Monthly Reads: June

June inadvertently was a month of intense reads. This could be partially due to the fact that there was only one young adult novel in the mix which is less than my average. And even that one YA book that was included was not a light hearted read. Even with all of the intensity I enjoyed the books I read this month and would recommend all of them. 

Doomed by Chuck Palahniuk

The first book I picked up in June was Doomed. This is the sequel to Chuck Palahniuk's book, Damned which I read in May. I was hesitant to read Doomed after experiencing the graphic gruesomeness of Damned, but I also can't handle leaving a story unfinished. Since Damned was a bit of a cliff hanger I had to read Doomed to find out what happened. It was definitely a different tone since the main character, Madison Spencer, is out of hell and back on Earth as a ghost. More details of her past are filled in throughout the story and you discover the way that her destiny and the potential end of the world are connected. Although this story does not deal with the gory images of hell it is still pretty graphic and some content could be considered offensive. Without giving away the end I will warn that I read this story because of my desire to find out the rest of the story and I was disappointed at the end to find out that this is actually a trilogy, a trilogy that has not been completed. So I am now left unsatisfied until Chuck decides to publish the third book. 

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

Coincidentally the next book I chose to read was also the second book in a trilogy. Hollow City is part of the Miss Peregrine's series and continues following the peculiar children as they try to save Miss Peregrine, find other peculiars and escape the grasp of the Hollows all against the backdrop of war torn England. I look forward to picking up the third story in the series next April when it comes out in paperback. 

The Forgotten Girls by Sara Blaedel

I can't remember if this book was recommended to me or if I stumbled upon it on a shelf in Powell's, but either way it was worth my time. The Forgotten Girls is a mystery that takes place in a small town in Denmark. The main character, Louise Rick, takes over the new missing persons department of the local police station and is quickly thrown into the case of a young woman found in the woods. The mystery of the young woman crosses paths with other crimes that are taking place in the town and Louise is tasked to figure out what is going on. As I looked into this book more on Goodreads it appears that there is a series of books starring Louise Rick, and based on my impressions of this book I would consider reading more in the series. 

All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews

Finally, I ended the month on an oddly sad yet funny story. All My Puny Sorrows is about Yoli, a woman dealing with her sister's unending desire to die. Elf is a world-renowned pianist who can think of nothing else but her need to die and Yoli is her mess of a sister that can't decide between fighting to keep her sister alive or giving into her sisters wish of going to Switzerland to commit suicide. Yoli's narrative bounces between depressing and hilarious. It really made me reflect on the way that we function when dealing with tragedy and how we continue moving through the monotony of life. I would say that this book may need a trigger warning for anyone having dealt with suicide in some form. 

Monthly Reads : May

Bestseller shelf at Powell's City of Books on Burnside

Reading is something that always comes in waves for me. I go through phases where I read obsessively and then forget all about reading for months on end. Recently I made a decision to get myself back into the habit of reading on a regular basis. I joined a book club that a friend started and this kicked off my new reading frenzy. 

I have a slight problem where I love to own the books that I read so I've been dumping a fair amount of dollars into purchasing books lately. I also like to buy my books locally so I've been spending many hours wandering the aisles of Powell's (more on my happy place another time). 

Because I have been jumping back on the reading bandwagon I went through quite a few books last month. Here is a quick review of my random assortment of literature. 

Damned by Chuck Palahniuk

I've always been a fan of Chuck Palahniuk. For one thing he is a Portland native. For another he is an amazing author who really steps outside of the box. This book REALLY steps outside of the box. My book club read this as our May read and many people were not able to make it through it. I however found it slightly fascinating. It is dark and funny and full of descriptive gore. I would suggest you give it a read if you are not easily offended and you want to experience something peculiar. 

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Oh John Green, how I love everything you do! He really can do no wrong. Whether you are a fan of Young Adult Fiction or not I suggest you read everything that he has written. This was a quick read which I started and finished during a 7 hour car ride.

Jewels of Allah by Nina Ansary

This was another book club choice and was a departure from my usual reading. It was incredibly educational and I now have a better understanding of the history of women in Iran. This was a slightly more difficult book for me to get through as it was fairly text bookish but I felt far more informed after finishing it. 

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Another one from the YA category (a preference of mine). This was such a fun book to read. A little mystery, a little history, a little love story. I couldn't put it down. I have seen this book around for a long time but finally made the push to read it after finding out that it is being made into a movie directed by Tim Burton. This is the first in a series of three books and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the next two. 

I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

And finally, I'll Give You The Sun was recommended by my friend Sarah. She and I like to share book recommendations and often pass books back and forth. This is one of those books that seeps deep down into my core and pulls me into the story. I have a tendency to get book hangovers and this one required an Advil and a bloody mary once I reached the last page. I was utterly engrossed in this book and stayed up way too late too many nights in a row to finish it. I'll Give You The Sun was definitely my favorite read of the month and I look forward to reading more books by Jandy Nelson. 

Aisle at Powell's City of Books

I'm well into my June reading and I look forward to sharing my next set of favorites. I hope that I can keep up my pace and continue to choose reading before bed rather than watching television. We shall see how it goes.