Here’s another update on some of the books I’ve read lately. This collection is the books that I read while on vacation in Puerto Rico last month.
A Tree Growsin Brooklyn by Betty Smith
This book was read by my book club before I joined. It came highly recommended and was an overall good read. It’s very character based and focuses on Francie Nolan as she grows up in Brooklyn. If you are looking for action or a plot-driven fiction, this probably not the book for you.
Legend by Marie Lu
Day is wanted by the republic, June is the republic’s child prodigy. Legend is the story of how they meet, and an introduction to world they live in. I was hoping for something a little deeper, it didn’t feel as strong as Hunger Games or Divergent, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good.
Paris Ransom by Charles Rosenberg
A mystery-thriller that wasn’t very good. The writing wasn’t great and the story took a long time to resolve, and wasn’t that interesting. This was shared with me, otherwise this is not something I would have picked on my own to read.
Sugar by Deirdre Riordan Hall
I received this for free as part of the Kindle First program, and was excited to read it. This is the story of a teenage girl dealing with weight, body image, and family issues. I wanted to love this book, but I felt that some parts of it were very cliched. Sugar, our main character, knows she’s overweight, isn’t happy with her weight, eats her emotions, etc. The turning point comes when she meets a boy who changes her life.
Why did it have to be a boy?
Fur Covered Wisdom: A Dog Can Change the Way You See the World by Gila Kurtz
Also free. Gila is the co-founder (and co-owner) of Dog Is Good, a lifestyle brand that sells clothing and dog accessories. Some time between acquiring this book and actually reading it, I forgot who she was, so it was a pleasant surprise to rediscover that while reading.
This is another book I really wanted to love. However, I feel her analogies between dog behavior and human life are very weak and very contrived to fit the points she wanted to cover about herself and her life.
It was inspiring to read about her reaching and striving to achieve her goals in life, but all in all, not the most interesting or well written book.