what i'm reading wednesday | 03.29.17
I'll admit. With all of the packing up and not cooking that I've been doing lately, I've had a ton of time to read more. Well, technically, it's been more like listening to audiobooks while I sort through 6+ years of stuff before the movers come next week (!!!!).
Reading also takes my mind off of everything.
i'll give you the sun by jandy nelson
I'm absolutely loving this book, which was featured in the Spring 2017 reading list blog. Normally, I'm not into super angsty YA novels, but this one is something different. Twins Noah and Jude (or NoahandJude, as they call their twin "one-ness") are both struggling. The know that they have an irreplaceable bond, but the level of sibling rivalry and deep sense of (for lack of a better word) envy keeps them apart. I don't know if I like this novel so much because the narration style is flawlessly self-deprecating...or if it's because the twins are both grappling with that unspeakable, deep sense of loss that I'me experiencing myself right now. Read this book. Seriously.
the joy luck club by amy tan
I busted out my dusty hard copy of Amy Tan's classic novel. In fact, it's the same copy I read in high school. I remember it being one of the few books from the required reading list that I truly enjoyed (the others being The Great Gatsby, The Bluest Eye, Great Expectations, and The Catcher In The Rye). I love how the stories transition between mothers and daughters, and how the imagery flows between stories. Amy Tan carefully integrates the traditions and culture of China with modern America. It's legitimately one of the best novels I've ever read. And I'm so happy to be reading it again as part of the Wine, Books, & Wanderlust classic novel reading challenge.
harry potter and the sorcerer's stone by j.k. rowling
I picked up this audiobook at my sweet friend Sara's recommendation. She's been listening to in on car rides with her two teenaged boys (which is tough, because I remember them being so little). I had forgotten how detailed J.K. Rowling's storytelling is...and how magical reading a book a younger you read. I remember the sheer joy of seeing a new Potter book released (I have an original set!). Also, I couldn't help but start over from the beginning. I am notoriously OCD about doing things in order, and I recently ordered the Eddie Redmayne (swoon!) narrated Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. I am officially in Hogwarts heaven!
relic by douglas preston and lincoln child
You already know that I am a HUGE fan of these two authors. Don't believe me - see here and here and here for proof. Relic is the first novel introducing Special Agent Pendergast and even though, it was made into a super shitty movie, the novel is creepy and smart at the same time. There were a few times, especially right before bed, where I had to turn it off. Something inhuman is terrorizing New York's Museum of Natural History...add in creepy artifacts, bureaucratic ladder climbers, and creepy sub-basements (omg, do these actually exist?), and you've got yourself an amazing suspense novel. The narrator does a fantastic job of switching voices for each character, and he's excellent at knowing when to make a dramatic pause.
What are you reading now that I NEED to know about? Comment below or message me at amanda@winebooksandwanderlust.com.
