Book Worm

Since finishing my master's degree program last May, I have been a reading fiend - seriously devouring anything that isn't related to systems engineering, managing people, and/or number crunching.

Here are my recent favorite reads:

11/22/63 by Stephen King - This book was so good, that I've now read it twice.  It is unlike any book I've ever read and may have every type of possible genre all wrapped into this one book.  The main character uses a time portal to go back to 1958 to try and prevent the Kennedy assassination from happening.  Thrilling.

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Inferno by Dan Brown - Dan Brown is my man.  I've read all of his books and loved each one, with Inferno being no different.  Robert Langdon, the principal character from The DaVinci Code, Angels and Demons, and The Lost Symbol, returns and finds himself in Italy - but doesn't remember how he got there.  The one thing I get tired of with 'ol Danny Boy's books is the aesthetic details of scenery and artifacts, but he does make up for it with character and plot development, and action. 

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The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith - Robert Galbraith is actually a pseudonym for JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series.  Because she penned this book, of course I was going to read it.  The book tells the story of a supermodel who dies (presumed suicide) and whose family hires a private investigator to (gasp!) investigate. I read and read, and I kept waiting to get sucked in, but didn't until the very end.  The ending was great, but to be honest, this book was a hard read for me.  To make it a more pleasurable experience, I read it with an English accent.  I hear there's a sequel in the works and you can bet I'll get suckered into reading that one, too.  Cuz I'm loyal like that.

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The Book Thief by Markus Zusak -  A book I surprisingly loved about a young girl growing up with foster parents in Nazi Germany during World War II.  Let's just say that after I got over the initial confusion of who was narrating the story (hello, it's Death), I shed a few tears and loved the relationships she formed with other characters during the course of the story. 

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Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - After hearing from several people that I should read this one, I did and I couldn't put it down.  Gone Girl is about a couple who have transplanted themselves from swanky New York to the Midwest.  Their marriage seems a bit rocky (depending on who you ask) and then Amy disappears.  A little dark, but this book was fun.  I wasn't a big fan of the ending, but I'm interested to see what they do with it on the big screen.  And I don't care what anyone else says, I'm a Ben Affleck fan.

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Dark Places by Gillian Flynn - Clearly, I like murder mysteries and Gillian's style of writing because I then quickly read her second book, Dark Places.  This one is about Libby Day, the lone survivor of a Midwest massacre in which three of her other family members are killed.  Her testimony put her brother in jail for the murders, but after being approached by a group of people interested in the crime, Libby starts looking into the details.  Again, super dark - darker than Gone Girl, but really, really good.

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Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn - Need I say it again?  I dig a good murder mystery and the way Gillian changes the perspective in her narration hooks me.  Sharp Objects follows Camille, a Chicago journalist who is tasked with returning to her small, Missouri hometown to investigate the murder of two young girls.  It's clear that Camille has some baggage, but she gets to the bottom of it.  More darkness, with plot lines you don't even want to think about being reality, but very, very good.

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Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple - I needed some comical relief after spending so much time with Gillian Flynn.  Enter Maria Semple and Bernadette, the story of a Seattle mother who, long story short, loses her shit and goes missing.  Her husband is a Microsoft executive and their poor daughter is in the middle of the mess.  Of  course, I really enjoyed the references to Seattle/the Northwest.  A quick, fun, and funny read if you are looking for something light.

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I'm currently reading And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini, who also wrote The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.  I'm just starting, but based on how much I enjoyed the first two books, I don't expect to be disappointed. 

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Have you read any of these books?  I would love to hear what you think.  Have you read any good books lately that I should add to my reading list?  Please share!

Take Luck,

LP