10 books this month. Brief synopsis and my star rating follows.
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
Intriguing tale of three mysterious disappearances in the UK. One man is investigating all 3 cases and will soon discover that none are quite what they seem. (4/5 stars)
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain (nonfiction)
This book chronicles the research of an every day introvert fighting her way through an extroverted world. With careful explanations and real-life examples, Cain offers insight into the mind and lives of people who identify as introverts and tries to break the stereotypes against them. (4/5 stars)
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
The second book in The Maze Runner series. This time, those who survived the Maze have been "rescued" only to be inoculated with a debilitating disease and sent on the hunt through a mysterious place called the Scorch to find its cure. (4/5 stars)
Blink by Malcom Gladwell (nonfiction)
This book is about the power of quick decisions. It offers commentary from different researchers about the process our subconscious uses to make snap judgments, first impressions, and how these can predict patterns of behavior. It's a fascinating look at the link between the subconscious and the conscious processes of thought. (3.5/5 stars)
The Giver by Lois Lowry (reread!)
This story is of a young boy named Jonas who lives in a futuristic society of "sameness". Families are created by design, not by choice; all the same: Father, Mother, Son, Daughter. Upon age 12, children are considered adults and are appointed to their life's work. Jonas is assigned to become the society's new Receiver--the highest honored assignment within the community. He is trained by the Giver--and will receive new insights into how the society came to be. With his new knowledge, Jonas must decide between a life he's always known or a life filled with memories, feelings, and choices. (5/5 stars)
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
This second book of "The Giver Quartet" tells the story of Kira, a young girl with a disability mourning the loss of her mother and trying to fit in to a community that never wanted her to begin with. She is unexpectedly given the important job of restoring the Singer's robe, with her gift of weaving, but must first learn how to create colored thread from an old woman in the woods. Her training brings about more knowledge than just creating colors; it also unlocks secrets that will change her future. (4/5 stars)
The Messenger by Lois Lowry
This third book of "The Giver Quartet" continues the story of Matt, now Matty, Kira's sidekick in Gathering Blue. He has escaped from his old life and went to live in the Village with the Seer (Kira's father). He's awaiting his official naming, to find his place in the Village. He's experiencing a new gift, one he wants to share with his friend, Kira. But, then, the Village starts to change. And, against the Leader's wishes, they don't want to allow outsiders in anymore. Matty leaves to return to the home he escaped six years prior to convince Kira to rejoin him and her father and help save the Village he's come to love. (5/5 stars)
Cress by Marissa Meyer
The third book in the Lunar Chronicles series. This time, Scarlet and Cinder team up with Wolf and Thorne to rescue Cress, a Lunar refuge who had been imprisoned on a satellite for most of her life. The rescue is interrupted and the group is separated. Now, each are searching for a way to prevent the royal wedding from taking place and save the fate of Earthen citizens. (5/5 stars)
Shine, Shine, Shine by Lydia Netzer
An unusual love story between an astronaut and a missionary's daughter, who is not quite what she seems. They met as children, married, and had children. From the outside, a perfect little family. Looking deeper, things are not what they seem. He leaves for a mission to the moon, leaving her to contemplate the past, present, and future. (2.5/5 stars)
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
In 1962, an Italian hotel owner meets a Hollywood actress when she comes to stay at his hotel during a movie shoot. A friendship ensues in a short time before she disappears from his life forever. 50 years later, he travels to Hollywood to find her. Along the way, we meet a movie producer, his assistant, a novelist, a budding musician, an aspiring screenwriter, and even some Hollywood big names whose lives intersect with the Italian hotel owner. Will he and the Hollywood beauty reunite? Or will their story end in ruins? (3/5 stars)
The Giver is one of my favorite "classics". I read it in high school and wanted to reread it again before the movie comes out (and before delving into the rest of the books in the series). I love Lois Lowry and almost never disappointed with her works. Despite how much I loves The Messenger, I'll say that Cress was my favorite of the "new" reads. I highly recommend the Lunar Chronicles series! Another installment will be released in 2015.
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