I have been on a major reading kick lately and it will only pick up momentum this summer. Lazy days at the pool and weeks on the beaches on Lake Michigan is the perfect time to loose myself in a good book. One of my resolutions for 2013 was to read more and this has been a very easy task to accomplish. Every book I have read for this year has been from the recommendation of a friend, every one has been such a great read so I thought I would share with you.
Still Alice
This book is about a highly educated Harvard professor who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer and her struggle with coping with the complete loss of any mental capacity. The story is told through her and in my opinion a very raw, truthful and frightening detail of what the disease will do to you. Of course now I am convinced I might have Alzheimer every time I forgot anything.
What Remains
After seeing Carole on RHONY I had to read this book. We all know how it ends so no surprise, but it is still a very sad tale. After reading this I realize what a tremendous loss Carole has lived through and wonder how I would cope. I wish there was more to the story about John and Carolyn and her relationship with them, but all in all a good book.
The Playdate
If you ever had a friend who you thought maybe did not have your back you will especially like this book. Lots of twists and surprises and makes you think about your friends; how do you treat them and how do they treat you.
What Alice Forgot
This is a very clever way to write about true love and then losing that love. A 40 year old woman in the middle of a divorce fall and has a concussion, she comes to thinking she is 28 and a newlywed. She is struggling to accept the reality of her life and how her marriage got to where it is. You really want her to work it out with her husband, but as she slowly remembers her life you begin to realize that people change, love changes and sometimes marriages don't work.
Sharp Objects
This is a very dark book. This is about a dysfunctional relationship between a mother and daughter. It was very disturbing to read yet I could not put it down. You read this and realize there really are crazy people out there. If you are a mom and read this, you will spend the next few weeks thinking about how you interact with your children
A Secret Kept
My all time favorite book, Sarah's Key is by the same author so I knew I would love this book. This book is about what happens to the people that are left behind when we take a secret to our grave. What effect will this have on the people in our lives if we don't tell the real story. A mom had a secret and her son was still dealing with it years after her death. Loved this book (and it takes places in Paris, bonus)
Dark Places
I thought Sharp Objects was dark then I read this!! Also by Gillian Flynn I am now wondering what kind of childhood this woman had to write such disturbing stories. A now 35 year old man is in prison for life for murdering his family with the exception of his sister who not only was the sole survivor but a witness. The sister who was 7 at the time is now a grown woman is beginning to question what she saw. Her story is not adding up in her mind and she has a lot of unanswered questions. I read this book in 2 days.
and now, the best for last...
The Storyteller
When my friend gave me this book and told me I had to read it I was not that interested. I am kind of over the Jodi Picoult books, they always involve a lawyer, and someone getting off scott free for a crazy crime. My friend insisted this was different and I would love it. So glad I took her advice, I seriously could not put this down. This is the story of a 25 year old girl who becomes friends with an elderly man in her small town in New Hampshire and as her friendship develops she learns he was a SS officer in Germany during WWII. He pours his heart and soul to her because he cannot live with the guilt and tells her about sending the prisoners to the concentration camps. To make this story even better, the woman's grandmother is a holocaust survivor and most likely had interaction with this man. The grandmother tells her story of being in a concentration camp and ultimately how she survived. Her story is realistic, heartbreaking and infuriating. I was reading this book and would get sick just thinking that this truly went on and so many people turned a blind eye. I don't want to give too much away but if I had to recommend only 1 book this would be it!!
You can find all these books
here.
my second al fresco dinner of the weekend!!
