I used to do a post every few months about the last five books I had read (see January ’10, March ’10, July ’10, and September ’10.)  I still want to keep writing these kinds of posts, but it has just taken me an extra long time to get through five books since Baby T has been born (and yes, he’s 15 months now.)  I’ve finally finished up book #5, so I wanted to finally share them:

1. Freedom: A Novel by Jonathan Frazen- If you are a new mother that is busy adjusting to life with a newborn baby, this is NOT the book for you!  This book is one of the main reasons it has taken me so long to get through five books.  It was a major bottleneck because once I start a book, I don’t like to quit it midway.  The author writes in a very verbose manner that requires you to really concentrate on the dialogue.  This book is extremely long.  This is not a great book to put down for many months at a time and pick up later as you will have likely forgotten all the past story lines.  New moms (and anyone else with only a little time to read each day), stay away!

2. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- This was the best book I had read in such a long time.  I finished this book over the course of just a few days, which is something I have not done in a long time.  Back in the day, I would sit and read the latest Baby-sitter’s Club in one sitting.  While I did not do it in one sitting, I would have if toddlers could take care of themselves.  The movie is coming out this March so definitely read this one before the release!

3.  Catching Fire (The Second Book of The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins- This book was not as great as the first one, but I thought it was still pretty darn good.  I read this one over our Christmas vacation in Hawaii and it was hard to put down.

4.  Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, Book 3) by Suzanne Collins- This book is kind of a letdown compared to the first two in the series, but you have to read it to find out the ending if you’ve already read the first two.

5. Mom Blogging for Dummies by Wendy Piersall- If you have started a blog or are thinking about starting a blog, I found this book to be an excellent tutorial.  While I skipped over some sections that weren’t relevant to what I was looking for, there were so many tips and tools that I found helpful.  I took so many notes on things I want to revisit and implement on 2 Sisters 2 Cities.

Anyone have any recommendations on a great book I should check out? Also, if you are on Goodreads, let me know and we can link up!

my read shelf:

-m

In between pregnancy and baby development books, I’ve tried to fit in some fun reading.  Here are the last 5 books I have finished:

1. Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry- Set in crowded, poor Bombay, this book explores the story of a family struggling to take care of their aging father.  I believe I found this book via this list of books to read before you die.  Kind of a sad book, but an interesting read about modern day India and family culture.

2. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See- I thought this book was excellent, but I would not mark it as a light summer read as it has a bit of depressing story line.  Two Shanghai sisters are sold off from their family in desperate times and are forced to move to Los Angeles.  Through a very difficult journey, they are able to stay together and build a life together.

3. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks- This is a typical Nicholas Sparks novel set in a beachtown of North Carolina.  It was a cute, light read, but I felt pretty silly when my boss came over to my desk one day and commented that his 14-year old daughter was reading the same book (apparently Miley Cyrus is starring in the movie edition of the book).

4. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson- I finally got on the bandwagon and read the first of Stieg Larson’s trilogy.  It was very interesting to read and I was captivated through the whole book.  I find it interesting to see that this book captures a male and female audience alike…I see a 50/50 split between men and women reading this on the bus.  I currently have the next two books in the series on my hold list at the library (I am something like 450th in the queue for The Girl Who Played With Fire!)

5. House Rules by Jodi Picoult- Definitely not one of my favorite Jodi Picoult books.  It is about a teenage boy with Asperger’s and his mother and brother.  I found two of these three characters (mom and the kid with Asperger’s) to be extremely annoying.

I am now in search of a good summer read in anticipation of the vacation we are taking in August- any suggestions?

-m

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