The Art of Racing in the Rain (by Garth Stein)

I just finished this book last week. It was for book club. I think at book club we spent approximately 5 minutes, maybe, talking about the book. But the point of book club is to drink wine and chat, didn't you know that? In any case, I liked the book. It was a book about a man and his family, told from the perspective of the man's dog - Enzo. Interesting and creative idea. At times I found myself forgetting that I was reading from the perspective of the dog. Very clever writing. The main guy - the owner of the dog - Denny Swift, is a race driver. Not a Nascar driver, but a race driver on courses around the world in fancy shmancy cars. The book uses the racing as an analogy to life throughout the book. Basically, the dog falls in love with the racing also. Denny meets a woman, gets married, has a kid, and it goes on from there. This book definitely had its sad moments (not quite as sad as Marley & Me where I bawled like a little girl at the end), but definitely sad. And it also deals with the struggle between your dreams and the realities of those dreams. All in all a good read. Especially if you like dogs. I'm a cat person myself, but I found this entertaining.

Up next: In Cold Blood (by Truman Capote) - I'm trying to mix in a few more classics into my reading repertoire.

One Day (by David Nicholls)

I picked this book up at B&N on a whim. I was trying to find "The Art of Racing in the Rain" (for book club) and stumbled upon this book, as it was a pick of one of the employees at B&N. My, am I glad I found this book. What a thought provoking, emotional, and creative novel. This book follows the lives of two people - Emma and Dexter, and is set in England. Em and Dex meet on their last day of college after graduation. Em, after having a crush on Dexter for almost all of college, finally lands him at a party that night. What follows is a dramatic and yet delightful trip through the next 20 years of their lives, but only told on one day of the year - July 15th (hence the title "One Day"). Each chapter is July 15. Each chapter discusses what is going on that day in Emma's life and in Dexter's life. Each of the characters has an impact on the other's life. This book read fast, was immensely addicting, and hard to put down. I'm glad I read it on vacation because I had extended periods of time to read. This isn't a happy go lucky chick lit book. It deals with real struggles throughout the book, but it also unravels a genuine love between the two main characters. I felt myself relating at times to the struggle to "find yourself" and establish yourself as a woman in her 20s, and I also related to the quest to find love, and the obstacles along the way. I recommend this book. It is quite enjoyable. Make sure you have tissues handy throughout the book.

Up Next: The Art of Racing in the Rain (by Garth Stein)

Commencement (by J. Courtney Sullivan)

I enjoyed this book. It was a light reading until the very end when it turned into a mystery. Kind of threw me for a loop. This book follows 4 women, from when they first meet at the all girls - Smith College, to when they are in their late twenties in respective different areas of the world/life. It's told from each of the 4 girls perspectives, which is interesting because it also talks about events that happened in their lives from different point of view. There's the feminist girl, the snob, the rich girl, and the laid back chick. I related to a lot of the book, as in relationships I formed in College and how life is like for the relationship four years later. It read really fast, and kept you pretty enthralled. It dealt with love, dreams, growing up, not wanting to grow up, losing touch, and also when its a good time to be opinionated about a friend's choices and when you should just keep your mouth shut. I recommend this book for a light end of summer read, but watch out for the last 100 pages, will surprise ya.


Up next: The Likeness (by Tana French) and The Art of Racing in the Rain (by Garth Stein) (for book club)

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake (by Aimee Bender)

I read this book a few weeks back, on recommend from one of my besties. I liked it. I didn't loveee it. But I liked it. This book concerns a girl, who ate the age of 9, realizes that she can feel the emotions of the person who made the food she is eating when she eats the food they made (got that?). She quickly realizes how sad her mom is, despite her mom's peppy exterior. The book then chronicles her teenage years having to learn to deal with the ability to tell what someone is really feeling inside. There are some relationships thrown in there, as well as some heartbreak. If anything, this book made me think about what its like to "mask" your emotions if you will. How often do we do that? Pretend to be happy when we are crying inside? Or pretend to love something when in fact you hate it? I would have loveed this book if there hadn't been this weird, unexplained thing with the brother, I didn't feel like there was an adequate explanation. But I'll let you be the judge. I recommend it if you don't mind reading about super human powers, and are able to suspend reality for about 300 pages.

Up next: Commencement (by J. Courtney Sullivan) - already finished this, currently reading The Likeness (by Tana French)

The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (by Steig Larssen)

This book is the third and final book in Steig Larssen's series. And what a good series it was! The third book was my favorite. It might be because everything comes to a climax and resolutions, and it also might be because it seemed to read at a faster pace. Once again, as with all his books, there is a lot of description of everything - such as "now we are drinking coffee", "he walked up the stairs", etc. If you have read these books then you know what I am talking about. This particular book deals with the protection of Zalachenko, Salander's dad, and the secret section of the Security Police who used every tactic it could to protect itself and Zalachenko, to the detriment of Salander. This book was interesting because it got a little Bourne-y - spies, stalkers, crime, murder, etc. I enjoyed this book, and like I said it was a good conclusion to this series. I recommend it!

Up next: Winter Garden (by Kristin Hannah) - I think this book has been on my "to read" list for about 6 months.

After that - if anyone has an good recommends let me know!

Just Don't Call Me Ma'am: How I Ditched the South, Forgot My Manners, and Managed to Survive My Twenties with (Most of) My Dignity Still Intact (by Anna Mitchael)

I read this book in less than 24 hours. It was just that good. This is a non-fiction memoir about a chick named Anna (the author). She is in her late twenties. It was very witty and relatable. At times I felt like I was reading about my own life. She's a Texan, from Houston who moved from Boston to Seattle to New York. The book starts in her apartment in Brooklyn, and at the end of a relationship, and continues on from there. Its an introspective look at the mind of a late twenties woman who is forging on through adulthood. I thoroughly thoroughly enjoyed it, and cannot wait to discuss it at book club in a month!

Up next: Still reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, keep getting sidetracked, but plan on finishing it up soon!

A Space Between Us (by Thrity Umbrigar)

I just read this book for my June book club meeting. It took me a while to get through it, but it was interesting nonetheless. This book is set in India, Mumbai to be exact. This book is centered around two main characters - Bhima and Serabai. Bhima is a maid for Serabai and lives in the slums with her granddaughter Maya, and Serabai is a member of the middle class and lives in an apartment in a high rise building in Mumbai. The book details the two women's lives and how they intersect and effect one another. I learned a great deal in this book about the Indian culture and the class system. This book also deals with the power of ignorance in your life and how it can mold who you are and the decisions you make in your life. It also deal with the issue of prejudice, and how even if you care about someone so much, the prejudice you feel towards their class of people overrides any care you might feel for them. This is not a happy book. Its realistic and deals with difficult topics, including abortion (just to forewarn ya).

I won't lie and say that I didn't skim it the last 100 pages, mostly because I had only read half the day of our book club. But it is a good book, well written, and worthy of your time if you are looking for a more serious book.

Up next: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Next (by Steig Larssen)