Wednesday, February 18, 2015

What I Read Wednesday

Croak
This is by the same author of Hellhole (read it!). Lex (short for Lexington) is out of control. Not knowing what to do with her wild behavior, her parents ship her off to spend the summer with her uncle Mort. Lex is, of course, opposed to this, until she arrives and Mort explains about the town of Croak in which he lives. See, it's a town populated by Grim Repears and Lex's behavior means that she's fit to be a Reaper, too. I loved this book, the characters and Lex's journey, along with a side plot, of course. This is part one of a series and I can't wait to read the rest.

My Sunshine Away
Set in Baton Rouge, this book explores the story of a boy in love with his neighbor, Lindy. In the summer that they're 15, Lindy is raped. The perpetrator is never found, but the narrator spends his time trying to play detective and make things okay with Lindy. This is a powerful novel. You never know if the narrator is reliable or not and the story twists you back and forth. It is not just a crime novel, but a heavy story in which everyone is trying to find redemption.

The Lifeboat: A Novel
This is the story of the Empress Alexandra and the shipwreck that followed on day five of the voyage. Being a lover of historical fiction, I googled it, only to find there really isn't much information and I am not sure if this was an actual ship that sank in 1914 or if other ships in this line sank at varied times. Regardless, this tells the story of Grace, recently married to Henry, who is placed on a lifeboat with 39 strangers following the sinking of the ship. In the midst unfolds a story of deep sea survival and the lengths people will go to ensure their own survival. The story fluctuates between the immediate aftermath of the shipwreck and the future, where Grace is on trial for possible murder. Although not the best written book, it was riveting and I found myself thinking it would be an engaging movie, which is not something I ever think. At any rate, it was an enjoyable read, even if many questions were left unanswered.

What are you reading?

4 comments:

Barb Ruess said...

You read an interesting assortment of stories this week!

I read:
- Perks of Being a Wallflower: much more powerful than I expected. Great YA book but with a narrator that strong, it was a good read at any age.
- The Short & Tragic Life of Robert Peace: wow.... I don't know if his story is that extraordinary (sadly I'm afraid much of it is not) but it was told so eloquently. Ultimately a story of life's choices and you'd think he would be strong enough to beat the effects of his environment... but he wasn't. More people should read this book.

pinkflopflops44 said...

last week i read necessary lies by diane chamberlin and liked it and now i'm reading shatted by the wars but sustained by love.

Theresa Mahoney said...

I finally found a minute to sit down and read after dinner last night. So I started The Enchanted. So far, I really like it.

Unknown said...

I am reading This is Where I Leave You. I have not seen the movie, but I have seen commercials for it, so.... I keep picturing the main character as Jason Bateman as I read.