books

I feel like I've been reading a lot lately. Maybe it's all the free time I have. Ha! Actually, once we were done sharing our room with a child (Leah until she was about 6 months and Jack for a month or so after that), I was SO excited to be able to read before bed again. When I'm not able to read and unwind, I lie awake for at least an hour, trying to calm my mind down and fall asleep. It's so frustrating! So, in light of the few books I've read in the last couple months, here are some recommendations. Just in case you're looking for something to read. :)

1) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Such an excellent book! This was a book club selection in November. It's actually a young adult book, which I LOVE because that's all I read for a while: college methods classes, as a seventh grade teacher, and graduate classes. This book takes place during Hitler's high time in World War II. The characters are amazing, the narrator is fascinating, and the stories are so well-written. This is definitely a must-read in my opinion.

2) I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak. After being so pleased with The Book Thief, I decided to read another book by the same author. This book could not have been more different from The Book Thief; the style of writing was even different. If I had read both books without knowing the author, I would not have guessed they were by the same person. Anyway, this is a very intriguing book. The main character foils a bank robbery and shortly thereafter begins receiving playing card aces in his mailbox. The cards have addresses on them, and he has to figure out what messages need to be delivered to each address. It's extremely fascinating and a really quick read. I just finished it yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it!

3) The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. Very touching memoir of a girl growing up with her parents and three siblings. They are constantly on the move and never have enough money. So well-written. Amazing stories of childhood and pain and the difficulty of growing up and making decisions that you never saw your parents make. This was another book club selection, and I'm very anxious to meet and talk about it! I love memoir writing, and this was no exception.

That's all for now because Leah is begging for some attention. Or a nap. :) I just started Mercy by Jodi Picoult and I can already tell it's going to be interesting.

Happy Friday!