What I Read Wednesday

MaddAddam: A Novel
The final book of the MaddAddam trilogy. This picks up where Year of the Flood ends and while I was drawn into it, it's definitely a gentle read for a dystopian novel. I enjoyed it because it was a storytelling of the world before it ended and the hopeful world after it ended and whether it can be rebuilt into something better. It was definitely a good conclusion to the trilogy.

Fangirl
Becky pointed out to me that the author of Eleanor&Park has a new book out. This somehow missed my notice, so I added it to my library list as soon as possible because I loved Eleanor&Park. Cather and Wren are twins who go to college. Wren dives right into the drinking and partying college scene. Cath struggles, staying attached to her fanfiction and not wanting to leave her dorm room (outside of classes). Her older roommate Reagan takes sardonic pity on her and tries to help Cath grow, despite Cath's resistance. I loved this book. I stayed up late reading the first half on a school night, then finished the second half the next night. I wanted to finish the book because I couldn't put it down, but I didn't want to finish it because I didn't want to say goodbye with the characters. I loved it so much that when I saw one of my students walk into class carrying it, I couldn't stop myself from gushing, "Isn't that just the best book?"

The Silent Wife: A Novel
Another Becky recommendation! I was not a huge fan of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl (not to say that I don't love the author--Sharp Objects was awesome). This book was what I wanted Gone Girl to be. The novel makes no secret of the fact that Jodi will kill her husband Todd, so you're left wondering how this can be marketed as a thriller. Yet, when it's told from the dual perspective of Jodi and Todd and opens as Jodi is preparing an appetizer plate in their condo overlooking Lake Michigan, you're immediately left wondering how? How does Jodi get to the point where a seemingly mild woman kills her husband? The dual perspectives really worked in this novel, as each character revealed more and more of a flawed marriage.

Burial Rites: A Novel
This is the story of Agnes Magnusdottir, the last woman to be executed in Iceland in the 1800s. Although her story is true, this should be considered historical fiction. Agnes was convicted of the murder of two men, Natan and Petur, along with two accomplices. Until her death, she's sent to be housed at a farm because there's a financial issue at the prisons. Although they're initially wary, and who wouldn't be at housing a murder, the family comes to accept her. This was one of those books that gripped me slowly, then really grabbed me by the end, so that I had tears running down my face as I read the last page. It was stunning and beautiful. It isn't a fast moving novel and the end wasn't a surprise, obviously, but the stories in this book held my head and heart for quite awhile.

Unravel Me (Shatter Me)
The second book in the Shatter Me series. I liked it because you learn more about Juliette's dystopian world and the war that's being raged both inside and outside the compound in which she's currently living. This isn't my favorite as far as YA dystopian lit goes, but it definitely held my attention.

What are you reading?