Reading Recap

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

The Measure was my favorite book I've read in a LONG TIME.  It was unique, thought-provoking, and was one of those books that I kept pausing to tell Dave/my kids about. I RARELY want to re-read a book but this is on my re-read list and I can't wait!

"Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice.

It seems like any other day. You wake up, pour a cup of coffee, and head out.

But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. This box holds your fate inside: the answer to the exact number of years you will live.

From suburban doorsteps to desert tents, every person on every continent receives the same box. In an instant, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy. Where did these boxes come from? What do they mean? Is there truth to what they promise?

As society comes together and pulls apart, everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they’ll live? And, if so, what will they do with that knowledge?

The Measure charts the dawn of this new world through an unforgettable cast of characters whose decisions and fates interweave with one another: best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush, a doctor who cannot save himself, and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything."

 The Giver by Lois Lowry

Mason read The Giver in English class and was talking about it so incessantly I knew I had to read it so he and I cold discuss.  I was fairly confident that I read it in middle school but after re-reading it again have my doubts because OH MY WORD I feel like I would have remembered it. I'm SO GLAD that I read it and was able to discuss it with Mason and highly recommend it even if your kid isn't reading it in school ;)

"Sometime in the future, an 11-year-old boy named Jonas lives in a seemingly perfect community in which there is little pain and little crime. People are polite. Everyone belongs to a supportive family. But this harmony comes at a price. There is also no choice, and real emotions are nonexistent. Life is dictated by strict rules. A committee of elders matches spouses and assigns them children born from women whose only job is to give birth. The committee names all babies and chooses every person's career. Sex and love are prohibited, being different is shameful, and families are dissolved when the children are grown. Everyone looks similar in skin color and dress. Everything serves a purely practical purpose—to serve the common good of the community and minimize conflict."

While it seems ideal - what you realize is that feelings, no matter how painful, are vital to our humanity.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

Phoebe is going to Newport, Rhode Island to die. After a sudden divorce, hitting a dead end at work, and her cat dying, Phoebe no longer has anything to live for. She decides she wants to die at a hotel she's always fantasized about visiting. Suddenly, price is no object. But when Phoebe arrives, she realizes there's been a horrible mistake. She's the only guest at the hotel not there for a wedding, and a run-in with the bride changes all of Phoebe's plans.  I found myself immediately rooting for Phoebe and while I was initially annoyed by Lila I quickly changed my tune and loved her budding friendship with Phoebe. I felt like this was unlike any other book I'd read and I really enjoyed not only the main characters but all the quirky side characters as well. It was charming and clever and it's a definite recommend from me!

The Things We Do For Love by Kristin Hannah

If you're wanting a somewhat-predictable, highly emotional, sappy but FEEL GOOD book this is the one for you.  

"Years of trying unsuccessfully to conceive a child have broken more than Angie DeSaria’s heart. Following a painful divorce, she moves back to her small Pacific Northwest hometown and takes over management of her family’s restaurant. In West End, where life rises and falls like the tides, Angie’s fortunes will drastically change yet again when she meets and befriends a troubled young woman.

Angie hires Lauren Ribido because she sees something special in the seventeen-year-old. They quickly form a deep bond, and when Lauren is abandoned by her mother, Angie offers the girl a place to stay. But nothing could have prepared Angie for the far-reaching repercussions of this act of kindness. Together, these two women—one who longs for a child and the other who longs for a mother’s love—will be tested in ways that neither could have imagined."

While it was a bit predictable and really isn't anything like Kristin Hannah's historical fiction reads -  I cried multiple times, felt DEEPLY for the characters and loved the familial relationships and setting of the book.  

A Court of Mist and Fury and A Court of Wings and Ruin

Back in the summer my friend Jeni convinced me to read A Court of Thorns and Roses and, thus, jump into the entire world that is ACOTAR. hahaha

I read the first book and LOVED IT and immediately bought the subsequent two books.  With school and everything else I started and restarted A Court of Mist and Fury at least 4 times and ended up listening to it on audible over Christmas break and I'm so glad I did.  I had just convinced myself that I'd be taking an ACOTAR listening break when THE FREAKING ENDING HAPPENED and I found myself downloading and listening to the entire third book just so I could get some brief resolution ;) 

I'll be continuing the series after a brief intermission/brain cleanse but YES I think the series is great even though the prolific use of the word "mate" is what has prompted my hiatus for a while - hahaha

I'll be back in two weeks with ANOTHER book post since it's been a hot minute and I have a lot to catch up on!  If you have recommendations I'd love it if you'd leave them in the comments!