Books I've Recently Read

I love to read! I haven't had as much time to do it over the last few years as I would have liked, and as I result I have read at least 15 books since the wedding. I love having people to discuss books I've read with and wish I had the opportunity to do so more often. Maybe this will help. So anyhow, here's a list of some of the books I've recently read and some thoughts about them.


The Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella ~ I found parts of each of these books extremely irritating. Mainly because I had the overwhelming urge at points in each book to smack the shit out of the main character, Becky, when she would get herself into the most insane situations. Fortunately I also found them endearing, especially the last one "Shopaholic & Baby" and really liked the ending of all the books.


A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah ~ While incredibly sad, this true account of a boy who ends up a soldier in Sierra Leone's civil war is a must read in my mind. I've often thought about children living in war zones, but I've always thought about it more in a way where the kids were growing up not knowing any different. To hear this boy (who is actually now a man my age living in NYC) talk about his normal every day life being turned upside down unexceptedly when the war shows up in his village was extremely thought provoking, sad, informative and inspiring. I think the fact that he is my age, living in the US for some reason made it seem all that much more real and touching to me.


The Quickie by James Patterson ~ I am a HUGE James Patterson fan! I have read everything he's published to date and normally buy myself the hardback the day it comes out. I have found over the years that with the speed and frequency he's publishing that some books are not nearly as good as others, but I really liked this one a lot.


You've Been Warned by James Patterson ~ Loved this one too! But this one I mainly loved because it was SO different than his other books, but still great. I love that Patterson tends to do murder mysteries, but then really shows his writing talent by publishing books where the style and/or theme are so different than everything else he's written.


The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult ~ I really liked her other book Nineteen Minutes a lot better. She has a great writing style and can tell a great story, but this particular story wasn't my favorite.


And now I'm reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. It's definately making me want to pack it all up and take a trip to Italy and India!