Recent Reads No. 8
If your goal was to read more in 2019, I'm with you! While I definitely do quite a bit of reading already, I wanted to make my habits a little more consistent this year so I made it my goal to finish 24 books by the end of the year (or 2 each month). So far I've stayed on track thanks to a relaxing January — Elon has a mini-semester in January where we take one class for three hours each day, so I was left with a lot of free time in the afternoons to duck inside away from the cold weather and finish a few books. Below are my four most recent reads — three I loved and one that I wasn't too impressed with.
Whiskey in a Teacup
I picked up Reese Witherspoon's book, Whiskey in a Teacup, on sale one day over winter break and flew through it in just one sitting. I was truthfully expecting it to be a coffee table book with little substance but I ended up loving how Reese tells the story of where she came from and how she has incorporated those values and traditions into her daily life. From family recipes to her favorite Southern reads (her library is to die for), there are so many tips and tricks any reader can find useful.The Alienist
After reading Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald and A Well Behaved Woman, I was ready for another book that took place in New York City around the turn of the century. I finally got around to reading The Alienist after meaning to read it over the summer, and while it's a long book, it's definitely worth the read. It tells the story of a team of detectives working to solve a series of murders around Manhattan and is engaging and fast-paced from the first page (it's also an Amazon Original Series if you would rather binge watch)!The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye is one of those classics that I never got around to reading in high school and I didn't have a clue as to what it would entail when I picked it up a few weeks ago. To be honest, not much happens in terms of plot and Holden isn't always the most likable character, but it's fun to follow his adventure around New York City. The way the book is written makes it feel like Holden is venting to us throughout his journey and makes it a really easy and enjoyable read.Practical Magic
After seeing that Practical Magic and its prequel, The Rules of Magic, were highly recommended by Reese's Book Club and had appeared on NYT bestsellers lists, I was excited to pick this book up but was less enthusiastic upon finishing the book. Practical Magic tells the story of two sisters who are blamed for everything that goes wrong in their town and follows their lives when they are reunited as adults. I felt that throughout the whole book I was waiting for something to happen and then the book just ended. Additionally, for a book with "magic" in the title, I don't think they explicitly mentioned magic or their supernatural abilities once! Overall, I was disappointed in this read and would not recommend it.
Have y'all read anything good lately?
Next up on my reading list is Contagious (the prequel to Invisible Influence, which I talked about in this Recent Reads post) and Rising Strong.
Thanks for reading,
