There are lots of reasons I always look forward to Christmas break, but one of the big ones is because I get to read.  While I’ve had more time this semester to read (and write!) than normal, not having class at all means even more reading time.  So here’s what I’ve read already, and some of what I’m looking forward to.

What I’ve Read So Far

Verdict: So.  Worth.  It.

As soon as I realized Judy Blume had written a new(ish) novel, I wanted to read it.  I grew up with Blubber, the Fudge books, and of course Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.  And the fact that this one was based on true events made it even more appealing.  At first, the extensive character list in the front threw me off, but Blume introduces characters slowly enough that it wasn’t confusing at all.  This was such an engaging, sad read, and Blume, as always, captures the very essence of human experience at all ages.  She stays in touch with her inner child but is so incredibly realistic about the way people feel.  If there was ever an author in touch with human nature, it’s Judy Blume.  I highly recommend this.

Verdict:  Do not start unless you have about 6 hours to spare.

It took me from around 8:30pm to 2:00am one night to read this.  I literally did not put it down.  It was kind of funny that I picked it up — it had been on my TBR but I didn’t realize it had finally downloaded to my Kindle from the library until I went to delete another rental.  I just read another book with almost the exact same premise (see below), but I figured why not go ahead.  And this book did not disappoint.  It was suspenseful, engaging, and I caught myself actually holding my breath near the end.  If I ever write a debut novel half as good as this one, I’ll rest easy in my grave.

Verdict:  Funny, as usual.

Girl wakes up with amnesia and has no idea who she is — exact same premise as Before I Go to Sleep.  But this was a much fluffier version, a Kinsella classic.  While there are obviously elements of suspense (how can there not be, with this premise?), the surprises are more reality show-esque than the horrible truths revealed in Before I Go to Sleep.  I actually listened to the audio book, and ended up laughing out loud, as I usually do with Kinsella novels.  But maybe not as much as I would have if I had read it — I’m not sure.  Generally I’m not crazy about audio book narrators.  However, it’s really hard to go wrong with Kinsella.

TBR for December

To Review

Jeff graciously offered me a copy of this collection of memoirs in exchange for a review, so be looking for that within the next few weeks!  I’m excited about this because I love memoirs, and have really enjoyed his blog so far.

This is my next book from Blogging for Books, which I chose because 1) I love languages and 2) I love coffee table books.  Someday I hope to have a coffee table full of books, and this will definitely be going on the pile.  Look for the full review by the end of December!

To Read

Lately I’ve been realizing how few non-white authors I have read.  While I follow a few non-white bloggers, that’s not enough.  In addition to the TBR I already have on Goodreads, I’ll be searching for more non-white authors to read over break.  Feel free to let me know in the comments if you have any recommendations!