Tuesday, March 8, 2016

I show you my books, you show me yours vol.14


Life According to Steph

The dynamite duo of  Jana & Steph host this fabulous link-up and have created a community of book lovers.  Thanks friends!  I had a pretty fantastic month of reading, so let's take a look...

Books I've read since last link-up:

1.  The Pearl that Broke Its Shell by Nadia HashimiIf you've read Khaled Hosseini's books and found them fascinating and powerful, then add this to your "to read" list. A captivating book that is both emotional and educational about two generations of Afghan women who faced hardships including abuse (physical, sexual, verbal, emotional), loss, loneliness, abandonment, betrayal, and more. If you are like me, you'll read this book, then want to go save alllllll the girls of the world that are denied opportunities and treated as inferiors for being female.  5/5

2.  Kill Your Friends by John Niven - The way that American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis is darkly hilarious, this book and narrator (an A&R rep for a British record label) are very similar.  I audibly laughed on many occasions. Filled with drugs, explicit sex (if you can't handle crass & crude descriptions of sexual acts, don't read this), women (and men) being objectified, curse words (if you can't handle a lot of C bombs, don't read this), racist and sexist remarks aplenty, greed, narcissism, and cynicism surrounding the world of music.  Inappropriate to the maximum degree, this book is appalling, yet wonderful.  Disturbing and disgusting, yet funny as hell.  NOT for everyone, but I fucking loved it.  4.5/5

3.  This House of Grief by Helen Garner - I read this for the Aussie Author Challenge, and I talk about the book in detail here. 2/5

4.  Please Don't Come Back from the Moon by Dean BakopoulusI really enjoy when certain aspects of a story are left open for personal interpretation. This book has that element and so much more. There are layers of lightness and darkness, and the storytelling is both easy, yet heavy. I have no idea how to adequately review this book expect to say I loved it.  5/5

5.  Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming - Several other people in my book challenge have read this and raved, so I had expectations of what was in store.  Alan Cumming is an example of living a childhood with violence, fear, self-doubt, and self-loathing...yet he did not let his past define him or ruin him.  He learned, grew, and came out a stronger, healthier person because of it.  A really interesting memoir of the past and present.  I need to look up his "Who Do You Think You Are?" episode... 4.5/5

6.  All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven - There are so, so, soooo many things I love about this book - Violet & Finch, "wandering", the examination of one's inner voice and how powerful that can be, the feelings of that first real love, grief, mental illness, and more. But, there was one really important aspect of the book that bothered me, and it bothered me a lot. I can't tell you what because I don't want to give anything away.  But, if you already read this book and want to chat about it, hit me up.

Currently reading:  The Winter of Frankie Machine by Don Winslow

On deck:  Alert by James Patterson, Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett, Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Talk to me.  Have you read any of these?  Do you want to read any of them?

29 comments:

  1. I never read American Psycho but I loved the movie, so Kill Your Friends is definitely going on the read list. The Pearl that Broke Its Shell sounds really good and makes the list, although I have to be in the right mood for those kinds book. You've intrigued me by your comments on All the Bright Places, so now I have to check that one out too. :)

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  2. I have read precisely none of these!

    I'm currently reading The Grapes of Wrath. Why does it have to be so looong? lol

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  3. Ooh, I like how you structured the post with "on deck"! I have a whole paragraph about what I'm currently reading, but that would have been a more concise way to do it.

    Your reads all sound interesting, but I'm browsing through thinking, "Too serious. Too many emotions." :P I'm not sure what that says about me - apparently I only want the light-hearted stuff!

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  4. I haven't read any of these but I've seen the Alan Cummings book everywhere. Have you read Mommie Dearest? Seems like they might be similar...

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  5. Please Don't Come Back From the Moon sounds really good, and I really want to read All the Bright Places now!

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  6. Heard a lot of good things about your #5 & #6, need to add them!

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  7. I've never read a Khaled Hosseini book I'm embarrassed to admit, I have The Kite Runner on my list because A) people say it's good and B) it's on the banned book list and C) I feel like it's one of the those books a reader should read. Yet I still haven't read it.

    Several of these other books are already on my TBR too, my TBR is so long I'll never finish everything.

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  8. Loved All The Bright Things. Moon is coming up for me.

    Kill Your Friends was added to my list. I also added The Pearl but I have to be in the right frame of mind or it will send me off on a feminist tear for many weeks. And you know, feminism is a dirty word.

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  9. i have heard about alan cumming's book but i am not sure i want to read it / can handle it. i don't know. maybe one day. all the bright places is on my list, the pearl and kill your friends sound interesting, adding them both!

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  10. You had a good book month! I think Alan Cumming's book sounds interesting. I usually still to (historical) fiction, but I've been trying to work my way into the autobiographical/memoir world with female comedian books!

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  11. I liked All The Bright Places but wasn't a fan of Please Don't Come Back From the Moon. I added The Pearl that Broke Its Shell to my goodreads TBR list. Sounds like something I'd really enjoy.

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  12. All The Bright Places was such an intense read but I did enjoy it. I'd love to hear the part that bothered you though!!!

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  13. I may have to check out that Alan Cummings book - I think he's such an interesting guy.

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  14. I just finished reading The Kite Runner and loved it so much, so I'll definitely be wanting to read The Pearl That Broke Its Shell. I never read American Psycho, but I really liked the movie. I'll have to give Go Kill Your Friends a try too! Everybody picked up Not My Father's Son for the book challenge and loved it! I'm glad you liked it too!

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  15. i really enjoy a book like Kill Your Friends every once in a while. some times i feel bad saying that cause usually those are books with sick characters and messed up plots, but like you said they can be "so wrong" that their good.

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  16. Adding the first two.

    We've already discussed All the Bright Places and you know how I feel about Moon. I'm glad you agree and I'm even more glad that you loved it, too. #ofcourseyoudid

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  17. Please Don't Come Back from the Moon and All the Bright Places have both been on my "To Read" list for what feels like forever. I should probably pick those up soon. I'm also intrigued by what you said about All the Bright Places and I'll definitely want to hear more of your thoughts on it after I've read it!

    I'm adding The Pearl that Broke Its Shell and Kill Your Friends. I love really fucked up dark humor (like American Psycho, as you mentioned), so I think Kill Your Friends would be a good fit for me. The Pearl that Broke Its Shell sounds like it could be really intense, but like a really important book that I, as a woman, should read.

    I'm glad you had such a good reading month! :-)

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  18. Great books this month! Well, besides that dud in the middle. Haha! I loved All The Bright Places and Not My Father's Son. And I'm adding The Pearl and Kill Your Friends to my list!

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  19. I haven't heard of any of these except for the first one and now I wish I was reading it instead of my current (boring) read. I would totally DNF my current read, but it's for bookclub, so I feel like I gotta push through, ugh!

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  20. Even the cover of Kill Your Friends reminded me of BEE before I read your description. You sound like me trying to review BEE too—"I love it, but it's horrible and a lot of people will hate it a lot."

    I'm anxiously awaiting my turn to read Please Don't Come Back from the Moon, eeek!

    I'm curious about All the Bright Places now! Will add it to the list...and try to get to it within a year :)

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  21. Oh I have totally been meaning to read Alan Cumming's book. Love him.

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  22. Argh 3 of these are on my TBR list! I need to do less puzzles and read more.. Actually, that's what I did last night and it was glorious. I just need Teh German to watch less annoying motorcycle videos beside me while I'm trying to read... or my books to be more attention grabbing than annoying motorcycle videos.

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  23. I have got to pick up one of Bakopoulus' books!! The Alan Cumming's book sounds interesting!

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  24. So I heard an interview with Alan Cumming held at the Sydney Opera House which he did to promote Not My Father's Son. I got it as a free download from Audible:

    http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Biographies-Memoirs/Alan-Cumming-Live-at-the-Sydney-Opera-House-with-David-Marr-Free-Download-Audiobook/B0163CWE02/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1457622109&sr=1-1

    Just in case you want to check it out. I found it extremely interesting but am not ready to read a book about fathers that's as full on as that just yet! One day. I think Alan Cumming is fantastic.

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  25. I'll add The Pearl to my list even though I haven't read that other book. I'd want to learn more about the Afghan culture. I'll also give Please Don't Come Back a try even though I didn't like Summerlong (actually, didn't bother finishing it).

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  26. I read All the Bright Places, so I need to know what bothered you!

    Not my Father's Son is next on my list for your reading challenge, so now I'm even more excited!

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  27. I'm adding The Pearl That Broke Its Shell to my list. I've actually never read Khaled Hosseini's books, either, although I see them all the time.

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  28. American Psycho has been on my reading list for years so I think I'll add the Niven book to my list too. The Pearl that Broke sounds exactly like my kind of book so that's a no brainer for me.
    I'm really intrigued by your review of All the Bright. It's already on my list but I might move it up because I want to know what bothered you.

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  29. I Gotta know what you thought of all the right places. Send me a message. I will also be adding kill your friends to my list.

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