Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Recently Read - Vol. 6 (March '16)

It's the second Tuesday of the month, so you know what that means.  It's time for Jana and Steph's monthly Show Us Your Books linkup.

*If you are here looking for my post on J for the Blogging A to Z Challenge, it precedes this entry.  But, hey, if you are not in a hurry, have a look around!

Overall, March was a good month for me in terms of reading.  I read, well, listened to three books that I would recommend, two that were ok and that I would recommend if you like that genre or author, and one that I did not like at all.

WORTH THE TIME - RECOMMEND

Dear Mr. You by Mary-Louise Parker
Read March 5-9
I liked this book so much that I dedicated an entire blog entry to it.  Click here to check it out.
My rating: ★★★★/★★★★★ (4.5)


The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Read March 12-20
I was a latecomer in reading this book.  I'm not exactly sure why.  I've had it for 2-3 years, but I just never got around to reading it until last month.  Given that this book is one of the most popular, highly rated, and well-known books that's been written in the past ten years, I don't really know what to say about it that hasn't already been said.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I listened to it on audiobook and it was more like a performance than a book narration, which added to my overall enjoyment.
My rating: ★★★★


Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Read March 28 - April 9
Crazy Rich Asians is the story of Rachel, an ABC (American Born Chinese) who goes to Singapore to spend the summer with her boyfriend, Nick.  While there, she will meet Nick's family.  What she envisions is a humble family, much like her own, but what she finds is a super rich, pedigreed family so absorbed in status, impressions, and high society life.  There are the rich and then there are the crazy rich.  

This book, despite my rating, took me a while to get through.  It was a little slow to start and part of it was due to the overabundant description of high end cars, couture French fashion, and expensive jewelry - which I found annoying.  I understand that the details of the excessiveness was necessary in order to illustrate exactly how crazy rich these people were, but, like I said, after a while it got on my nerves.  After a while, the high end product name dropping let up and the book was more enjoyable.  The description on Goodreads said it was "outrageously funny."  Although I did find it funny at times, I wouldn't say it was outrageously funny.  
My rating: ★★★


OK - 50/50 - ADEQUATE FOR PASSING TIME OR BASIC ENTERTAINMENT

Six Days of the Condor by James Grady
Read March 1-4
I would've never, ever read this book had I not needed to read a book published the year I was born (for the bonus round of Erin's Book Challenge 4.0).  At some point during my lifetime, I had heard of the film based on the book, The Three Days of the Condor starring Robert Redford, but was unaware that the film was based on a book.

From what I've gathered, this book is considered by some as the Holy Grail of mystery/spy novels, the standard to which all Washington based spy novels have been compared over the past four decades. Although it was good, it wasn't as stellar as I expected.  If you are into spy novels, then sure, give it a shot.  If spy novels are not your thing, then I'd pass on this book.  
My rating: ★★★


One Summer by David Baldacci
Read March 21-25
I don't really have a lot to say about this book.  It was a lighthearted read and was somewhat predictable.  It was perfectly pleasant to pass the time.  It didn't make much of an overall impression on me, for I rarely thought about the book or the characters when I wasn't listening to the audiobook.  In the audiobook version, there were several parts that had accompanying music playing in the background, which was HIGHLY annoying.
My rating: ★★★/★★★★ (3.5)


PROCEED WITH CAUTION

Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
Read March 10-12
People claim this book is funny.  Me? Not so much.  Perhaps it's because I listened to the audiobook version and missed seeing the numerous drawings that are included in the print version.  Maybe those drawings were essential to the overall understanding of the plot.  Perhaps it's because Vonnegut is an acquired taste and apparently he's not my cup of tea.  I don't know.  All I know is that I didn't laugh once during this book.  I did a lot of eyebrow furrowing, a common expression I exhibit when in the presence of weirdness.  I found the talk about beavers (not the four legged kind either), underpants, and inhabitants of a planet called Margo where they communicate by farting and tap dancing (just to name a few examples) to be odd and quite absurd.  Although I enjoyed John Malkovich's narration, I did not like the book at all.
My rating: ★★

Have you read any of these books?  What were your thoughts?  Feel free to share below.  As always, thanks for stopping by!

24 comments:

  1. I'm so used to seeing David Baldacci's name on dark-covered books that have an American Flag or a shadowy figure on them that I had to do a double take when I saw the cover of "One Summer." It looks like someone cropped his name onto a Kristin Hannah book, LOL. Dear Mr. You is on my hold list at the library, I've been waiting for it for what feels like forever. I read The Help when it first came out and can honestly still remember where I was when I read it, thinking how much I loved it, and recommending it to anyone who would listen. Never read Crazy Rich Asians but I'll check it out, thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know, you are so right! It does look like the cover from a KH book or a romance novel! Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  2. I like Vonnegut but I have to be in the mood.

    Still intrigued by your first read.

    I waited s while to read The Help too. Still loved it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've heard so many good things about Dear Mr. You. I feel like it's on my TBR but that thing is out of control so I have no idea at this point.

    The Help was a wonderful book! I think it was made better for me knowing how many times it was rejected and she kept at it, trying to get it published.

    ReplyDelete
  4. i don't think i am someone who would like Vonnegut so i will stay away lol. dear mr you is on my list because of your other post about it! not sure about crazy rich asians. might look into it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I just read your review on Dear Mr You and it sounds fabulous. And yes, Mary-Louise Parker will also be Ruth to me too. Adding it to TBR list asap. Vonnegut is certainly an icon but I don't think he and I would mesh well. And I love The Help. So good!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I did the same thing with The Help. I had it on my shelf for years before I read it, but I loved it when I did. I guess I had to be in the right mood.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sometimes it just takes a while to read the books that everybody else is has read. I still haven't read Me Before You even though everybody always rants about how good it is! I picked up Crazy Rich Asians at Half Price Books recently because I heard that it was good. I can't wait to start reading it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't read Me Before You yet either, but it is next on my list (reading it for Erin's challenge). I liked CRA after I got into it. There is a sequel which I will read at some point. Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  8. I've seen the movie but not read the Condor book.

    I've read Breakfast of Champions. It's okay. But it's not the one I'd recommend for an introduction to Vonnegut. I'd rate Mother Night and Player Piano higher. Bluebeard as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I may try Vonnegut again at a later time. We shall see. Thanks for the recommendations.

      Delete
  9. Dear Mr. You sounds so good, and I really loved The Help! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really enjoyed Dear Mr. You and much of it was because of the unique manner in which she set up the book. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  10. Vonnegut is really hit or miss for me. I actually loved Breakfast of Champions, but my two favorites are the (in my opinion) highly underrated Player Piano and The Sirens of Titan. It's been a while since I've read any of his books, but I remember really loving both of those. I really didn't like Cat's Cradle very much. I remember thinking it had some really funny parts, but there just wasn't enough of a plot to really keep me interested.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've heard that Vonnegut is an acquired taste, so... I might need to try again, someday. ;) Thanks for the input. I appreciate it. Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  11. I tried to read the book he wrote after Crazy Rich Asians. I didn't get very far. I guess I should try this one first.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Have you seen the movie adaptation of The Help? I've never read the book, and the movie is magnificent. It's one of those times that I ask "should I go back and read the book?". I tend to enjoy reading a book FIRST, then seeing the movie.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I've never read Vonnegut before! I should probably change that. I've had Crazy Rich Asians on my list for a long time. When the blurb says something like "outrageously funny" it almost never is. Haha!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Crazy Rich Asians was hard for me to decide about. It was entertaining (mostly because it read like a soap opera in my opinion), but I thought parts of it really dragged on and were not nearly as funny as they were intended to be. I ended up reading the second book, China Rich Girlfriend, and i had similar feelings.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I feel like Kurt Vonnegut is one of those love or hate authors, but I've never read his work, and really want to. Maybe I won't start with this one though! The Help is one of my favorite books- that pie! Did you see the movie? Crazy Rich Asians was a DNF for me, one of the few!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Love love LOVE The Help! I listened to it on audiobook and wouldn't want to get out of the car!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I read my first Vonnegut book last year (Cat's Cradle) and I just didn't get it. I kept wondering what I was missing the whole time I was reading it. Maybe he's not for me either because what you described is how Cat's Cradle was. Absolutely off the wall stuff with a puzzled face.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I feel a little embarrassed that I've never read Vonnegut. I have a copy of Slaughterhouse-5 that I keep meaning to pick up...but it doesn't usually stand out from the other books on my shelves. Have you seen the movie version of The Help yet?

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...