Mini Reviews of Recent Reads 01/15/2015

~ Jennifer @ The Relentless Reader ~ 32 Comments

There are a few books that I read at the tail-end of 2014 that I just have to talk about, albeit briefly.

I finally got around to reading Saga. WHAT THE WHAT? I’d heard rumblings about it in the bookish community but didn’t realize how happily I would devour it once I got going. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next volume (and the next, and the next).

Listen, mysteries aren’t my jam. Usually. North of Boston made me rethink my bias. The main character is the sort of strong, independent, flawed, and bad-ass lady that I love to read about. (By the way, that list of characteristics could be summed up with one word: realistic.) The mystery was truly mysterious and the dangerous situations made my adrenaline flow.

Can I be honest with you? I read both of these slim volumes at the end of the year because I wanted to hit my reading goal. Imagine my joy when they both exceeded my expectations! A Distant Father (112 pages) and The Room (128 pages) both pack a lot of power into their very few pages. They are very different books but they are both poignant, lovely, and have a main character that you’ll root for and feel for in equal measure.

Have you read any of these?

It’s Monday! What are you reading? 01/12/15

~ Jennifer @ The Relentless Reader ~ 30 Comments


Read: 

One of the first books I read in 2015 was All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. I have the feeling that this will be one of the big YA books of the year. It’s being billed as a combination of Eleanor & Park and The Fault in Our Stars and I understand why. It’s got the same sort of realistic characters in heartbreaking situations that made those two books so popular. 
Currently Reading: 
I’m in the middle of reading Irritable Hearts by Mac McClelland. It’s a memoir by a human rights journalist that developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I’m relishing it even while it’s making me cringe. It’s a tough read but an important one. 
Upcoming: 
I’ve found that free-range reading is what works best for me. Keeping to a schedule or participating in a challenge is the sure fire way for me to end up in a slump. With that said, I usually have some idea of what I’ll be reading in the near future. One of those is The Country of Ice Cream Star by Sandra Newman. It’s a chunky 592 pages and it sounds compelling and unusual. 

This is the first It’s Monday! What are you reading? meme I’ve participated in in quite a while. I always loved the way this meme helped me organize my reading and I’m glad to be back. (Thanks to Sheila @ Book Journey for being the hostess with the mostest.)

What are *you* reading?