So Many Books, So Little Time

Three of my sassy girlfriends and I have "book group" every month. We're definitely not a traditional book club, nor do we even read the same book. We each bring what we have read (or books we own that someone else might enjoy) and do a swap. We thought the swap would decrease the amount of books we buy because it's like having our own personal library system (without due dates and fines). Unfortunately, we underestimated the pull of the Half Price Bookstore and overestimated our willpower :) We all have slightly different tastes in books, but that's a big part of the fun. We encourage one another to read outside our comfort zones and try books we may not normally take on. We've been doing this for a few years now, so we can generally tell who will like what. There's a lot of, "I'm going to need you to read this right now" and not much questioning of judgement. 

As you might recall from my summer reading post, I had a pretty long list to get through. I didn't even come close to completing said list, but what I lacked in quantity, I made up for in quality. Here were some of my favorites from the summer season.

The Art of Fielding - I started this one on a Saturday and read until about midnight. I contemplated staying up all night to finish and then decided to be a responsible adult and go to bed. Once I got in bed, I kept thinking, "That book is just sitting out in the living room. All you have to do is run down the hall and grab it. C'mon Emmy, you know you want to." Thankfully, I fell asleep. On Sunday morning, I SCAMPERED out of bed to get back to that book. I am not a morning person, peeps. And I most certainly do not scamper out of bed. Ever. That's how awesome this book is. There's a little baseball, a little scandal, some really great characters, and a whole lot of heart. Highly recommend this one.

The Night Circus - I bought this for my friend Tracy for her birthday (with the selfish motivation that she would read it fast and pass it around). She brought it to our next book night, handed it over, and said, "It was amazing, but I can't even explain why." I agree with her completely. All I can say is it was unlike any book I've ever read. It's 100% a world of imagination and creativity. If you try it out, go in with an open mind and don't try to guess how things are going to turn out. Just take it all in and let yourself enjoy the ride. The story is beautifully told, the characters are complex and interesting, and the story will simply blow your mind.

The Columnist - This book was fascinating. I was glad it was a recommendation or I might not have stuck with it. It's a satirical novel with a very unlikable protagonist. Because I knew that going in, I was able to get over it quickly (I like to have someone to root for!). It was, again, very unlike anything I've ever read. It's a quick read and very well-written. If you like politics and satirical humor, this would be a good pick for you!

The Shoemaker's Wife - I rarely cry at books, but this one got me good. Set in Italy, New York City, and the Iron Range of MN (!), it was a really great story, full of beautiful imagery and set around characters that I truly cared about. I have read a few other books by this author, and this one was by far my favorite. My friend Tracy said it reminded her of East of Eden in terms of the spanning family saga component. 

Broken for You - This book was nothing like what I was expecting. It took until about halfway through before I was really hooked, but once I hit that point, I couldn't put it down. It's incredibly quirky and offbeat, the characters are flawed (and better for it), and it's a book that sticks with you even after you're done reading it. 

Bonus round -  The Preservationist. My friends and I are the masters of the $2 bargain bin section at Half Price Books. There are a lot of stinkers in there, but every once in a while, you get a winner. We all made fun of my friend Christine for buying this one, but it wins the award for the most surprising book I read this summer (and we all actually really enjoyed it!). A different take on the Noah's Ark story, it offers perspectives from all different points of view (Noe, his wife, his sons, and the daughters-in-law). This was a good, fun, quick read.