Maybe Matilda: January Reading

Friday, February 7, 2014

January Reading

January was a good month of reading for me! Hopefully this sets the tone for the whole year. Although that may be expecting a bit too much. I have a special gift for picking out terrible books—I have the strangest, most unwanted and utterly useless talents. (Proof: when I joined facebook in college and reconnected with my 2nd grade best friend, one of the very first memories he shared of our many afternoons spent playing together was how I could do a really awesome seal bark imitation. I’m humbled and honored to have made such a lasting impression with that very odd talent of mine.)

Books read in January 2014   www.maybematilda.com

1. The Rosie Project (Graeme Simsion) I absolutely loved this book. LOVED it. I bought it (very hesitantly—I rarely, rarely buy a book I haven’t already read) since it was on sale for Kindle last month, and it was possibly the best $2 I’ve ever spent. A very unconventional romance about a college professor who almost definitely falls somewhere on the Aspergers/autism spectrum, as he sets out to find himself a wife. I thought it was so charming and sweet, very unique, and laugh-out-loud funny at points. I’d highly recommend it.

2. Attachments (Rainbow Rowell) I started out not really enjoying this one, and almost gave up on it more than once. But I’m glad I stuck it out, because this story of a rather anti-social man who lands a job screening emails (and falls in love with a woman he’s never met whose emails he can’t stop himself from paying a little too much attention to) is so funny and lovable. I wasn’t crazy about the ending, but Lincoln is a sweet guy to root for, and the friendship between the two women whose emails he monitors is just fantastic.

3. Secret Daughter (Shilpi Somaya Gowda) I have rather mixed feelings about this one. It’s a back-and-forth story between a mother in India who had no choice but to give up her newborn daughter, and the American family who adopted her. I thought the subject matter was very moving (absolutely heartbreaking at times), and I haven’t read much set in India, so it was pretty eye-opening to learn about the culture and life there. But it fell a bit flat for me . . . it felt to me like it covered all these huge events just superficially. The characters didn’t always ring true to me, and I kept thinking, geez, with this series of events, the author could have done so much more. Overall, I enjoyed it, but definitely didn’t love it.

4. Lily’s Crossing (Patricia Reilly Giff) I’m almost positive that I read this in elementary school but completely forgot about it. It felt very familiar. Lily is a young girl spending the summer of 1944 at her beach house, where she befriends a young WWII refugee. I can’t remember, but I’d bet I really enjoyed it as a kid. As an adult re-reading it, I thought it was fine. One I’d definitely pass on to my kids to read when they’re old enough, but nothing I went crazy for.

Did you read anything you really loved this month?

11 comments :

  1. you totally sold me on "The Rosie Project" and I just downloaded to my Kindle! I don't know where you find the time to read with 2 little ones and all the crocheting - I had books planned to read in January and didn't have a chance to even crack open one of them!!

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  2. Good to hear happy things about The Rosie Project as I ordered it from Amazon yesterday on a whim, mainly I think because it had a lobster in the cover :) hope I enjoy it as much as you

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  3. I recently read The Rosie Project as well. As much as I liked the story, the foul language really ruined it for me.

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  4. I'm reading "Out of My Mind" by Sharon Draper. It's Kid Lit but a GREAT book!

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  5. I only started a book in January, didn't finish it. I finally read a book the other day, I'm in a reading funk right now :/ I'm really interested in The Rosie Project, I'll have to see about getting it.

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  6. I recall like this reading list! I'll have to check one of these books out.
    I just think you're Super Mom! You've read four books, crocheted like a mad women, your kids are still alive, and you've blogged! Yup, you're my hero lol!

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  7. Thanks for recommending The Rosie Project. I bought it right away (it was still on sale!) and I'm really enjoying it! I keeping laughing out loud because it is so easy to picture Don as Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory :)

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    1. I'm so glad you're enjoying it! I just loved it. And I've heard a lot of people say they read Don as Sheldon! I've never watched Big Bang Theory, but I might have to after loving this book :-)

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  8. How do you find time to read with baby? I'd be interested in any advice! I have a 5 month old who loves to be held, bounced, rocked, played with all the time.

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    1. Sadly, most of my reading time is during middle of the night feedings on my kindle. But I don't watch much TV, and I'm trying to waste less time online and replace that with reading time instead.

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