Over Thanksgiving, Christmas, a couple of sick days, and my recent vacation I have been able to get through 5 books over the past couple months. Here is a mini summary of each:

1. A Meaningful Life by L.J. Davis- The main character in this book is generally unhappy with his career and life, and looks to renovate a Brooklyn brownstone in his spare time.  I really enjoyed the author’s writing style/voice.
2. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah- Two girls who lived across the street from each other become unlikely friends for life.  It’s a relatively light read and would be a good book for the beach.
3. The Sharper the Knife, The Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn- An autobiography where the author decides to enroll in France’s Cordon Bleu cooking school after losing her job.  It was a good book to read after seeing the movie Julie and Julia.
4. The Associate by John Grisham- I always enjoy a good John Grisham novel and this one did not disappoint.  A law student gets blackmailed into working for a large corporate law firm and is forced to reveal legal secrets to his blackmailers.
5. The Help by Kathryn Stockett- My grandma lent me this book at Christmas.  It had been on my library hold list, but I had been hundreds in front of me so I had not expected to read it for awhile (it seems every other woman on my bus to work is reading this book).  It was a very good book and was disappointed to finish it as I no longer would have it to look forward to.  It is a story about a white woman who attempts to write a book telling the stories of the black housekeepers in a still very segregated South.

I enjoy walking through Barnes & Noble and noting any new books that I want to check out. I then just log into my BPL (Boston Public Library) account and request these books to be held. It usually takes a few weeks depending on the book’s popularity, but they call you when it’s available and it’s absolutely free.  I love the idea of having a Kindle, but I’m not in love with the idea of having to pay for books when they are available for free otherwise.

-M