My sister got an Audible subscription a few months back and graciously shares it with, so I’ve listened to quite a few books recently. I still prefer actually sitting down and reading a book, but since “free time” feels so scarce these days, I really love the audiobook for the fact that I can listen while I’m driving, treadmilling, folding laundry, making dinner, etc. In fact, I’ve been known to tear through an eleven hour book in a couple of days this way.
Since I haven’t done any “reading” posts in a while, I thought I’d share three books I’ve finished lately:
Luckiest Girl Alive: A Novel by Jessica Knoll
(SCORE = 6/10)
My sister had already listened to this and liked it, so she recommended it when I was looking for something. I ended up liking it a lot, but it was a little darker than what I would normally choose for myself. From Amazon:
The story kept my interest, but I didn’t love any of the characters. Probably more than anything, I enjoyed the reflections of adult Ani on living the high-society life in NYC. The “twist” was good, but I think too many books are called “the next Gone Girl” nowadays, and I didn’t quite think this lived up to that. I also didn’t love the narrator’s voice, which makes a pretty big difference in an audiobook.
(SCORE = 7/10)
Kathryn and I chose this book because we really enjoyed Kubica’s writing in The Good Girl (which I wrote about here); and, while I don’t think I liked this one quite as much, it was still very good. From Amazon:
This one definitely had me texting my sister a few times with the shocked face. It was surprising and a little edgy and, in my opinion, well written. I also really liked that the audio-version featured three different readers for each of the three points of view (Heidi, her husband Chris, and Willow). There were, however, a few awkward/unnecessary sexual plot-lines, and the first half or so was a little slow. Overall, though, it was a good read and different from anything I’ve encountered in a long time.
The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin
(SCORE = 8/10)
I heard about this on a blog (I can’t remember which one) and was immediately intrigued. From Amazon:
The concept for this book was really fascinating (and completely original) to me. The author actually said in an interview after the book that it was loosely based on some real life research she found after having her second baby and working in hospice care. It was fast paced and beautifully written and – as a mom, especially – it was chilling. (So chilling, in fact, that I didn’t love reading it late at night. Weird right?) It made me think, feel, laugh, and cry. That’s a good book.
So, there you have it. Any one of these would make a great summer/beach read OR a good Book Club pick. What have you read lately? Have you read any of these? What did you think?
E