Thinking Thursday - What I Read This Month

I'm almost finished with my Reading List that I posted back in April! I knew it wouldn't last me very long since I generally read 2-3 books each week. Here are my thoughts about the last four books I read.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

This book was a fun one to read, though it was a little weird. It was nothing like what I expected, mostly because you really could not anticipate what is going to happen in this book. I didn't particularly like most of the characters in this book as I thought they didn't seem complex enough. But the mystery was fun and unexpected and it kept me interested through the end.

My Goodreads Rating: 2 Stars




Coraline by Neil Gaiman

I've read Gaiman's Graveyard Book and really enjoyed it. But I saw the movie Coraline and really didn't enjoy it. So I went into this one hesitantly. This book was definitely better than the movie, but what book isn't better than the movie adaptation? The book was an interesting read after having seen the movie first because I mainly noticed the differences. Overall, I still wasn't a huge fan of this book. I made it through because it is a kids' book and is fairly short. I would say it is suitable for older kids who don't get scared too easily. Coraline, the character, still felt a bit flat and uncaring, though that could be because I'm looking at it from a parent's perspective.

My Goodreads Rating: 2 Stars


Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

This was an incredible read. I have read my fair share of World War II memoirs and novels and this one ranks right at the top of the list. It is difficult to believe at times that this is a true story, but it is. And it will make you wonder about your own resilience when you read about Louis Zamperini's experiences. And now that World War II is distant enough in the past that there are few left who remember it, I feel it is important for people to read these accounts in order to understand what life was really like.

My Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars



The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

I loved this book. I admit it, I assumed that I would enjoy this book before I even cracked the cover. I have read several of Sue Monk Kidd's other books and enjoyed them, so I expected this one to be no different. I was not disappointed. This book is fiction, inspired by historical figures, but I feel it paints a brilliant picture of life during slavery in the South. She captures the brutality and anger of slavery while also managing to capture the humanity and hope that somehow survived through it all.

My Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars



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