Book Club Friday - Updates.

I've been working days ahead of posts in blog world for a few weeks now but I wanted to give you some reading updates. I've continued to FLY through books lately at a rather alarming pace, even for me. Good reads kept telling me I'm over 50% to my goal for the year so I finally upped my goal to 60 for the year. I like to feel like I'm winning. Anywho...

While in North Carolina with my sisters I read 'The Lucky One' by Nicholas Sparks. I use to read everything he wrote (similar to how I feel about James Patterson now). Then after a while it all started to sound the same to me, like a form letter. Tragic situation, plus lovebirds, topped off with a death, the end. But MK from Blonde Out Loud sent me this one and I couldn't wait to read it after several years off from Sparks world.

I wasn't totally in love with it, like many people BUT I did enjoy it and it made for a good vacation read. I read it without too much effort in 2 days. I was trying to get it done in time to leave it with my older sister, Rachel. I managed to do so and MK was gracious enough to not require I send her back the book. Rach is a much bigger Sparks fan than I, so she was thrilled! She got to take her name off the never ending wait list at the library and start reading.

Note: I plan to see this movie with Nichole as soon as I return from Haiti!

I've been trying to incorporate some classics into my reading over the past few years. I had the benefit of reading many of them growing up between the intense literature path I took in middle school and high school, followed my taking every possible lit class I could at Purdue while there. I'm still friends on facebook with my favorite lit professor from school ( I don't think she reads this but she's amazing).

Anywho, Tess of D'Urbervilles wasn't my favorite. It dragged a bit for me. Also the story was kind of a downer in general, which I knew going into it. Glad I read it so I could check it off the list but I would hesitate to recommend this one to you all.

One of my coworkers, Madison, who got me hooked on James Patterson recommended the Rizzoili and Isle's series to me. This is a TV show now but apparently the TV show is nothing like the book series. I haven't watched it, so I'm not sure what the show is like. But I reserved the first book from the library and it arrived right before I left for North Carolina. I took it with me since I planned to finish and leave the Lucky One and knew I'd want something to read on the way back.

I really enjoyed this book. I will say if you're not a fan of murder mysteries then this isn't going to be a series you'd enjoy but if you do, check out Gerritsen. I have a few books I need to tackle before I move to book two but I fully intend to read the whole series before it's all said and done. For this one since you may be unfamiliar I wanted to share the description from amazon:

He slips into homes at night and walks silently into bedrooms where women lie sleeping, about to awaken to a living nightmare. The precision of his methods suggests that he is a deranged man of medicine, prompting the Boston newspapers to dub him “The Surgeon.” Led by Detectives Thomas Moore and Jane Rizzoli, the cops must consult the victim of a nearly identical crime: Two years ago, Dr. Catherine Cordell fought back and filled an attacker before he could complete his assault. Now this new killer is re-creating, with chilling accuracy, the details of Cordell’s ordeal. With every new murder he seems to be taunting her, cutting ever closer, from her hospital to her home. And neither Moore nor Rizzoli can protect Cordell from a ruthless hunter who somehow understands—and savors—the secret fears of every woman he kills.

I know I've said this recently but if you're on Goodreads, find me. I've been loving seeing what everyone's reading and I've been adding many of your books to my lists!

Many more books to come soon!

Love,

B