meg reads and reads

Title: The Small Rain Author: Madeleine L'Engle This is L'Engle's first novel, and I find it quite beautiful. It's the classic coming-of-age tale of Katherine Forrester, the daughter of a composer and a concert pianist. Her childhood is very unusual, but after the death of her mother, she is placed in a boarding school, where her story truly begins. This is a story about life, about handling tragedy and heartbreaks and setbacks and continuing to move forward. This is a story about love--the love between mother and daughter, between stepmother and stepdaughter, between student and teacher, between lovers, between friends. Katherine is an extraordinary person in an ordinary story, but it reads like real life should be. And I like that. Four out of five stars. ------------------------------------ QUOTE: "It's a strange thing, how you can love somebody, how you can be all eaten up inside with needing them--and they simply don't need you. That's...

Title: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** Author: Mark Manson Have you ever met someone that was so forceful with their opinions that it felt downright hostile? That's what it feels like reading this book. Mark Manson is like that cousin who thinks his opinion is the only opinion that matters and everything else is garbage. That said, he does speak some important truths in this book. I freely admit that I've been intrigued by this book for some time, but I was a bit disappointed in it. It felt like he only had so much to say, so he stretched it all unnecessarily, to the point where it was just redundant. He grasped desperately for anecdotal evidence to support his theories, even reaching for highly controversial and destructive examples. It felt like I was reading an unnecessarily long blog post, which, considering that's his background, isn't all that surprising. The title is a little deceptive, because he isn't telling you not to care about anything. ...

Title: In the Heart of the Fire Author: Dean Koontz This short story follows a vigilante with a mysterious past that he can't remember who is simply called Nameless. He has some clairvoyant abilities that he can't control and has no idea how he obtained. It is a quick, very interesting read. It pulled me in very quickly, and I was overall very pleased with the story. Since it is so short, there is virtually no character development, so if that's a necessity for you, you'll probably want to pass on this one. But if you're looking for a short, easy-to-read crime thriller, give this one a try. It's the first in a series, so you'll definitely have more to read if you like it. I give it four out of five stars. ----------------------------------- READING PROGRESS Ammey McKeaf by Jane Shoup: 20% The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** by Mark Manson: 85% Insomnia  by Stephen King: 4% When We Believed in Mermaids  by Barbara O'Neal: NOW STARTING

Title: Dolores Claiborne Author: Stephen King This is the second Stephen King book in a row that I've just absolutely adored. It's completely different than anything else I've read by him, and I found the story to be unwaveringly interesting and the main character to be sympathetic and likable. I really enjoyed the tie-ins to Gerald's Game , as well. The story is complex with several key players, and there are a couple of twists that really caught me off guard. Just like with Gerald's Game, I was not expecting to like this book at all, but it really took me by surprise. I give it five out of five stars. --------------------------------- QUOTE "Sometimes being a b**** is all a woman's got to hold on to." --------------------------------- READING PROGRESS Ammey McKeaf by Jane Shoup: 14% The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** by Mark Manson: 57% In the Heart of the Fire by Dean Koontz: 46% Insomnia  by Stephen King: NOW STARTING

Title: Gerald's Game Author: Stephen King I have not really and truly completely enjoyed a Stephen King novel in a long time, but this was a surprising gem. I went in to this book feeling like it was going to be a chore, and it was completely riveting. From everything going on in Jessie's head to finding out she's not actually physically alone, I was hooked. This is the first book that actually scared me in a long time, probably because it just felt so real. Stephen King does such a good job in this book at putting you right into the main character's head. I really can't talk too much about this book without completely giving it away, but I can't even adequately say how much I enjoyed this one. Five out of five stars. ----------------------- QUOTES "If anyone ever asks you what panic is, now you can tell them: an emotional blank spot that leaves you feeling as you've been sucking on a mouthful of pennies." "Some memories battened...

Title: The Dressmaker's Gift Author: Fiona Valpy This is a perfect example of a book that could have been great but ended up being just okay. I love books centered around World War II, but something about this one just didn't resonate with me the way I expected it to. I found both Claire and Harriet to be completely unlikable--flighty and immature. In the beginning, Claire only seemed to want to join the resistance because of having her heart broken by a Nazi officer. She was completely willing to throw away relationships with her friends and family for this guy prior to that. And Harriet is a horrible friend to Simone, continuing to see Thierry even though she knows her friend has feelings for him. I don't care if she said it was okay or not--it wasn't okay. Also, when she's in a medically-induced coma for a week, does she really bounce back that easily? If her injuries weren't that severe, why did she need to be in a medically-induced coma? Something i...

Title: Swan Author: Mary Oliver I am a huge fan of Mary Oliver, and as such, I had to really savor these poems. I took my time with them, ruminating over every word, wishing there would never be an end to what I was reading. As always, Oliver heavily drew on nature in these poems. She had a real knack for taking an individual thought and turning it into the most beautifully crafted wording you can possibly imagine. I had the privilege of hearing her read once at an event at Salem College. This was over a decade ago, but I still remember feeling like I was in the same room as greatness. This book doesn't contain even close to my favorite work of hers, but it's still beautiful. Four out of five stars. ---------------------------- QUOTES: "Ordinarily, I go to the woods alone, with not a single friend, for they are all smilers and talkers and therefore unsuitable. I don't really want to be witnessed talking to the catbirds or hugging the old black oak t...

Title: Codename Villanelle Author: Luke Jennings I was really excited to read this book, and I was extremely disappointed. I really enjoyed the first season of the show, but this is one of those cases where the show is better than the book. I found the sparse writing style to be ineffective and honestly boring. I felt like the story didn't go very far. It was a chore to read, and that made me sad since I was so eager to read it. I'm going to continue with Book 2 later, hoping that it gets better. But, for now, I give Book 1 two out of five stars. ----------------------- QUOTE: "Someone who could get up in the morning, make coffee, choose what to wear, and then go out and cold-bloodedly put a total stranger to death. Did you have to be some kind of anomalous, psychopathic freak to do that? Did you have to be born that way? Or could any woman, correctly programmed, be turned into a professional executioner?" ------------------------ READING PROGRESS: Swa...