Another Random Reading Update

It's time for another random list of books I've been reading and my musings on them. This list is going to be a long one. I've been reading a ton instead of sleeping lately. Please let me know what I should read next!

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Having loved The Nightingale, I finally gave in and read All the Light We Cannot See. It had been recommended to me multiple times and I have no clue what took me so long to read it. Haunting is the best word I have for it. The beauty taken and the beauty distroyed during WWII are illuminated in a tale of beauty being preserved. The novel follows the story of two children throughout the war; one a blind Parisian girl who flees to a picturesque seaside town and the other a German orphan made into a solider. One is hiding while and other is seeking and they both are fighting. I keep going back to haunting. Read The Nightingale. Then read this! Go!

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Having throughly enjoyed All the Light We Cannot See, I decided to continue with my Pulitzer Prize winning kick. I go back and forth on this book. There were sections of it I loved. It was raw and beautifully written. Then it got verbose or took seemingly senseless turns. This bad boy is long too. I would recommend it, overall. It is a beautiful coming of age despite repeated tragedy story that had me engaged for far more than it lost me. Theo looses his mom in a tragic accident. The book follows him as he bounces from place to place, looking at how a single day colored each move in his life.

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman 

Per usual, I found this book based on a list of novels turning into movies. This one cut me deep. A young woman falls in love and follows her new husband to a remote island off the Australian coast. They are the only inhabitants and he is the lighthouse keeper. After one pregnancy loss after another, they are both broken. This book nails the desperation, the protection, and the psychological trauma that follow loss. This young couple take extreme action which, as someone who has suffer loss, is not too much of a stretch to understand. I have been recommending this book to anyone and everyone. But, if you've experienced pregnancy or child loss be warned. It might be a more difficult read. 

Funny Girl by Nick Hornby 

Funny Girl was downright fluff compared to my other reads of late. It follows a young, new to London girl and the journey the of curmudgeon company she joins take to making it big. It was light, quick, and interesting. If you're looking for a more mindless read that's full of whit, this is a good pick.

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

I have no clue what lead me to State of Wonder.  It was on my phone when I had no other books to start so I went for it. It's a light, rediscovering oneself type book set in the Amazon. Marina struggles with her identity as an Indian American, a doctor, and a woman as she journeys into the Amazon to chase down a coworker and a former mentor. The novel explores her own questions of who she is while looking at the morality of exploration and experimentation. 

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

Yah... about this book. I'm rather proud of myself for finishing. It had random side stories, got super harsh at times, and was altogether not very compelling. 

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Wow. This was a gem to find. This is Celeste's first novel and I cannot wait for more. The story follows the individual tales of a family trying to piece together the mysterious death of their daughter/sister. It grapples with loss and grief for both her death as well as the paths not taken in each of their lives. This is another must read as far as I'm concerned.