Bedside Books

Since classes have started again, my reading will continue to look like this for a while:

As fun as that is, instead of staying up late watching tv shows on my laptop in bed,- btw, does this define anyone else's college experience?- I want to read for pleasure a little bit each night.  If you know me, this shouldn't be too hard since I love reading and finish books super quickly.  However, I like to books in one chunk of time because I get so wrapped up in them and this is not really an option.  So, here are some books that I think would lend themselves to being read a little bit at a time.  I'm thinking less novels, more non-fiction, self-help books (hate that word though :/). 

{Here are books I have in mind}

 

 

 

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I've heard so many great things about this book recently so it will definitely be one of my first kindle downloads.

 

 

 

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This is book sits on my nightstand and is perfect for a little reading before bed.  I need to get through more of it first before I review it at all, but if you are interested in business or just a new topic that's out of your comfort zone (like me) I recommend this read.

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Similar to the Good to Great, Outliers is about the factors that contribute to one's success.  My brother got this book for Christmas kept going on about interesting facts in it so I plan on stealing his copy.

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 And this just looks different/interesting!

Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I believe it took me only 4 days to finish Gone Girl: A Novel and I know it would have been even shorter if I wasn't running around all day Monday.  If you are a fan of crime novels/tv shows,  psychological thrillers, or are looking for a captivating read, then Gone Girl is for you.

Gillian Flynn's novel follows married couple Nick and Amy Dunne.  They appear to have the perfect marriage, but after Amy goes missing on the couple's fifth wedding anniversary, the truth about their relationship slowly begins to unravel.  Nick appears to be acting strange for a man who's wife has gone missing and slowly, the general public begins to turn on him as he becomes the case's key suspect.  Meanwhile, Amy's side of the story is being revealed through diary passages written by her over the past five years.

Gone Girl has a number of twists and turns that kept me very engaged.  By the middle of the book, everything I has initially that about the main characters had changed.  The book focused on the relationship between Amy and Nick and the psychological states of the two more than the case itself, which I enjoyed.  Without giving too much away, it was interesting to look into the mind of someone who could be considered a "psychopath", with no morals or concern for others.  In reading this book, it also made me think about what we really do not know about the people involved in cases we hear about on the news.

I haven't  read many good books this summer so I'm glad I decided to give Gone Girl a look.  I'm also now interested in checking out other books by Flynn, including Sharp Objects and Dark Places.

Have you read Gone Girl?  What other books have you enjoyed this summer? (I need a beach read for next week!)

That thing you only have time to do in the summer...READING!

Welcome back everyone!

Sorry for the hiatus, brown&black took a longer vacation than expected but is back.  When I think of summer I think of many things, the beach, no school, getting money, seeing old friends, concerts, baseball games, etc. but one of the things I get most excited for is time to read all the novels I've been hearing about all school year.  I've been a book worm since I was little, no I was not one of the kids who would keep reading while we were doing stretches and sit-ups at swim practice (you know who you are), but I can go through a good book in no time and love doing so.

I got old school this summer and picked up a library card.  I've checked out probably every chick-lit the Abington Library has available and don't plan on stopping any time soon.  I have already read a bunch of books this summer so here is a review of some recent reads:

The second in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo triology was better than the first book (which I loved!) in my opinion.  The action begins a lot quicker than in the first novel so I was hooked from the beginning.  You also get to know the backstory of the mysterious main character Lisbeth.  Highly recommended.

 

I have read my fair share of Jodi Picoult books and they all generally address a controversial ethical issue and a trial of some sort.  These two do the same but were not my favorite of Picoult's books.  Change of Heart involves a death row victim and his last wish before being executed.  It leaves many questioning who he is and if he is actually guilty of the crime he will be killed for.   There were strong religious undertones (not my style), but it is a good read.  Handle with Care I liked better but had a hard time reading at certain points.  It is about a daughter who has a rare disease that makes her bones extremely brittle and easy to break.  It follows the breakdown of a family as the mother is involved in a law suit that is supposed to give her daughter a better future.  Good book but sad throughout.  I disagreed with the mother's actions and did not like her very much.

This book is funny, honest, and entertaining, a perfect summer read.  The author also wrote In Her Shoes, which was made into a movie with Cameron Diaz, among other books.  I loved that this book took place in Philadelphia (where Weiner is from) and that her characters seemed very relatable.  It is about a women getting over a break up and pulling her life together after second-guessing her decision to end the relationship.  Go read now.

I just finished this book today after just starting it this weekend.  It tells the story of two best friends over the span of 3 decades and the ups and downs that come with life and love.  I loved this book- the characters were really well developed, the transitions from decade to decade were interesting, and the story really grabbed my attention.  This book gets very sad in the end, like me balling my eyes out sad, but it is worth it.  A great book!

I have read more books this summer but those are the ones that have stood out to me.  Books I plan on reading soon- Salem Falls, The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, The Help, Cum Laude, The Hunter Games, Bossypants, and A Place of Yes.

Have you read any of the books mentioned above?  What did you think?

Any recommendations of good summer reads?