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I like to remember the books I read. I used to have a separate blog for this where I would thoughtfully review every book.  My writing commitments are out of control now, and it’s just not feasible to write about All The Books. So I’m doing this new thing where I keep track of my books on my Bookshelf page on this blog, and then I write a monthly wrap-up in which I highlight some of the books I especially liked or books that made me think.

June 2013

1. Where’d You Go, Bernadette?, Maria Semple finished 6/5/13  Take place partially in Antarctica!! I have been there!

2. Poison, by Bridget Zinn, finished 6/6/13  Sad story about the author, but a rather fun YA fantasy adventure. 

3.  Human.4, by Mike Lancaster, finished 6/7/13

4. 1.4, by Mike Lancaster, finished 6/8/13

5.  Silver Linings Playbook. by Matthew Quick, finished 6/10/13  Really liked this one.  A good depiction of what it’s like to be manic.  Funny but touches on some deeper issues about family and mental health. A little different from the movie, but the heart is the same. 

6. Also Known As, by Robin Benway, finished 6/10/13

7. Every Other Day, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, finished 6/16/13

8. Beautiful Redemption, by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl, finished 6/16/13 (audiobook)

9. Dear Teen Me, edited by E Kristin Anderson & Miranda Kenneally, finished 6/20/13

10. The Bling Ring, by Nancy Jo Sales, finished 6/24/13.  I’m completely obsessed with this story. I even wrote a blog entry about it. 

11. The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman, finished 6/25/13. Gorgeous, dreamy reflection on childhood and memory. Gaiman is worth the hype. 

12.  September Girls, by Bennett Madison, finished 6/29/13.  Totally shocked by the controversy surrounding this one because I thought it was a clever discussion of sexuality and gender roles. The Goodreads reviews make it sound like a tremendously  chauvinist tome that’s a tribute to the main character’s genitals.  I really didn’t experience it that way at all, and I thought it actually subverted some of that.  The author gave an interview with the book blog Novel Sounds, and he sounds like he was very thoughtful and deliberate in his writing.  He points out that even if people don’t like the book, it started an important discussion about feminism and sexism. I think it’s a shame this book is being trashed instead of celebrated. 

Total Books Read in 2013 (so far): 70