Books Read: 7
Pages Read: 2776
Average Rating: 4/5
Emmy and Oliver – Robin Benway 4/5
Emmy and Oliver were neighbours and best friends until Oliver was kidnapped by his dad at age 7. 10 years later he returns. The story focuses on relationships, as we see how Emmy was parented, what her friendships are like, and then how she and Oliver become friends again. We see how Oliver struggles to fit back in, and process the life he had with his dad. A YA contemporary that I really enjoyed.
The Unexpected Everything – Morgan Matson 4/5
Andie spends her summer walking dogs and juggling different relationships. Her relationship with her dad has been strained after he’s spent years in politics, and they start to figure out how to get along. Andie has a close circle of friends, in which tensions arise. And she meets and starts a relationship with Clark, who she meets through her work. This was another quick read that I enjoyed spending time with.
A Little Something Different – Sandy Hall 3/5
This was a unique book in that we see Lea and Gabe fall in love from a whole bunch of different perpectives (17, I think), without seeing things from their point of view. Through their conversations with friends and the observations of others we see both Lea and Gabe struggle with getting to know each other. The book is solely focused on their relationship, and yet the different perspectives mean the plot doesn’t seem lacking.
A Quiet Kind of Thunder – Sara Barnard 4/5
My run of YA contemporaries continues! In this book we see Steffi (selective mute) and Rhys (deaf) learn to communicate with each other when he starts at her school. It was fascinating. They spoke using sign language and written language, and I appreciated the glimpse I got of what it might be like to live with these conditions. And of course there was a romantic element, which was pretty sweet in the context.
The Wise Man’s Fear – Patrick Rothfuss 5/5
In this second book of the Kingkiller Chronicle, Kvothe continues to tell his story to Chronicler and Bast. He recounts further events from his time at university, and then his travels. We understand more of why Kvothe has become a legend, and it is a wonderful experience. I really loved the change of setting, and the new characters and events that came with this. Again, this was not a quick read, but the writing was just so beautiful and engaging.
When Breath Becomes Air – Paul Kalanithi 4/5
In this autobiography Kalanithi recounts his experiences both as a neurosurgeon and a cancer patient. He beautifully talks about the questions he had as he grew up, and studied literature and then medicine. He talks about meaning and relationships, life and death. The book is finished by his wife, writing after his death. It was a quick book to get through, but one that made quite an impact.
The Slow Regard of Silent Things – Patrick Rothfuss 4/5
This novella follows Auri, a character from The Kingkiller Chronicle. It doesn’t add to Kvothe’s story, but does provide us with insight into the life of the girl who lives beneath the University. It took me a little while to understand the perspective of the story, but once I did I was entranced. Rothfuss talks about Auri’s obsession with different objects and how they fit in her “home” with such delightful detail. We see her strong emotional responses to the little incidents that happen. I really loved spending some time in Auri’s world.
That’s it for 2017! Overall I read 65 books this year, and it’s been a whole lot of fun. I am so excited about finding and enjoying new stories over the coming year
