That seems to be what just happened as far as posting all of that summer reading goes! The school year started with a bang, and here I am, now in December at the end of the 1st semester, and just getting around to properly updating my reading blog. I'm glad I don't have thousands of fans out there just waiting with baited breath to read all about what I'VE been reading. Thank goodness...I have read quite a bit during my hiatus. However, considering the fact that I'm a terribly slow reader, I have not read a lengthy list of books as a few of the titles I chose were rather lengthy tomes.
Books Read Recently:
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
The Memoir of an Imaginary Friends by Matthew Green
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
The Winter of the World by Ken Follett
I'm Here to Win by Chris McCormack
I just finished up The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling. I'd heard mixed reviews, but being a pretty big Harry Potter fan dictated that, no matter what the masses said, I had to commit to reading her new adult-only endeavor. Luckily the aspects of her writing style that appeal the most to me....plot and character development....were in strong form in this book, and although it took me a while to read, I truly enjoyed it!
I am a fan of small-town stories wherein everyone knows everyone, their lives are interconnected, and the plot thickens as a result. Rowling did an amazing job of fully developing a boat-load of vastly different characters in this book by tying them to one singular event: The Death of Barry Fairbrother. Now, if you've lived in a small town, be it in England or not, you can appreciate how the death of one person can actually affect nearly everyone in the community. Really, it can. And as such, by using Barry's death, Rowling is able to delve into the intricacies of his relationships with all of the other characters in the book. From the teen-delinquent Krystal Wheedon to his nemisis on the Parish Council, Walter Mollison, Barry is the one unifying, unsullied figure in the entire book. Rowling artfully shows all the of secrets of her cast, reveling shocking tidbits all the way until the rather disturbing and surprising ending.If you're looking for a book that will make you want to escape into yourself and, well, into the lives of the characters, I think The Casual Vacancy would certainly be well worth the effort!
After the Holidays, look for a review on The Memoir of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Green. Here's a brief preview:
"Here is what I know:
My name is Budo.
I have been alive for five years.
Five years is a very long time for someone like me to be alive.
Max gave me my name.
Max is the only human person who can see me.
Max's parents call me an imaginary friend.
I love Max's teacher, Mrs. Gosk.
I do not like Max's other teacher, Mrs. Patterson.
I am not imaginary."
Have a blessed and relaxing Holiday Season, and please hug and love those you care about the most. Time is precious and fleeting....
