Thunderstorm Reading

Poolside reading is fabulous, reading by the fire is lovely, but can anything really beat a good thunderstorm reading session?  Tis the season, and I have a few recommendations for your next stormy read.  
Actually, this is just a run-down of my latest reads, briefly reviewed for you.  I did not select these with thunderstorms in mind.  You can read any book during a storm!  The threat of ,your power going out only adds to the drama!

The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin
This was hands down one of the best books I have ever written.  Could someone please read this so we can talk about it?  The premise itself is interesting but nothing new - the kid shows signs of being different, oh, whoops it looks like he's remembering his past life and wants to go home and see his mom... but you've got to see how Guskin weaves this story.  Amazing.  I was in a daze for days.

The Maid by Nita Prose
Maid finds a dead man in his hotel room, she's the suspect, she's a few bricks short of a full load but a lovable protagonist...  this is a fun quick read but kinda unbelievable, kinda forgettable.

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
Well, this book is a million pages, so it's an investment of your time.  There are as many characters as there are pages, so it's also an investment of brainpower.  But hey, it's a Man Booker winner and it's super intricate and interesting and yet.... I'm starting to wish I would've skipped it and read three other good books instead.

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
This coming-of-age novel set simultaneously in 1980's Chicago and present-day Paris.  One of the main characters from the 1980's thread was a Development Director, which was loads of fun.  Aside from that, I can't say that the book was loads of FUN, but it was definitely a captivating and raw peek into the height of the AIDS epidemic in the city, as well as an ode to lost family members and friends who function as family. 

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
I still can't decide if this book was worth the hype.  In regards to a rags to riches story, a mystery, a total page turner, a symphony of a tale - absolutely yes.  As a book about race relations, perhaps not so much in my view, but then again I'm not really a person who can to speak to that.  It's certainly thought-provoking.

The 100 Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
You know going in you're going to cry.  When the description involves terminally ill patients, it's going to be a tear-jerker.  But I jumped in and I'm here to tell you it was worth every tear.  Go meet Lenni and Margot and Father Arthur and *definitely* Humphrey and give in to the beautiful story of two lifetimes.  Have that cry, you need it.

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