Some more Good Reads...

Ever since my Kindle came into my life, I've been reading like a mad woman. I've always loved to read and the excuse this year has been that I just don't have the time to settle in with a good book. Now that I have my beloved Kindle in my purse at all times, reading has become readily accessible to me all the time. I whipped out my Kindle while I was waiting in the doctor's office waiting room the other day and read a couple pages..it's really allowed me to get back to something I love to do.

So...I've been asking for recommendations left and right of books to read. I have a very cool co-worker, H, who can give me a new book a week to read..and she's so good that she can instantly tell me if it's my thing or not and guess whether I'll like it not.

So, on the advice of her....two books I've read in the past month that get solid grades from me...

First up...One Day by David Nichols

Normally, I don't like to read novels that are set in England or that have British main characters. It just drives me crazy to read the English lingo..is this silly, yes, but I try so hard and it drives me nuts. But, my co-worker assured me that even though the main characters are British, it wasn't laced with all the Brit lingo..so I gave it a try and it turned out to be a good solid book that I enjoyed. I didn't shut the last page and say to myself...this was absolutely fantastic, but I was satisfied with the story the whole way and would recommend it. So..what's it about?

It's the story of Emma and Dexter. Two college friends who hook up right after graduation only to part ways and go about their lives for the next 20 years. They're from quite different backgrounds and the story follows them through their paths and how they intermingle. Dexter goes from traveling the world to a career in TV, Em goes from working in a tex mex restaurant to suddenly emerging as a new young adult author. The plot brings you through the will they be together or won't they, which i enjoyed. So, all over, a solid B+ on this one.

Next up....Swamplandia by Karen Russell

Another recommendation from my co-worker..she hadn't read it, but said she read absolutely great reviews about it..so I figured...let's give it a shot!

When I started this, I thought...hmmm...different...as the book starts out with the Bigtree family and their life on an island called Swamplandia. They run a tourist attraction where the family is involved in alligator wrestling and they refer to their gators as Seths. Their mother, the star or their attraction, dies and the family struggles to keep Swamplandia afloat. The oldest son, Kiwi, just wants to start a normal life off the island. The older sister, Osceola, is somewhat of a lost soul and the youngest, Ava, just wants to follow in her mom's footsteps and become the star alligator wrestler that revives Swamplandia.

I really enjoyed this book. It switches back each chapter by telling the story mainly from Ava and Kiwi's point of view. It started strong, maybe got a little slow (but only for a tiny bit) in the middle, and ended so strong. When I finished the book and read about the author, Karen Russell, I wasn't surprised to see that she was previously a short story writer...it made a little sense for the tiny slowness I felt in the middle of the book.

If I took this book off the shelf and read the back, I may have not bought it, but I'm so glad I did read it, it turned out to be amazing in the end.

Have any good books to recommend? Post a comment or shoot me an email at becomingmrsallan@gmail.com