Summer Reading

I got a pathetic two week summer break off from school last month and managed to get some much needed reading time. I thought I would let you know about some of the books I read in case you needed some goodreads for the summer. I included the rating I gave it (out of 5 stars) and my favorite quote. My sister definitely deserves two thumbs up for giving me this reading list!

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan-5 stars
My sister told me this book is about sharecropper drama. And if you don't think Mississippi sharecroppers in the 40s had drama, just read this book.
Favorite quote: "I felt a ripple of envy, which I saw echoed on Jamie's face. How simple things were for Henry! How I wished sometimes that I could join him in his stark, right-angled world, where everything was either right or wrong and there was no doubt which was which. What unimaginable luxury, never to wrestle with whether or why, never to lie awake nights wondering what if."

The Girls by Lori Lansens-5 stars
Here is my previous post if you didn't see it.This is my favorite book of all.
Favorite quote: "Rose is still snoring, but it doesn't bother me. It makes me love her more. I love that saying My cup runneth over. That's how I feel about Rose right in this moment. Like I can't even contain my feelings for her. Funny how that happens, that you just feel this intense love for a person because of the way they're snoring. Or the way they say your name."

The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst-4 stars
The plot seemed very strange to me, it is about a man who wants to know how his wife died so he sets out on a mission to teach his dog how to talk. But throughout the book the husband tells the story of him and his wife, another great read.
Favorite quote: "Savor it now, the day, the breeze. Run the memory of it over your tongue. Speak it aloud; there's no one listening. Close your eyes and remember the moment, the warm pink life of it...Let it wash over you. It ends soon enough."

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson-3 stars
This is a very suspenseful, mystery about a women who forgets everything when she goes to sleep at night. It is very exciting and you won't be able to put it down. I only gave it three stars because it is mostly dialogue and not a great literary feat.

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker-5 stars
A daughter goes searching for her missing father in Burma and discovers his great love story. I also have to say this book made me want to be blind, maybe just temporarily.
Favorite quote: "I speak of a love that brings sight to the blind. Of a love stronger than fear. I speak of a love that breathes meaning into life, that defies the natural laws of deterioration, that causes us to flourish, that knows no bounds. I speak of the triumph of the human spirit over selfishness and death."

Happy Summer!