March Reading Log

I got 8 books read this month, which isn't too shabby considering two of them were non-fiction that took me a while to read.


1. Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
Evan encouraged me to read this book. It's one of his favorites and I can see why. Diamond answers the how and why certain societies of the human race were able to dominate others through the impacts of farming, domesticating animals, writing, politics, and geographic location. It was fascinating to read. I found the history of domesticating crops and animals to be the most intriguing. Definitely a non-fiction read I'll be recommending to others.

2. The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
This was a book on my list for a long time because I had had so many people recommend it to me. The Interestings tells the story of 6 teenagers who meet at a summer camp in the 60s and how their friendships continue to influence and shape their lives well into adulthood. The book is not action packed, no huge dramas, just good writing that slowly but deliberately unfolds the stories of characters. I found myself getting lost in the book more often than not. I'd say to myself, I'm just going to read for 15 minutes, start reading, look up, and it'd be an hour later. Wolitzer created such depth in her characters and plot that I can not wait to find her other books.

3. Labor Day by Joyce Maynard
This book was sad. It's not that I cried at all, but it was more of an achy sad for the characters. Told in first person by 13 year old Henry, you find out how meeting one man and spending 6 days with him changed Henry's whole life. I would definitely say that Henry's mom, Adele, was the strongest character in the book. I wanted to give her a big hug, make her some coffee, and fix her. Such a well written book and one I'd recommend...unless you hate being sad.

4. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
I have never read any of Hornby's books, but am familiar with the movie's they've become. After this one, I have no desire to read any more of his work. Half of the time, I felt like I was reading a mediocre high school prose round. It felt forced and sophomoric. I finished it because it wasn't terrible, but I am grumpy I spent $5 on it. The characters were either completely unlikable or under developed. However, I looked up the preview for the movie version, and they seem to have added the depth to the story line and characters that I craved in the book, so I may go see it. Might be the first time where the movie will be better than the book.

5. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
I have read all of Flynn's previous works. I really liked them and thought that she would just continue to get better as a writer. I was absolutely correct!! This is Flynn's best book by far!! Not as dark and gruesome as her first two books, Gone Girl was a great thriller. Without giving too much away, I was stereotypically rooting for Nick. Amy would have hated me. ;) I will be ranting and raving about this book to others until they read it or cease being my friend. It is smart, mind boggling, and fast paced. I can not wait for her next book to come out, whenever that may be!  Ooh, and the movie version has Ben Affleck as Nick--PERFECT!!!!!! And Neil Patrick Harris as Desi! Definitely going to see that in theaters!!

6. Six Weeks by John Lewis-Stempel
Evan asked me to read this book. It's the first WWI book I have ever read and I'm thankful that Evan recommended it to me. Six weeks was the average lifespan of young British officers once they were at the war front during World War I. Lewis-Stempel wrote this book in a way where I didn't feel like it was a text book, but in a manner where I was intimately being brought into the lives of these very young men. Beginning with where Great Britain pulled their young officers from (elite schools), the author leads you through the schools they attended (where patriotism and heroism was bred into them), to them eagerly enlisting, how they were thrown into life of an officer, and how short their lives ended up being and why. I truly learned the entire time I read this book because I know such an embarrassing little amount about WWI. This is a fantastic book and one I'd recommend to anyone with little knowledge about WWI looking to find out more.

7. Changeling: Book 1 of Order of Darkness by Philippa Gregory
I have been a fan of Gregory's work for a very long time now (The Other Boleyn Girl is still one of my favorite books), but I had no idea she had written a young adult series. Honestly, I was not impressed. It was missing her usual depth of characters and historic detail. I felt like she dumbed down her writing instead of adapting it to younger readers. But, despite her trying to gear this toward a younger audience, I wouldn't let Elisabeth read this yet because of some of the scenes (attempted rapes). I feel like there was a lot of potential to the plot and characters, but it just never met the goal. I was disappointed and will not be reading the next two books in the series.

8. The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida, translated by KA Yoshida and David Mitchell
A very quick read, this book is fascinating. Naoki, a boy with autism, was 13 years old when he wrote this book. His honest answers as to why people with autism do what they do or say is eye opening. Every parent, caregiver, or teacher of a child with autism should read this book. I will be passing on my copy for sure.


Ok, so I am currently at 18 books read in 2014. With a goal of 60 books, I'd say I'm doing well. Let me know if you have any books I should be reading!!!