Good Reads : Book Draught

There are some weeks when I go through what I refer to as a Book Drought. Nothing sounds appealing, the plot is all wrong, the book can't hold my attention. Then there are weeks when I devour books for a myriad of reasons. I'd like to think the books I read follow some pattern so I could easily predict my preferred genre, but it basically boils down to good writing, good story, or–in the best scenario–both.

Here's an update of the books I've read and enjoyed lately…but you can always find more in the Good Reads blog posts!

The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe. The book is one simple thing: a love letter from a son to mother and the lessons she taught him at the end of her life. This true story is told by way of Will meeting his mother during her weekly chemotherapy treatments. Spending long hours together, they begin to read and discuss their mutual love of books, which later reveals insights into their characters and what they love about life, and each other. SO good. I sat on the steps of San Francisco City Hall and cried my eyes out reading it before I shot a wedding. I have such fond memories of it.

The Little Way of Ruthie Lemming by Rod Dreher. I purchased this book on the recommendation of a few blog readers and I'm glad I did. Rod writes so deep from his heart about the love and respect he had for his sister before she passed away from lung cancer. But the story isn't about loss as much as it's about reflecting on what we consider home and the connection we have to community. It was poignant and made me appreciate my family much more when I finished.

The Maze Runner Series by James Dashner. This is a quintessential teen book series if there's ever been…but I really liked it! If nothing else, they were quick and easy to read while keeping me fully engaged. Of course there's a part of me that's embarrassed to read sci fi tween books, but it's already been adapted to a movie (coming out later this summer), so I think that gives it a bit more street cred for mass appeal!

Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life by Dani Shapiro. Oooooh, this book. Still Writing was sent to anonymously by a blog reader and I wish I knew who it was because I'd crawl through the internet and squeeeeeeze him/her so hard. It was a fantastic read. Truly. Shapiro talks about the struggles of writing (like, actually being creative and story telling), but almost everything she says can be applied to any creative discipline. It was a shot to the arm and reminded me that hard work, diligence, and dedication is how a creative gets busy…and stays busy.

Noggin by John Corey Whaley. This book was reviewed very well before it was available for purchase. It came by a recommendation from a trusted friend and while it was a decent read, it just really didn't so much for me. It was cute, but not something I'd quickly suggest to a friend.

A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout. I finished this book a couple weeks ago and it's still haunts me. It's a true story of a journalist who got kidnapped in Somalia and remained captive for almost two years. It chronicles her harrowing story with grace, suspense, and sobering awareness of inner strength. It proved the will of the human spirit and I'm inspired by this story in so many ways.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. Friends, this book is SO good. I finished it in a single day. This is one of those books that is well written and has a unique story and executed with precision. The premise of the book focuses on Cadence, a privileged girl who suffered an accident and tries to piece together her memory. I won't say more than that because it'll give too much away, but just trust me when I say it was so worth the read!

Happy Tuesday!