All My Puny Sorrows
As Barb said two weeks ago when discussing this book, it is not an easy or uplifting read, but it is still enjoyable. Yolandi and Elfrieda are sisters. Raised together in a strict Mennonite community, neither of them truly fit in--especially Elfrieda (Elf). Shunned for being a musical prodigy in a community that doesn't believe in music, Elf rebelled in every way she could while also fighting crippling depression. As adults, Elf and Yoli both have their demons. Elf wants to die and Yoli struggles with whether or not she should help her sister die or watch her continue to make failed suicide attempts. Truly, this book opened up a lot of thoughts within me. I believe that terminally ill people should have the right to choose to die, and I believe that depression is an illness as much as ALS, but bridging the gap to whether or not chronically depressed people should have the right to die was not something I could wrap my brain around, no matter how much I thought about it. On top of this, the characters in this book are truly relatable. Human. Flawed. Could be anyone. I loved it.
The Hand That Feeds You: A Novel
A psychological thriller one [mostly] right. So rare these days! There were parts of this that were predictable, but it hooked me in immediately. I had to cut myself off of reading Monday night, otherwise I knew I would be up all night. Morgan is a newly engaged psychologist. Her fiancee Bennett is not the most attractive, does not like her dogs, but there is just something about him. Until one day, Morgan comes home and finds her dogs covered in blood and Bennett dead in the bedroom. Soon after, she discovers that she wasn't Bennett's only fiance oh and also, his name wasn't really Bennett. As Morgan looks further into his life, she begins to follow a bloody trail leading back to all the women with whom he was involved, leaving her to wonder if he really died in her apartment that day. There were some minor issues with the ending, but overall, I enjoyed this book.
What are you reading?
4 comments:
Yes - that bridging the gap to feeling okay with chronically depressed people choosing to die... it still haunts me a bit to be honest.
This week I read...
Girl at War: I really liked this book. It was one of those stories that made me feel sheltered because I really don't know much about the Croatian war but more so because I've never really thought about what it's like for survivors of war in today's society. Loved the main character's voice.
Denton Little's Death Date: Give me a young adult book that is clever and has strong character voice and I'm a happy person. I enjoyed the inner conflicts and stresses that surround the notion of knowing the day you will die. I sort of expected the ending though not the rapid fire way it came about. I might have liked it better if it was its own tidy story though - not the launching pad for a series. Thanks for this recommendation :)
Finished Remember Mia... excellent
Now on to the Hand that Feeds You... If people would stop hanging out in my office so I could read at work....
All My Puny Sorrows - written by a Manitoban! About my city! (It's not all so bleak.)
This week I finished Orhan's Inheritance (and then recommended it to anyone who would listen). Thanks Barb!
And now I'm reading Inside the O'Briens and it's got me hooked early.
I've been trying to pick up some non young adult books, as that's mostly what I read all summer, but someone suggested Rainbow Rowell, so I've picked up 2 of her books to try this week.
Post a Comment