What I Read: February

So, guys...this year I've sort of been stepping out of my comfort zone when it comes to books. That is to say, I've been reading a lot of different types of books that I generally wouldn't read- mysteries, memoirs, hiking books (?), etc. Here's what I read this month (I know I'm a few days early, but I won't be finishing any more books before Monday night):

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konigsburg

This is my first reread of the year (out of the 20 that I'm attempting). I hadn't read this book since elementary school, but it kept coming up. I remembered how much I used to love it, and I still love children's literature, so I decided to check it out from the library. It's a very cute, interesting story. I love that they run away to a museum. I'm such a museum nerd...in school, all of the other kids always thought they were boring but I just loved them (and still do). So if you were going to run away, wouldn't a museum be the coolest place to go? :)

The Thin Man, by Dashiell Hammett

This book was okay. Sometimes it had the cleverness and humor of the movie, but most of the time it didn't. There was some language and other content that apparently was left out of the movie (I'm relieved). Let me say, this is one of those rare instances in which I much prefer the movie! I love the Thin Man series. By the way, Nick Charles is, unfortunately, much less charming in the book.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie

I rarely read mysteries...and here's two in one month! :) I enjoyed this one a lot better than The Thin Man. It was much easier to digest. I love mysteries when the detectives take little, seemingly meaningless clues and piece everything together. It's fascinating. I really loved this book!

A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson

This book was also just okay. It started off good but slowly faded out. I enjoyed learning more about the Appalachian Trail, and sometimes the humor in the book was great. But all of the swearing was a huge turn off (have I mentioned that profanity is pretty much my biggest pet peeve ever?), and the author ridicules religion whenever he gets the chance. Then he turns around and drags on for pages, writing about evolution. Hm.

How To Sew a Button (and Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew), by Erin Bried

A very cute little book! A lot of tips for how to do all sorts of things, some very useful and a few not so useful. There are retro style illustrations scattered throughout.

This Fine Life, by Eva Marie Everson

I loved this. I was very excited about it, from the cover and the blurb on the back. The beginning was a little slow and slightly confusing (with the way the prologue was set up), but I settled into it soon. This book wasn't like anything else I've ever read, though I can't exactly explain why. I felt so involved with the characters and their lives. It was incredible to see Mariette grow from a teenager just out of high school into a young wife experiencing all sorts of challenges. And I just loved the setting- the south from 1959 to the 70s. Overall, this was one pretty amazing little book that is really sticking with me.

The Lightkeeper's Daughter, by Colleen Coble

At first, I thought this book was just your average Christian historical fiction...but there were some good, unexpected twists at the end that impressed me. I enjoyed it quite a lot.

Until next time,