I have been on the road the past few weekends (ski trip, Vegas) and we are finally home this weekend to catch up on sleep, laundry, and grocery shopping. Since my last 5 book summary, here is what I have been reading:
1. My Life in France by Julia Child- This is Julia Child’s autobiography…particularly focusing on her years living in France. The movie Julie & Julia bases many scenes of the movie around stories told in this book. After seeing the movie, I enjoyed reading this, especially in Julia’s enthusiastic tone.
2. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro- I was googling for books to add to my library list one day, when I came across the following list: 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. This book just happened to be number one on the list so I figured it was a must read. Set in England, it tells the story of children who are raised in a special boarding school that is isolated from the rest of the world. These children were scientifically reproduced for their organs. When they turn adults, it is their role in society to donate their organs to “normal” people to help them carry on longer lives. It was definitely a sad novel, but an interesting look at bio-ethics and questions we need to ask ourselves as we delve into the next steps of bio-technology.
3. Brooklyn: A Novel by Colm Toibin- This novel is the story of a young Irish girl in the 1950s. Unable to find work in Ireland, a local priest helps her find work in America and assists with her relocation. Once there, she faces a great deal of homesickness, but eventually falls in love with a young Italian boy. After a sad twist, she is forced to make a very difficult decision with her future.
4. Nanny Returns: A Novel by Emma McLaughin & Nicola Kraus- This book is the sequel to The Nanny Diaries. This was a fun, light read and I got through it very quickly. The story takes place a few years after Nanny Diaries concludes. Nan is now married and runs into one of her old charges. Through a series of events, she once again get tangled into the affairs of the crazy X family.
5. Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert- This book is also a sequel…this one to Eat, Pray, Love. I really enjoy Gilbert’s writing style. I read EPL while I was vacationing in Spain last year and it was a really great book to read while traveling (as much of the whole book is about her one year travel adventure to Italy, India, and Indonesia). This book starts off with her Brazilian boyfriend being detained in US Customs and no longer allowed in the country. Forced with this new challenge, she takes a look at her fear of marriage, as well as the matrimonial history among many cultures. I really enjoy her writing style and learned some really interesting things while reading this book.
I have gone overboard on my library hold requesting and I can’t quite seem to catch up on my current list (I am ending up having to turn books in for their final due date before I can even crack the cover)! Since the weather is not going to be particularly nice here in Boston this weekend, I will have to do some catch-up reading. What books have you been reading lately?
-m
