What I'm Reading (March 2016)

Before my last post, it had been a long time since I blogged, so I figured I would write up a post about what I'm currently reading. I always have more than one book going at once.

Current Reads:

Right now, I'm reading Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, for the first time. I really can't say too much about the book, since I'm only about fifty pages in, but it's good so far. There are definitely some laugh-out-loud moments. It's hard to explain the plot, but I'll say this: Holden is a pretty screwed up kid. He needs help.

Another book I'm reading is 'Salem's Lot, by Stephen King. Now, I don't usually read horror. I like my sleep too much. But there's something about Stephen King I keep going back to. I'm about two hundred pages into this vampire novel, I like it so far. I'm curious to see exactly what goes down in the little town of Jerusalem's Lot.

At night, I'm rereading (for about the thousandth time) To Kill a Mockingbird. I started my reread on the day Harper Lee died. I read this book for the first time when I was around 13-14, and I absolutely loved it. It was assigned reading, and Mom told me to start with the first couple of chapters. I devoured the whole thing in two days. I think I love it more every time I reread it.

For school, I'm reading The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. Oh, my word, this book deserves its own post. Though I'm reading it for school, it is a book I've been wanting to read for a long time. It's a beautifully written book about a boy, Amir, growing up in Afghanistan, and the things that shape him. The writing is so accessible, and it's not difficult to understand at all. But that doesn't mean it's an easy read. The pivotal point in the book, the event that changes Amir's life forever, comes in chapter 7, and it's positively horrific. I felt like I physically could not read the actual scene. But after putting the book down for a few days and giving myself time to process, I came back to it and found myself getting sucked back in again. I can't wholeheartedly recommend it, because of how horrifying it is, but it's truly an amazing read.

The final book I'm currently reading is The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. This book is funny and quirky, and the first chapter had me laughing out loud. The book is about a woman named Precious, who opens a detective agency in Africa. I started reading it because I needed something not depressing to read. I'm not too far into it, but it's adorable.


Recently Read:


Recently I read Ruta Sepetys' new book, Salt to the Sea. I think I read this book in about six hours. It was amazing. I'm formulating a review in my head, so stay tuned for that. For now, I'll just say this: Ruta Sepetys writes historical fiction (especially WWII) better than so many other writers now. She has the power to make me weep for characters I've only been with for six hours.


I also recently read Wuthering Heights, which was an absolute delight. I love a good gothic novel. I tried to read it once before, but never finished it for some reason. I laughed out loud at it sometimes, because the idea that anyone could find Heathcliff (or Cathy, for that matter) even remotely appealing was ridiculous. I once took a quiz along the lines of "Who is Your Classic Novel Boyfriend?" and I was horrified when I got Heathcliff. But I didn't know how the novel ended, so reading it was great because everything was a surprise.


To Be Read:


Currently on my TBR pile is Pure, by Julianna Baggott, and All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr. I may be changing this around to get some happier books in there. We'll just have to see.

Stephen King and Warm Weather

I don't know what it is about warm weather that makes me want to read scary books. I don't know if I'm braver when the days are longer, or if it's because of the summer after my senior year when I read The Stand, Cujo, and Misery. I didn't read them one right after the other, but I still think of that summer as the Stephen King summer.

Because the weather is warming up now, I'm craving those thrillers again. I even thought about rereading Cujo, for some deranged reason. That was my least favorite Stephen King book, and I won't watch the movie. Maybe I will someday, but I doubt it. The trailer was enough to remind me why I didn't like the book. I remember when I was reading it, I lay in my bed that night staring at the ceiling, regretting my decision to pick it up. And then I woke up the next morning and practically tore through the house looking for it so I could find out what happened. I loved it as I was reading it, but the ending left a bad taste in my mouth.

The Stand was probably my favorite Stephen King book. I loved the battle between good and evil, and the Biblical parallels. I think it's interesting that it starts as an apocalyptic pandemic, but before too long it has shifted to a classic story of how no matter what happens, there will always be good left to fight the deep evil in the world. The miniseries is well done, even if some of the acting is bad.

As a writer, Misery is probably my worst nightmare. For a long time I swore I would never read it. But somehow, it was still the first King book I read. I borrowed the ebook from my library, and I can still remember sitting curled up in the corner of my couch, clutching my iPod and reading certain scenes in horror. Even though it completely terrified me, I thought it was a great read, and I've watched the movie twice. I have yet to reread it, though.

I just finished reading The Running Man, which was a really interesting story. It wasn't as scary as some of King's other books in that it's not horror, but it was scary because I can see some of the things described happening in our own society. The dystopic world Richards lived in, in which the air is polluted and millions of people are trapped in crippling poverty rings very true to our own society. I enjoyed the book, but I didn't like the main character very much. It's hard for me to enjoy a book if I don't like the main character.

Right now I'm reading 'Salem's Lot, but it's going slowly because I don't read it at night. I'm not quite 100 pages in, but I'm definitely hooked. I can't wait to find out exactly what goes down in the little town.

I'm a fan of Stephen King, but every time I look at his shelves at the library, I lose count of how many of his books I don't want to read. The number of books I do want to read is far outnumbered by the ones I don't. He's an interesting man, that Stephen King. I wonder what it's like to live inside his head.