I’ve read over 60 books in the first 3 quarters of 2017, I had already exceeded my Goodreads Challenge goal in the first 3 months of 2017 by reading more than 30 books. Most of the books were in audiobook form and acquired using my Audible prescription or via the Overdrive app, which allows you to check out eBooks and audiobooks from your local library for the free! The first part of the year, I had a Kindle Unlimited subscription but I was underwhelmed by the selection so I ended it.
The books I read usually fall into four categories:
- Books that are in my comfort zone and are near guaranteed to bring me to my happy place. (Science Fiction New/Young Adult)
- Books I read because they free with my Kindle unlimited subscription or were the only ones available from the digital library (Overdrive) while I was waiting for a wait-list book or more Audible Credits to come in.
- Sequels. I am a finisher and have been known to hate read the subsequent books in a series.
- Me trying to branch out or me trying to maintain my intellectual sexy.
Needless to say I’m a bookworm, literature is how I relax and decompress. A good book is my happy place. Because sharing is caring (and all that jazz), here are some of my favorite books from the past few months:
1. Dark Matter, a time travel/alternative reality novel by Blake Crouch, is a hard book to review because, well frankly, spoilers would ruin the adrenaline ride of the middle and end. The beginning is a slow build with many annoying things obvious to the reader but not so obvious to poor brilliant protagonist. But the beginning is a time to reflect, to think about the multitude of choices all man-kind is making at any given moment – from our spouse to our groceries – and how those choices impact reality.
At some point the book shifts from obvious to visceral. From predictable to edge of your seat “oh my GAWD let me Google Game Theory again” cray.
This book is really good science fiction mainly because it honors and seamlessly incorporates the human factor (thoughts, emotions, dreams and shortcomings). Give it a try and read it to the end and it will likely leave you shaken and (maybe even pleasantly) surprised. (Science Fiction/Thriller/Mystery)
2. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (Historical Fiction)
This book a woven tapestry of characterization and narrative! The novel covers well over 100 years following two lines of an African family, one that is sent to America as slaves and another that remains in Africa profiting from slavery. Gyasi’s talent shines as she follows each generation through time, giving each successive person in the lineage one chapter to tell their story within a changing world. Homegoing is (I dare say) a beautifully written work of art. It’s moving, epic in scope yet intimate in character, relatable and will undoubtedly leave most readers changed in some small yet profound way.
3. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is the YA truth. It gave me so much life! The series is a little bit of Hunger Games, with a dash of Game of Thrones and sprinkled with X-men universe themes. It was, in short, awesome!
Maybe two years ago, I read the first few pages of the Red Queen and, for some hard to recall reason, really hated it. I dismissed it for sub-par YA pseudo-dystopian hype.
This time, I listened to the audiobook, mainly because of bored indecisiveness, and oh my gawd, I was slightly shook. The book is awesome, the narrative strong; the characters very well written. I have read tons of crappy YA novels, kitchy, predictable and cringe worthy; The Red Queen is not one of these. The lead, even when making mistakes, is likable and believable. Her obstacles are not the byproduct of “you can see it coming from a mile away” basic b*tch mistakes, though I had my suspicions, it was the almost unavoidable result of good old fashion plot thickening.
There are some common dystopian sci-fi YA themes: unrequited love triangles, lead female character that finds and unleashes her inner Buffy the Vampire slayer, epic uphill battle to fight oppression and save a marginalized group. I acknowledge that there are some at times over-used genres themes, but Victoria Aveyard’s execution was seamless, enjoyable, and captivating. I finished the book in less than 24 hours and it kept me on the edge of my seat. The book was good, crazy good. I would recommend to anyone looking for a mature sci-fi YA book. Read this sh*t, you likely won’t regret it. (Young Adult/New Adult)
Post Scriptum: I read all three books in the series in less than a week and now I’m patiently waiting for book 4.
4. Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow (Young Adult/New Adult/Mental Health Fiction)
Haunting, poetic and just shy of perfect. Girl In Pieces takes you on a journey through abuse, pain, self-harm, healing, freedom, and hope. It is a book that fills your entire being from the first chapter. It is a page turner that will haunt your day until you finish it and will leave you breathless once you do. It is more art than YA novel and you won’t regret picking it up.
5. Saga Vol. 1 & 2 by Brian K. Vaughan (Writer), Fiona Staples (Artist). (Graphic Novel Fantasy/Science Fiction)
A sci-fi graphic novel series featuring a breast-feeding woman of color fighting for a love that is illegal and their child, who is now hunted by two waring factions.
6. The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. (Young Adult Science Fiction/Romance) I picked up this book because a fellow bookworm with discerning tastes described this as a “near perfect YA novel.” This was not an overstatement.
Half way through this book I knew that, baring some epic decline in the second half, A Sun Is Also A Star would be added to my top 10 list of favorite YA novels.
This book is beautifully written, intelligent and real. It makes you laugh out loud but is also thought provoking. It makes me remember what it was to fall in love and forces me to analyze that love through the lens of both science and faith. It indeed is a near perfect YA novel.
7. The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber
The Book of Strange New Things is a complex and beautiful novel that crosses multiple genres. Its main protagonist is Peter, a deeply spiritual man of faith who jumps across the universe to evangelize a newly found aliens living in relative harmony outside a small corporate colony on the planet Oasis. These aliens are hungry for the gospel and have demanded a preacher to teach them about The Book of Strange New Things and Jesus. Peter goes on this incredible journey across space and time, leaving his wife behind right before earth is facing multiple natural and man-made catastrophes.
As a person of faith who rarely reads fiction in the genre of religion, as it can, in my singular opinion, lack authenticity and feel forced, I was pleasantly surprised by Faber’s writing. The narrative of faith in written Fiction and other forms of art in general is sorely lacking, this is surprising as faith is a major part of many human narratives, but I think this is because it is incredibly difficult to write without the extremes of cynicism or fluff.
Faber created a character with a profoundly deep and awe inspiring relationship with God. A moral man who is neither sexist or racist or any of the other horrid –isms commonly associated with religion. He tries to love all of God’s created beings even as he is tested and arguably found wanting; even as his mind and grasp of reality seemingly begins to break apart as he is torn between his past and his present.
This book is not just about religion and though technically science-fiction, it beautiful touches on the human condition. It is about love, loss, loneliness, redemption, and so much more.
When I first started this book, I thought I would give it 5 stars, but it took me on such an emotional roller-coaster that, frankly, I wasn’t prepared for that I felt it warranted 3 stars. This book left me emotionally confused and gasping for air and just as it ends you are frustrated because there has to be more. The ending does not wrap everything in a little package for you. With that being said, I had to find some middle ground that honors both the complexity of the writing and my own emotional frustrations, 4 stars it is.
(see this post for a review of what I read in the beginning of 2017 and visit my profile on Goodreads for the full list what I am currently reading and past reviews)
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