Okay fellow librarian wannabes, quick update on the book situation. I finished The Paris Wife last week, and, well, I find most books fit into one of two categories.
1. I can’t wait to turn the page because I’m completely enthralled in the book OR,
2. I can’t wait to turn the page because I’m one page closer to being done.
This fell into category #2 for me. Maybe I would have felt different if I was a Ernest Hemingway buff, but regardless, I felt no connection to the characters. (Although the last quarter of the book picked up for me.) Moving on!
I’m reading Night Circus right now, and I’m hooked. Cutting for Stone is next. Can’t wait. (If you all are looking for a new book to read, please check out the comments on this post. Great suggestions!)
Also, as I was browsing through my favorite peeps on Sweet Relish, I found this list of books by Addie H. (Holla, Addie H! Thank you!)
Didn’t even think about using Sweet Relish for books and such. (If you missed my post on Sweet Relish, all the details are here.) Genius, I say.
Have any of you read any of the above? I read about half of Born to Run, but never finished. What about Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling?
ppp
February 21, 2013 at 3:18 pmI am reading Casual Vacancy now and loving it! Characters are endearing and interesting, and its a simple story (at least it is so far) that is somehow intriguing nonetheless.
For the record, i LOVE LOVE LOVED Night Circus.
Also, have you read Gone Girl?? Talk about not being able to put a book down! Eegad!
whoorl
February 21, 2013 at 3:21 pmI did read (and love) Gone Girl, and the ending made me totally stabby!
Amy
February 21, 2013 at 3:20 pmWild is one of the best books I’ve ever read. Recommend!
whoorl
February 21, 2013 at 3:25 pmGot it on my Goodreads list!
Lynne
February 21, 2013 at 3:22 pmI felt the exact same way about The Paris Wife. My entire book club loved it…but me. Felt a little like I missed something.
Catherine
February 21, 2013 at 3:43 pmI listened to Night Circus and LOOOOOVed it. I think it would make an incredible movie with all the awesome scenes she sets in the circus. I second Gone Girl. I yelled at the book when I finished with it. Not many books get me that worked up!
Julie / Bound
February 21, 2013 at 4:07 pmNo, but seriously. I also was listening to it on Audible, and I thought there was some kind of technical failure…because there was no way that could be the end. Only it was.
Chiara
February 21, 2013 at 6:07 pmI found Casual Vacancy disappointing. I think JK Rowling’s gift is writing adolescent characters–in CV those were the most compelling. I, however, did like The Paris Wife and was inspired to read A Moveable Feast because of it. A Fault in Our Stars was really good.
Michelle
February 21, 2013 at 6:35 pmME TOO! I totally wanted to love it, but I just didn’t. I abandoned it about half way through because I couldn’t take it anymore.
Amy Smith
February 21, 2013 at 7:01 pmForgive me for totally rabbit trailing from all these awesome book recommendations….but Sweet Relish made me think of RelishRelish and was just wondering if you were still using it ;D I started it years ago when you’d mentioned it, but kind of fell off the bandwagon. I was wondering if you were still a fan and if it was worth rejoin.
Okay then, carry on with the book talk :)
whoorl
February 23, 2013 at 4:15 pmHaha, yes, I’m still a member, although I don’t use it quite as much as I used to!
lucy s.
February 21, 2013 at 8:01 pmLoved The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Absolutely hated Wild.
I’d recommend checking out Dark Places and Sharp Objects, Gillian Flynn’s earlier books. They were really creepy and fun.
Lauren
February 21, 2013 at 9:21 pmI just finished reading Casual Vacancy a few weeks ago. It fell in to category #2 for me. I didn’t enjoy reading it but I liked it when I was finished. Does that make sense? I was planning on reading The Paris Wife next but now that you said it’s a category #2 I think I’ll postpone that one for a bit! Love the Kate Spade book!
birdgal (another amy)
February 22, 2013 at 7:09 amI felt the same way about Paris Wife–I couldn’t connect to the characters very well and I HATED Ernest Hemingway (and I know he was an asshole in real life too). So, yeah, I wanted to get to the end so I could start something else (in fact, I skimmed the last few chapters and didn’t regret it one bit). Loved the Night Circus and Cutting for Stone (two of my favorite books actually)–currently reading a more YA book ‘Daughter of Smoke and Bone’ which is a ‘can’t turn the pages fast enough’ kind of book. Totally recommend.
brianne
February 22, 2013 at 9:51 amThe Night Circus is one of my most favorite books. It’s amazing. I hope you love it.
The Casual Vacancy was much anticipated, but I couldn’t make it through the book. And I tried SO hard–I do not give up easily on books. I look forward to what you think!
brianne
February 22, 2013 at 9:55 amAlso, I felt the same way about The Paris Wife. Kinda “meh”.
And my dream job would be working at a library.
Okay, I think that’s it. Books get me excited=)
Claudia
February 22, 2013 at 2:00 pmThe Fault in Our Stars was my MOST FAVORITE book of 2012, and I’m a voracious reader-librarian, so I guess that could be telling.
I enjoyed Cutting for Stone, and The Paris Wife, but really got a lot out of The Casual Vacancy. You can’t go reading that expecting anything like the Harry Potter books except, as Chiara above said, her teenage characters. This was brutal, painful, and really ugly, but just wow. I found it very worthwile. Loved where the Night Circus was going, but ultimately I didn’t feel like the ending matched the other 5/6 of the book.
Enjoyed The Secrets of Mary Bowser quite a bit. And the Gillian Flynn books are great fun. You just need a strong stomach for painful dysfunction (and other painful stuff).
Go directly to The Fault in Our Stars, in any case. Just great.
Claudia
February 22, 2013 at 2:02 pmAlso, for yourself and your readers like Brianne, go get a job in a library! What are you waiting for? Libraries are the best place to work, and the MLS or MLIS degree is awesome. Can’t say enough good things about the work, the profession, the degree, the people.
kat
February 22, 2013 at 5:45 pmooh! good to know about the paris wife. i HATED gone girl. in fact didn’t finish it, read the last chapter and was like this book sucks. now i think i have to find the night circus. sounds like a winner!