Confession: I have not read a can’t-put-down book since I polished off Gone Girl a few months ago. I’m reading, yes, but nothing is completely sucking me in.
I know it seems counter intuitive, but when I’m up all hours of the night racing through a story, I’m incredibly productive in my writing. I have less time to write, but my writing becomes fierce and adrenaline-fueled because I’m so inspired by whatever I’m reading.
I just haven’t been feeling it with the last few books I’ve read. I love the language in We Need to Talk About Kevin but the story moves too slowly for me. I loved the voices of the main protagonists in the young adult novel Perfect Chemistry, but I felt like the story has been done a million times before, and this novel didn’t add anything new.
Yesterday, friend Lee Wright recommended Partial, which I’ve requested from the library. And today at the library I picked up Breath of God, The Revisionists, and In the Garden of Beasts, our next book club’s book. I’m hoping one of these books really pulls me in.
What are you reading that takes your breath away?
I really liked Alif The Unseen – it was a rip-roaring and thoughtful page turner. I thought Memoir of a Debulked Woman was fascinating. And Thorpe (by Mary Dutton) is a beautiful book.
These sound great, Magpie! Thank you!
I enjoyed “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed (memoir). I don’t often re-read books (there are so many books already on my TBR list) but this is one I’m going to pick up again soon.
Wanting to re-read a book is a great sign, Kalyani! Thanks for the rec.
I’ve read several amazing books in the past year or so, Anjali. Most recently was The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman. By page 100 or so, I could not put it down. Another recent favorite was The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. Lovely historical novel with a touch of fantasy. I also highly recommend The Invisible Mountain, which came out in 2009 and I just read last year. It’s a sweeping, almost poetic, historical novel set in South America and following the lives of three generations of strong, resilient woman. You can’t go wrong with any of these books!
These sound great, Jessica. Thank you so much.
Have you read the Language of Flowers? Loved it and is
now one of my all time favorite books!
You’re at least the second person who has recommended it to me, Wendy, so I’m definitely going to check it out!