July 2014 Reading Recap
Usually I post a goals recap at the end of each month (see my goals for the year here), but this month I really made no progress on anything except reading. Oh, reading.
It was an AMAZING month for reading. :)
It was an AMAZING month for reading. :)
- Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson - Not sure how I made it to my late 20s without reading this book! I started reading it because I had no library books and this was a freebie, pre-loaded on my phone. The story was fun and I learned a bunch of new sailing terms.
- Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh - A quick read (it's mostly comic strip style), but I really appreciated her two chapters on depression. They helped me understand the experience better than anything I've read before.
- The Composition by Antonio Skarmeta - A children's book Deb recommended. Pedro’s school forces everyone to participate in a writing competition about what their family does at night. Pedro lies and says his parents play chess every night to protect them (they actually listen to radio programs that are against the dictator).
- Days of Blood and Starlight & Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor - Books 2 & 3 in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series. Very enjoyable, but I don't want to give anything away if you haven't read the first one!
- The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - The first in a trilogy about Kvothe, a boy who is part of a traveling performance group until the troupe is murdered. So he ends up living on the streets for a bit, and then attends a school of magic.
- Something Real by Heather Demetrios - I'm biased by my crush on the main character's brother, but I loved this book. It's about Bonnie™/Chloe Baker, a 17 year old who doesn't want to be on her family's reality show any more.
- Cats Are Weird by Jeffrey Brown - A book of comic strips about cats, so of course I enjoyed it. My favorite was the cat that fell asleep under a blanket, just like Dottie.
- The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld - Lucinda recommended this one. It was easily one of the best books I've read this year, but it contains plenty of dark subject matter. I could only read in small portions.
- Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491 by Charles C. Mann - Fascinating book about what Native Americans were up to before the arrival of Christopher Columbus and other European explorers. This is a shorter version of Mann's book for adults on the same subject. I chose this one because it was only 128 pages rather than 600.
- The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer - A companion novel to Life As We Knew It, so it's still the end of the world (crazy high tides, earthquakes, volcanic ash blocking the sun, pandemic, etc.) but not quite as well done as the first novel. And I didn't care for the main character very much.
How was your July? Read anything great?
I like Jeffrey Brown's books - he did Darth Vader and Son, etc. I heard good things about The Composition. And I wondered what you would think of The Enchanted - I am not up for reading it yet!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read anything else by Jeffrey Brown - I'll have to look for his other stuff.
DeleteThe Enchanted is a worthwhile read, but I'd follow it with something light hearted. :)
Glad you found The Enchanted, well struggling to find the right adjective! Can't say a good read, definitely not enjoyable, the sense of pleasant. But definitely a book that stays with you, and is so well-written.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read much. Back at work and too tired.
Treasure Island is one of my all time favourite books as a child. I read it numerous times. And am tempted to read it again. A. Book to inspire day-dreams before you go to sleep.
Yes, I wouldn't say I enjoyed The Enchanted either, but the writing is solid and it made me think (I'm still thinking about it, in fact). And I liked how the characters weren't cookie cutters.
DeleteI'd read Treasure Island again! It'd be perfect for a day at the beach.
Whilst scootering around town today, I saw a lady in her car reading 'Daughter of Smoke and Bone' - made me think it must be a good book, so a coincidence to see it mentioned again!
ReplyDeleteThe Composition, Something Real and The Name of the Wind all sound somewhat intriguing, esp seeing I've been reading so much non fiction of late!
I didn't want to put Daughter of Smoke & Bone down! The Name of the Wind is about as far from nonfiction as you can get - lots of magic, some demons, a dragon . . :)
DeleteWoah - that is a HUGE month of reading! I've never read Treasure Island - I think I'll download it and give it a try. I'm really interested in the 'Before Columbus' book, too. Congrats on a very big month of reading!
ReplyDeleteThanks! :) Before Columbus was interesting . . a lot of it goes against what I was previously taught about Native Americans in school.
DeleteI want to get my reading list done up over the next couple days before I forget what all I've read again. poetry mostly, a memoir, and non-fiction.
ReplyDeleteI would forget too if I didn't track what I've read on goodreads. I haven't read much poetry lately, although I do have one in my queue at my library (Brown Girl Dreaming).
DeleteI really like Hyperbole and a Half but haven't read the book - I should see if the library has it :)
ReplyDeleteIn July I've been reading the last two Game of Thrones books in chronological order (which means alternating every couple of chapters). When I visited my parents, my mum recommended Room, which is about a boy and his mum who are kept captive in a room. She lent it to me and I read it in one day because it was so good, so I recommend it :)
I think Game of Thrones would be a little too much for me (I've heard about some of the violence) but I'm glad you're enjoying it.
DeleteYes, I've read Room and thought it was great! Did you know it was based on a true story?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritzl_case