What I'm Reading

Ai yi yi. Where do I begin to tell you about all the books I've read since my last "What I'm Reading" post back in June? (!) How about I just mention my favorites....and, of course, my most recent book club read? (And we're meeting today to discuss, which means I get to see my dear friends that I haven't seen in over a month, which means I get some tasty gelato, which means much needed down time.)

Oh, and I pretty much haven't read anything since August 1st, so now is the perfect time to play catch-up.

Mmm...'kay.


Ethan Frome (Edith Wharton)
Our Book Club read for August.

Actually, for the month of August we took a different route when it came to choosing a book: Everyone got to choose their own read. The only rule: A book you have never read before.

I had been meaning to read Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome for what seemed like forever and it's been on my Kindle for ages. I thoroughly enjoyed The House of Mirth and The Age of Innocence (one of my favorites) and was eager to pick up this work. And on the plus side, it was a quick read, which was all too perfect for my crazy August.

The main character's (ummm, Ethan Frome) struggles really pull at your heart strings. And out of all the classics I have been fortunate enough to read, Ethan was one of the few characters I actually felt really close with and involved. I cared for him and his decisions. I cringed at his lot in life and hoped for the best. This work was a little different from Wharton's previous ones, but I could still see her black humor throughout. Also, I felt this book was entirely satire and dark, whereas some of her others have moments of light-heartedness. My only issue is that I think the story ended too abruptly.

Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to tonight's discussion and to see the various genres of books everyone chose. You can find the other titles on our Book Club page on Good Reads. (Some are listed, and I'll finish the others later tonight...some members were unsure of what to read so I couldn't add the titles.)


A Little Princess (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
Listened to the audio book.

Ever since our first Book Club read, The Secret Garden, last December I have been dying to read Hodgson's A Little Princess. Time lacking, fortunately my children's collection at the library had it on audio. Fantastic.

And the audio is even more fantastic. I absolutely LOVED this book. And I loved Sara Crewe. One of my favorite characters ever. I loved her joy, views, imagination, generosity, and her outlook on life. Yes, at times I found the book to be rather slow-going, but it is written for a young audience, and I'm sure it's not a problem for them. But following this child from riches to rags is indeed a heart-felt experience for the reader.

An instant favorite for me!


A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen (Susannah Carson)

Source: Good Reads

Sadly, this book was okay. It wasn't quite what I thought it would be. I felt only a few writers actually talked about why they read Austen, the rest just seemed to be an essay about character development, which on more than one occasion grew tiresome as it dragged on and on for a near 20 pages. However, I would definitely recommend turning to this book if you're writing on Austen yourself. Every work of hers is commented on, and there are plenty of great themes, character sketches and plot outlines to choose from when in need of a decent resource. But no, I will not be adding this to my Austen collection.


The BFG (Roald Dahl)
Listened to the audio book.

At first I was unsure about this book. And I'm not even sure why. But I'm glad I decided to pursue it anyways....I was not disappointed. The audio is absolutely stunning, funny and overall spectacular. I could not imagine reading this book because the audio was so good. It really captured The Big Friendly Giant (BFG) in a big, friendly, gigantic way only an audio version can. His fandangled speech had me laughing out loud throughout the entire story. This is a definite for those of you with kids and very long car rides. Pure delightful entertainment for all.

Source: Good Reads

Drums of Autumn (Diana Gabaldon)
The fourth installment in the Outlander series

Yes, I'm still reading these. Yes, I'm still obsessed thoroughly enjoying them. Yes, I insist everyone run out and start reading them. No, I am not finished with this one.

But I'm over half way!

And it's starting to get crazy-good!

Let me tell you. The first night I get to relax in my new home, I'm knocking this baby out.

(Plus, I really need to finish it because my co-worker, which has read them already, is currently listening to the audio versions. She just finished this one two weeks ago and is making threats about moving onto the fifth. I'm trying to keep up!)


*Now I need to make a point of reading some of these children's new books (and more than just the picture books!).

Have you read and good books lately? Share your good reads below!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi