reading list

So here's a funny thing about having a baby: nursing requires a lot of entertainment.  Sure, in the first few weeks it's a two handed (sometimes three handed, with my husband giving me drinks of water from a straw) job to get baby and milk to meet, but by now Claire pretty much does the work herself, and I just have to stay still.  Books & Netflix have become my best friends.  More often books, because watching Netflix means noise which means waking up Darrell, and my rested husband is 10x more likely to be helpful to me than when he's exhausted.  Here are a few favorites that have made getting up in the middle of the night more tolerable, because at least I have a good story (okay, and a super cute and hungry baby) to hang out with.  

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, 5/10 - 

This book was a quick read, and I think the best way to describe it would be "entertaining."  Narrated by it's newest employee, an ex-computer programmer, it's about a bookshop that doesn't seem to make any money, yet stays open 24 hours a day to be available for its secretive patrons.  He soon discovers that the bookstore operates as an outpost for a society that believes they are decoding volumes (stored in the back for "members") that hold the secret to eternal life.  However, the society's beliefs are called into question when our narrator uses his tech-savvy to quickly break apart the code others have tried to solve for decades.  I enjoyed it, but I was glad it was short - the plot didn't merit more pages.  

The Goldfinch, 10/10 - 

I know, EVERYONE is reading this book.  There's a good reason for that, it's stellar.  This is easily one of the best books I've read in years.  I was hesitant to get started on it, it's nearly 1000 pages and my schedule lately is more suited to something that is captivating and not terribly drawn out.  This was both, despite it's length.  The book follows the life of our narrator, a young boy who is in a museum with his mother when it's attacked by terrorists.  He miraculously survives with minimal injury, his mother does not.  At the encouragement of a man with severe head injuries near him during the blast, he steals a priceless painting from the museum - "The Goldfinch."  The book goes on to track the confused & orphaned boy after the attack, and also follows how his possession of the painting affects his path.  Unsurprisingly, it certainly doesn't make his life any easier.  

reading list

I've always been an avid reader, but once I got pregnant I had issues with very vivid dreams that basically put me off reading fiction for a while.  For most of the past 9 months, I've read nothing but baby books - helpful for calming my nerves, but not exactly intellectually stimulating.  I kind of felt like my brain was turning to mush there for a while (although I think all pregnant women feel that way).  The last few weeks I've been spending a lot of time at home and sleeping like a rock, so I've gone back to speeding through novels, something I'm hoping to keep up as entertainment during late night feedings with the baby. 

I always love to hear what other people are reading (and their honest opinions), so I decided to start a "reading list" series, featuring what I've read the past few weeks and how they rated.  Full disclosure: I read pretty quickly, but 4 books in two weeks is a lot for me - these were all fairly short.  I can't promise there will be this many each week!  

The Book Thief, 5/10 - 

Believe it or not, I started this book before I ever got pregnant.  I was in the beginning of it when I found out, but since it's about the Holocaust & WWII, it was promptly put on hold once I started having the bad dreams.  I finished it this past week, and it was okay.  Obviously it's sad, but the book has a really neat point of view (it's narrated by "death," a smart pick for a narrator in a story set during wartime) and you certainly root for the young heroine.   However, it wasn't one of the best books I've ever read, and I'm not compelled to see the film after reading it.  

The Fault in Our Stars, 9/10 - 

I started this one per the recommendation of another blog, and it was truly fantastic.  Of course, it's a "cancer book," so perhaps not the smartest thing for someone 9 months pregnant to read?  Seriously, Darrell was laughing at my ugly crying so hard that I had to leave the room - which was ineffective, since we basically live in a studio apartment.  The whole book is voiced perfectly.  It absolutely sounds like the dialogue of teenagers, and even though the subject is heavy, it's still humorous.  I read this in one night, if that tells you anything.  I absolutely couldn't put it down.  I'm unsure if I'll be able to handle the movie....might be best saved for at home viewing so that I can ugly cry in peace.  

One More Thing, 7/10 - 

I had to follow up the sob-fest with something funny, so I picked up this collection of short stories by "Office" writer & star BJ Novak.  This book surprised me - it was incredibly easy to read, but the stories were very poignant in their humor.  He's a very thoughtful writer, and so much of the book was incredibly relatable.  It's almost Seinfeld-esque in a way!  My favorite story is probably "the man who invented the calendar."  

Allegiant 2/10 - 

Wow, I've really maxed out on the teen reads lately, huh?  Full disclosure, this was terrible.  I loved Divergent & Insurgent (the two first books in this series) but if I'd known they would end with this book, I likely would've skipped the whole thing altogether.  It felt as though the author had no idea where she wanted to take the story, the ending was incredibly anticlimactic, and worst of all it was SO boring.  Too gummed up with details that you didn't care to read - I found myself lightly skimming pages toward the end.  This one I would definitely avoid.  Honestly, I'm kind of annoyed that I paid for it!  

I'm thinking Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore or The Goldfinch may be my next picks, but I'll gladly take recommendations!  I love a series, so let me know if there's a great one I haven't heard of yet!  What have you been reading lately?  

the more you read, the more things you will know. the more that you learn, the more places you'll go - dr seuss

This past week has been exactly what I wanted it to be - I spent it reading tons of books, cooking up all the amazing produce I bought at farmer's market this weekend (recipes for a yummy way to use your sweet corn HERE), and listening to Darrell become more & more attached to this guitar - a sound I love much more than hearing his xBox turn on!

I'm getting to know the local librarian much better now, since I become quite the reading fanatic in the summertime. I have an iPad, which I could buy books on, but they certainly aren't free on the Kindle & iBooks stores, so for now the library suits me just fine. Plus, free books equals more $ for nights out. One of the perks of living in a city is that the library network can find you just about any book you want, and although I love the convenience of having access to my book always, through my iPad, iPhone, whatever, there is nothing quite like a library book.

My current recommendations would be "History of Love" by Nicole Krauss - so beautifully written and heartbreaking. Afterwards I read "Water for Elephants" in just a day. It was quite addictive and also very beautiful, but definitely more of a summer "beach read."

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse