So, let me advertise my own walk of shame. Here goes...
BOOKS I AM CURRENTLY READING:
I. The Jungle Upton Sinclair
A Classics Challenge selection that would fulfill my Banned Book requirement, I found I had the hardest time getting into this initially. When I finally found myself invested in the characters (about 130 pages in), I felt that I cared for them so much that I couldn't bear reading anymore of the woe that characterized their sad lives. It's been over a month, and I still haven't finished. However, I'm not giving it up, just waiting till some of the anxiety of all the recent changes in my life subsides.
II. The Forgotten Garden Kate Morton
Okay, so we all know I'm a thrifty shopper. However, sometimes (and I hate to admit this) I splurge on books (meaning I pay full price). Don't hate me. There are plenty of books that I will buy full price, but when expenses are tight and you need to appease a hankering that the library can't satisfy, you go out and attempt to find it for half the price at a used store. Well, I needed something lighter, not chick lit light, but something that had a magical element and included several generations of interesting female characters. Kate Morton's The Forgotten Garden fit the bill; plus, once I heard that it contained a secret garden (and I love gardens), it stuck with me for months. After no longer being able to stomach the (what I thought to be) ridiculous queue at the local library, I broke down and purchased a brand new copy at the Barnes and Noble up the street. While there are elements I find completely endearing and sweet, there's something about Morton's writing that makes me feel a little cheated. The storyline seemed entertaining: a granddaughter searches for missing pieces to the mystery her recently deceased Grandmother spent her whole life trying to uncover about her own unexplainable past. And, while I feel that the female characters are pretty great, there's just something lacking. The dialogue offers little depth that would help me relate, hindering my ability to suspend disbelief. At 600+ pages, I've decided that I'm going to finish (hey, I'm already over 300 pages in) but without haste - when I feel like reading, I will.
III. The Road of Bones Anne Fine
A young-adult novel I discovered after reading The Book Thief, The Road of Bones is an account of a young boy growing up in an era that closely resembles post-revolutionary days of Soviet Russia. A novel created to explore the darkest moments of revolution and war within a landscape, Fine wishes to raise awareness of the paranoia and hysteria of such periods through the perspective of a young man coming-of-age. The novel reads unlike any young adult novel I've come across, exploring the power of corruption and manipulation while evoking fear. I'm slowly making my way through this title, as well, despite the darker content, but have really enjoyed it thus far.
Book Club Picks for the Month of May:
I. Eating Animals Jonathan Safran Foer
I'll be finishing the first half of this book for my first book club meeting in over a month this coming Wednesday! I'm so excited to be seeing all of my favorite ladies again, not to mention the attendance of two new participants! Although I'm a bit nervous about reading this nonfiction title, I have little doubt that I'll glean loads of new information.
II. Click: When We Knew We Were Feminists Edited by: Courtney E. Martin and J. Courtney Sullivan
A pick for the FWHC reading club I organize, I chose this title so that we could welcome all the new participants at the center with a series of short stories from leading females throughout the world. Not only is it a great collection, but it creates the perfect opportunity to share stories about our own lives. I'm excited to get it finished and share!
Look daunting? Tell me about it. So, what are you currently reading? How do you cope with limited energy and time to read?
