This is my first foray into book reviews.  Let’s see how it goes!

I noticed a coincidental theme appear in my reading this month.  A few of my books involved enlightenment and self-help.  Whatever.  It’s not like I’m crazy.  Ahem.

I posted a link-up at the bottom.  When you’re finished make sure to check it out!

What I Finished:

Needful Things by Stephen King –

I picked this one up at McKay’s in Chattanooga recently.  It’s a mammoth book (just under 800 pages and 3″ thick!), so I linked the Kindle version in the book title above for the sake of your back and arms.

I’m a big Stephen King fan and having not read his work in a while, it felt a little like a homecoming when I began this one.  The premise of this book is genius – an old creepster opens an antique shop in town, coincidentally enough, selling precisely what each townie didn’t even know they needed.  Of course, we all know in Stephen King land there is no such thing as coincidence.  All the crazy follows soon after and explodes into mayhem, tearing this quiet little town apart.

Slow for me in a few places, but overall everything you expect a Stephen King novel to be!

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue –

Behold the Dreamers was my audio ‘read’ for the month.  Actually started in July, but finished in August.  This one was checked out from my local library through the Overdrive app on my phone.  I loved the book, but what I loved even more was the audio!  The narration was beautifully done!  Prentice Onayemi is the narrator, which I did spend time looking up because I felt like I should know his name.

A young family from Cameroon moves to the US right before the financial crisis of 2008.  This book follows their experience before, during, and after the downfall of Lehman Brothers, which I felt was not a significant part of the story.  At its core this is the tale of an immigrant family’s experience in the U.S. from the excitement of arrival and new beginnings, to the struggle involved with obtaining legal citizenship, and so on and so forth.

(Kindle version linked in book title)

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway –

This is a small book (less than 150 pages) that can be finished in one day (I know because that’s exactly what I did).  I went into it expecting something along the lines of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and I think, for that reason, I was disappointed.  While it has the feel of an enlightening tale, it lacked the depth of The Alchemist, for me.

(Kindle version linked)

This Is How by Augusten Burroughs –

Apparently self-enlightenment is my theme this month.  I actually picked this one up thinking it would be a tongue-in-cheek version of a self-help book and expected it to make me laugh.  In fact it was the author’s legit, tough love style of advice that left me on the fence with how I felt about it.  At times I wanted to clap and cheer and loudly agree, “Yes!!” while at other times I kinda wanted to ask him what the hell he was thinking.

(Kindle version linked)

Currently Working On:

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern –

This is my new audio ‘read’ from my local library via Overdrive.  The description sounded interesting so I’m giving it a try.

(Kindle version linked)

Rising Strong by Brené Brown –

Again with the self-enlightenment.  I’ve been wanting to read something by Brené Brown for a while now and am finally getting around to it.  Expecting big things from this one!

(Kindle version linked)

 

Check out some other fantastic book reviews by clicking the image below: