So, after the birth of my daughter this May, it has become much more challenging to post regularly about my reading, though my reading has increased, as I spend a lot of time in the middle of the night reading on the Kindle app on my phone. It took a long time to finish my first post about reading during the school year, because it was hard to get to the computer. Fortunately, I figured out how to install the Blogger app on my phone, and use talk to text to accomplish more. So please, enjoy these abbreviated reviews, and excuse any errors that I did not catch when proofreading my talk-to-text!
It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
Spoiler alert: this isn't a very funny story. Well, the voice is somewhat funny, but the topic of major depression and suicide is not. In many ways, the protagonist of this story is very relatable, and his decision to seek help rather than kill himself is commendable--but instead of reading like an after-school special, it feels authentic and realistically positive. I still haven't seen the movie version of this.
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
I didn't like this as much as Paper Towns or Looking for Alaska, but I thought the premise of a boy genius and his friend roadtripping to get over a girl and solve the question of why people get dumped.... in the form of a complex math equation...was interesting. I had issues with the execution, with an all too obvious love story and the double numbering of Katherine 1 (though my thesis is that JG had an obsession with the K19 movie and felt the need to have her act as the "widowmaker.") The morals of the story are a bit oversimplified too, but the little quirks along the way (like the focus on a fake grave) keep it interesting. If you are John Green fan, you won't be disappointed.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
I read this SOOO long ago, that I didn't remember it, but it was interesting to see how this book has held up to the passage of time. I remember this story being so controversial because of the discussions of sex and drugs, but the drugs remain as unappealing as ever, and the story of people who are closeted in so many ways works even though mix tapes are now Pandora stations. This story was emo before emo, but the teenager feeling like an outsider (and finding a niche) is a cliche only because it is so true. I also really didn't get the ending when I read this as a teen, which I suppose is positive in that I didn't have the knowledge to realize what happened to the protagonist. I also haven't seen this movie, but now I'm really curious to see how it updated the story and handled the sensitive topics.
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Winner of countless awards, this book was consumed immediately before, during (the nurses laughed at me for sneaking in reading), and after the birth of my daughter Fiona. It was raw...so raw it made me think for a moment that the railroad was real (as it is depicted in the novel)! But of course, after a long discussion with the wise Mrs. Keane, during which we discussed interviews with the author and the symbolism of an actual underground railroad, I've found I have more to think about than to say (the mark of a good novel!) Anyway, it provides a brutal depiction of slavery and a hopefulness that, well,...is hard to let go of, even when the author asserts one must.
Okay, so that's what I read during the school year, and while I read SOO much more over the summer, I think I only have time to post about one book before I have to go back to tending small children.
Enjoy!
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