Book 48: Peony in Love

I've read a couple of Lisa See's other books (Shanghai Girls, Dreams of Joy, On Gold Mountain) and enjoyed them, especially On Gold Mountain. I thought I'd try this one as well.

Some of the "ghost" elements of the story were a little too wacky for me and I really didn't relate at all to the narrator. But it gave me some historical perspective on the Ming and Qing dynasties. Surprise surprise, the Chinese had a movement of female writers and poets long before the West did.

Book 44: Gilead

This was a re-read for me, which almost never happens.

I first read this when it was first published, about 10 years ago. This time, I listened to the audio book. Some of it was wonderfully read, but some parts of the reading reminded me a little bit of Santa Claus or some other stylized "older man" character. The knowing chuckle got to be an irritating disruption in the beautifully written narrative.

Book 37: We are All Completely Beside Ourselves

I was drawn to this title, knowing very little about it, because hey, "beside ourselves" is a state I can relate to these days.

This is really quite a deep and thought-provoking book, for a work of contemporary fiction. The ending was a little disappointing; I wasn't satisfied with the way the author chose to resolve a few elements, and it almost felt like the ending to a different book, rather than the one I had started. Overall, though, it was worth the read.

Book 36: And the Mountains Echoed

Oh, this was positively delicious to listen to.

The stories fit together subtly but clearly, the characters are interesting and complicated, and the voice talent was wonderful. I felt like this was a much more mature piece of writing from Hosseini. I would gladly read another like this!

Book 34: A Thousand Splendid Suns

Many years ago, I read The Kite Runner, and though I don't remember it well, I liked it. This is also a story of Afghanistan, which is a place I would like to learn more about.

The story focuses on women's lives over a period of time in Afghanistan. The audio book is read by an Afghani, and I really enjoyed that aspect of it. The story is moving, but the writing style seemed a bit trite and formulaic. For instance, it seemed like every adjective came in a set of three. "The Rule of Three" is great, but it got tiresome after a while.

Book 32: Crossing to Safety

I enjoyed my re-read of Angle of Repose so much that I decided to read another Wallace Stegner.

Crossing to Safety is a slow-moving, character-driven novel about two couples that takes place over many years. If that's up your alley, it's a good read.

Book 30: Angle of Repose

This was a re-read for me, which is a very rare occurrence, so you know something must be up. What's up is that Wallace Stegner writes a fine book, and that's just what I needed.

Years ago, before time began, I took a class in college that was focused on Wallace Stegner's work. I'd never heard of him before then, but I could tell he was a great writer, even as a really dumb college student. The book was even better this time around.

Book 26: A Tale for the Time Being

Oh, what a delight this was!

Sometimes it was mind-bending, sometimes it was disturbing, but overall, it was wonderful to listen to. Ruth Ozeki reads her own book in this audio version and it is remarkable.

If you like Haruki Murakami, you'll probably enjoy this as well.

Oh, and that is book 26 for 2014! I've met my goal!

Book 17: The Rent Collector

This book is apparently a fictional account based on true events. I found some parts of it hard to believe, though it was a good read.

Sometimes I felt that the reasoning displayed by the illiterate garbage picker was so deep that it was hard to suspend my disbelief. However, there were some really lovely parts that seem like they were more likely the factual aspects of the story.

Book 12: How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia

I was completely absorbed by this narrative, which is all written in the second person and doesn't name its main characters.

This is definitely worth reading, and I'd like to read Mohsin Hamid's other books.

Book 77: The Painted Girls

This is a historical fiction piece about three sisters during the belle époque in Paris.



Edgar Degas and his art play a fairly major role in the story, too. It's been interesting to look at the paintings and sculpture with the book in mind. Overall, it was quite a good read.

Book 66: Chains

This was a book club pick, and I actually read it!



It's a young adult title, and I liked it quite a lot--for a young adult book. It moved quickly, it didn't have too much annoyingly obvious exposition, and the characters and story were interesting.

Book 61: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

I really enjoyed listening to this audio book. It was beautifully recorded.



Sometimes the subtle exposition required by the epistolary style grated on my nerves a bit (as in when it was necessary to describe a gift that had been received--which surely the giver would have known all about), but overall, this was a lovely listen. It makes me want to go to Guernsey and stay in a cottage.

Book 55: The Light Between Oceans

This is a recent work of fiction that I'd heard about and decided to try.



I enjoyed this more than I expected to; it's quite an emotional ride, though.

Book 54: Transatlantic

This is Colum McCann's newest book, and he's one of the contemporary authors that I like to read. A couple of months ago, I read one of his earlier books (Let the Great World Spin).



There were some parts that were particularly good. Far too late into the night, I couldn't stop reading the sections about Frederick Douglass and George Mitchell. The rest of the book, while not quite as gripping, was still worth reading.

Book 53: The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag

This is the second Flavia de Luce mystery. Though I am not a mystery person, I do find Flavia interesting, as well as the setting of these books (England, 1950).



This was a fun book to listen to; Jayne Entwistle does lovely voice work. As for the story, I felt a little like some of the loose ends were explained in one sentence and I was supposed to be happy with that. I don't mind a little ambiguity (in fact, I like some ambiguity), but this just seemed to be too much.

Book 49: Richard III

I'm slowly working my way through five dramas this year, as part of my 5/5 goal. I haven't read Shakespeare since college, which was actually last century.



Richard III was great. The history (the succession to the throne, the wars and assassinations) was new to me, so a Wikipedia primer was very helpful.

Why haven't I read Shakespeare in so long, I don't know. I'm now going backward in time and reading Richard II so I can get a feel for more of the histories. There are lots of the comedies that I have never read, either.

Book 48: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

After a false start in which I discovered I was listening to the tracks on shuffle, I got into this book.



Mostly, I liked it. There were some really interesting moments and reflections. I enjoyed seeing the characters change as the story unfolded. On the other hand, there was a lot of navel gazing, and once in a while I got a little tired of that. There was one moment when I actually yelped, "Yuck!" because some "memories" didn't seem like they belonged in Harold's memory--at least not to be shared with me.

Book 42: The Five Books of Jesus

I don't normally read religious books of any kind other than the standard works, but this year, I challenged myself to read five in my 5/5 challenge. This is my first.



I found it surprisingly compelling. It's a retelling of the Gospels as they might have happened. I really enjoyed the imagined perspective of those who began to follow Jesus. To see them as real people, with feelings and dreams and worries, even if those traits were only imagined by the author, made the familiar story very thought-provoking.

Book 40: Let the Great World Spin

I recently heard an interview with Colum McCann on NPR about his latest book, which reminded me that I had one of his earlier books.



I really enjoyed it. There is a lot of raw emotion and tragedy in the book, but he's a great storyteller. I can't wait to read his newest book.