Good Reads

I've always loved to read but as we all know, there are times when that luxury is the last thing on our to do list. Luckily I've found the time recently for a few good reads, but I've also been taking advantage of my 65 mile commute (my brain's way of protecting itself from going insane is looking at the bright side) by listening to books on cd (remember when it was "book on tape" and remember how it still sounds more normal than book on cd?) Today I finished my most recent book on tape and it was so moving I wanted to share it with everyone.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave. This is the kind of book that makes you feel depressed, terrified, naive, grateful, unworthy and nearly every other kind of emotion that exists. I'm not saying this book is for everyone, but it's the kind of book everyone should read. If you've read ever read The Kite Runner or A Thousand Splendid Suns, you'll be prepared for this novel. 

After reading this book I feel bad. I have read so many articles and seen so many documentaries on human suffering around the world, but what have I ever really done to help alleviate it? I know we can't give up our lives to help people suffering on the other side of the globe, but someone has to, right? I'm really not trying to be melodramatic but this is how the book leaves you. 

Ok, here are some other books I've read or listened to recently:

My thoughts: Wow, this book was way above my intellectual level. I literally wrote down over 60 words to look up because I didn't know what they meant. The author is extremely intelligent so I pretty much believed everything she wrote about Cleopatra. I never realized that she lived only one generation before Christ and did business with Herod. I also didn't know that Julius Caesar and Marc Antony were her baby daddies and that she was really more prudish than a whore like Hollywood portrays her.

My thoughts: How in the hell did America win The Revolution?! Seriously, I don't get it. I read the whole story and it doesn't make sense. After visiting many of these historic locations the story seems to come together more for me, but us winning is still a mystery. 

My thoughts: If you are into conspiracy theories, The Masons, National Treasure or anything along those lines, you will enjoy this book. Brad Meltzer also hosts the show Decoded and he is into all secretive and conspiracy type things. I guess I am not creative 'cause I can NEVER figure out how these stories are all going to come together! I enjoyed reading this book. I bit my fingernails off though.

My thoughts: I listened to this book and it kept me awake. It's more of a mid life crisis book for a southern woman but I liked it enough to listen to the whole thing. Sometimes it totally annoyed me but that might have just been the reader. She drove me crazy with the daughter's voice. I couldn't stand her. It's like how sometimes if you watch the movie before you read the book you hate some of the characters. Not my top pick but I still enjoyed it.