evil Erudite leader, Jeanine Matthews, to try and save their factions and life as they know it. In Allegiant, the group has discovered what exists beyond the gates and must decide what they will do about it. It’s difficult to tell you much else about the series without giving everything away. I liked how Roth kept the action and thrill while exploring the love story between Tris and Tobias. There are twists and turns and times where you’ll hold your breath. That makes for a good book, don’t you think?

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

Please tell me you’ve read this book so we can talk about it. Please? The whole time I was reading the book I just kept thinking…this woman is NUTS. I don’t understand how her husband, her family and, most of all, her daughters dealt with her craziness. I understand it’s a Chinese cultural issue, but still. I don’t know how her daughters survived her with their psyches in tact. I wouldn’t say the book is good…because it made me sad and uncomfortable…but I’m glad I read it. I definitely will not be adopting the Chinese mother strategies, I can tell you that much.

Have you read anything good lately?