1. Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
The apocalypse with a heavy dose of British humor. I didn't find the way the plot played out entirely satisfactory, but it's smart and funny enough that it doesn't matter too much.
2. Fall of a Kingdom, by Hilari Bell
Except for some extra ethical complexity, I kind of feel like I've read this book before. Sometimes that's why I read YA fantasy, for something familiar that I can count on, but I guess I wasn't in the mood this time.
3. How Green Was My Valley, by Richard Llewellyn
One of my friends has been trying to get me to read this since last spring, and luckily for me, she gave me a copy for my birthday and left me unable to put it off any longer. It's set in a nineteenth-century Welsh coal-mining village, but it manages to avoid triteness and predictability, even when dealing with subjects like loss of innocence and labor rights movements. Bittersweet, wise coming-of-age story in simple but sometimes almost lyrical prose.
4. The Miracle of Mindfulness, by Thich Nhat Hanh
I didn't connect with every single chapter of this book, but the parts that did resonate with me SERIOUSLY resonated. Eminently wise. It's about eating a tangerine.
5. How To Ditch Your Fairy, by Justine Larbalestier
Definitely a beach read, but in a good way.
Cool, I've been looking for some new books to read.
ReplyDeleteI love how much texture you can bring to a handful of sentences. And how, clearly, you think hard about every book you hold in your hands.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read that one of Thich Nhat Hanh. I did see him in person once a few years ago, though. He lead a peace march in LA that I participated in.
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