Matrimony :: Joshua Henkin

Gosh, it's been awhile - I swear I have been reading. I have read quite a bit actually but have been feeling kind of apathetic and uninspired lately, sheesh. And then I read Matrimony.

Okay, it's not exactly like I read Matrimony and suddenly became inspired but really, I wanted to share this book. I liked it. It was simple - about likable people. About relationships - turbulence, typical daily struggles.

You have Julian, likable and from old money. Carter - from no money and jealous of people with money yet somehow a friend of Julian's. Mia, bright, fun and patient. Pilar, beautiful but she doesn't add a ton to the book. Anyways - we follow these 4 from freshman year through their lives - Julian is the focus. We follow how his friendship with Carter and his relationship with Mia evolve. It was a quick read - but not cute in a "chick lit" sort of way. And the cover kind of sucks you in - those are some great shoes.

Marathon Post: The Book Thief, Knit Two, Shelter Me & Coraline

Well...it's been awhile, so this is going to be a marathon post. Since I last wrote I've read three books and listened to one.



The first book was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Peaknit gave a great description a few posts ago, but I had my own interesting description. I thought the book was excellent, but after I finished reading it I felt like I was kicked in the stomach. It's not surprising that a book narrated by Death during World War II is going to sting a bit, but this one certainly packed a punch. However, it is certainly one of the best books I've read in awhile.



After finishing The Book Thief, I needed to read something that was as different as possible, and so I selected Knit Two by Kate Jacobs. It certainly wasn't anything like The Book Thief!! I was actually bored by this book, I did finish it, but I didn't connect with the characters and I found myself not really caring what happened to them. I don't want to ruin either book, so I'll basically say the story continues a few years after The Friday Night Knit Club ended. My feelngs about this book weren't a big surprise to me since I didn't love the first book either. If you really enjoyed the first book perhaps don't take my review too seriously.




This past Friday I just finished Shleter Me by Juliette Fay. I stayed up pretty late Thursday hoping to finish, but just couldn't keep my eyes open. The novel tells the story of a woman who recently and unexpectedly lost her husband. We follow Janie as she stumbles through grief and becomes a single parent, we meet her family and experience everything Janie does, post Robby. Fay seemed to capture all the emotions one might go through after such a horrific loss. However, mingled with grief is great joy and humor. I enjoyed her depiction of Janie's children. I would certainly recommend this book.



The final book I've recently finished is Coraline by Neil Gaiman. For my job I sometimes have to travel, and a few upcoming trips had me stop by the library to pick up some audio books. Based on Amy Singer's recommendation from an earlier blog post I decided to give Coraline a try. I can't say I was as captivated as everyone else was, but I certainly enjoyed the story and it was perfect for my trip. I do think I want to see the movie, and I'll be interested to see how the story translates. The only thing was I did picture the characters in the book to look just like the characters in the movie, which made for an interesting listen!