A down pour of novels

Like any good reader, I go thru seasons. There are times when there are not enough written materials of substance in the world to satisfy my hunger, and then there are times when I am smack dab in the middle of a reading drought, going thru days and days, book less. Right now, it’s currently raining novels at my house and my kindle is flooding with no end in sight.
Here are few reads worth mentioning:

This one, The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker, quickly made its way on my list of all time favorite reads despite the books gloomy backdrop. The world is ending and you get to experience it all from the eyes of an adolescent named Julia. The author hooks you from the very beginning.

“We didn’t notice right away. We couldn’t feel it. We did not sense the extra time, bulging from the smooth edge of each day like a tumor blooming beneath skin.”

The world does not end all at once and the cause is not from what you would expect. No, it’s not from the result of global warming, meteor showers or atomic bombs. No, it’s much more subtle than that. The earth’s rotation begins to slow with no known cause and the days begin to lengthen by minutes and then hours. The sun no longer rises in the morning and the moon no longer reigns at night. Sometimes, it’s daylight for weeks and then it’s nighttime for weeks. Think Fairbanks, Alaska, but much, much worse. The only drawback to this novel is that I anticipated a major climax, and I didn’t get one. On a more positive note, the writing is superb. You truly feel like you are a patron in a movie theater watching the end all unfold on the big screen instead reading a bunch of written words. Loved it!

My next read, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, made me experience so many varying levels of anger that I find it hard to say I liked it. Actually, I can not remember the last time a novel made me so stinking mad, but it didn’t keep me from reading it. To set the tone, the beginning feels a lot like the Lacy and Scott Peterson case, but do not be deceived. Things are not always what they seem and this novel has more twists than a salty pretzel. If you manage anger well, and do not mind Author’s playing tricks on you, than you would do well to add this one to your reading list. If not, don’t bother.

I also recently finished, The Patron Saint of Liars, by Ann Patchett. You can find a better review of this one from fellow blogger, Alena, at Alena’s Life. Just click here for her review.

If you’ve read any of these please feel free to agree or disagree with my commentary. And, if you’re currently experiencing a reading drought, I’m sure the first two novels will bring the rain. Happy Reading!