Thursday, August 9, 2012

Books Worth Reading


If you read this blog regularly, you may already know that I listen to a lot of books.  My commute to and from work is no less than an hour each way, and I have a lot of time to kill in the car.  If you have ever spent long periods of time in the car on a daily basis, you know that the radio starts to suck really quickly.  

Audiobooks changed my life.  They made me a happier and more relaxed commuter.  I do review the books on this blog as I finish listening to them, but there were a bunch that I listened to before I started writing here.  I feel that they are worth mentioning, so I will start with three of my favorites. 
  
Have you read any of these books?  I would love to hear your opinion on them.  Anything look interesting enough to add to your reading list?



I was captivated with this book by the time I was finished listening to the first paragraph. The author seemed to have great insight into the mind of a person with Asperger's Symdrome, and for the first time ever, I felt like I understood more about this disorder.  This is a very quick read you will enjoy watching the main charter solve the mystery.  This is the kind of book you continue to think about long after it ends.



Summary from Audible.com:  Fifteen-year-old Christopher Boone has Asperger's Syndrome, a condition similar to autism. He doesn't like to be touched or meet new people, he cannot make small talk, and he hates the colors brown and yellow. He is a math whiz with a very logical brain who loves solving puzzles that have definite answers.
One night, he observes that the neighbor's dog has been killed, since it is not moving and has a large garden fork stuck in its body. Christopher knows this is wrong. He has never left his street on his own before, but now he'll have to in order to find out who killed the dog. What he discovers will shake the very foundation of his perfectly ordered life.




To be frank, this was one of the strangest books I have ever read.  The first part was kind of slow, but the second half was riveting.  I was never really sure where it was going, and there were a enough twists and turns to keep me on my toes.  The best part was that I never saw the ending coming. I have never read anything like this before, and I loved how this book surprised me.  I liked the writing style here so much that am looking forward to the author's upcoming second novel.  



Summary from Audible.com:   Special Topics in Calamity Physics is a darkly hilarious coming-of-age novel and a richly plotted suspense tale told through the distinctive voice of its heroine, Blue van Meer.
After a childhood spent moving from one academic outpost to another with her father (a man prone to aphorisms and meteoric affairs), Blue is clever, deadpan, and possessed of a vast lexicon of literary, political, philosophical, and scientific knowledge. And she is quite the cineaste to boot. In her final year of high school at the elite (and unusual) St. Gallway School in Stockton, North Carolina, Blue falls in with a charismatic group of friends and their captivating teacher, Hannah Schneider. But when the drowning of one of Hannah's friends and the shocking death of Hannah herself lead to a confluence of mysteries, Blue is left to make sense of it all with only her gimlet-eyed instincts and cultural references to guide - or misguide - her.
Structured around a syllabus for a Great Works of Literature class, Pessl's debut novel is complex yet compelling, erudite yet accessible. It combines the suspense of Hitchcock, the self-parody of Dave Eggers, and the storytelling gifts of Donna Tartt with a dazzling intelligence and wit entirely Pessl's own.



This was the first of Chelsea Handler's books that I read, and it is definitely my favorite.  Chelsea is exquisitely crazy (and I mean that in the best way possible).  Her stories are amusing.  This book is not for the easily offended, but if you are a fan of her show (and sense of humor) you will LOVE this book.




Summary from Audible.com:   In My Horizontal Life, actress and stand-up comedian Chelsea Handler boldly recounted her one-night stands - the good, the bad, and the disastrous. In this wickedly honest new work, she casts the net wider with even funnier results, recalling the most noteworthy highs and lows of her life to date - including her efforts to diversify by dating red-haired men, her obsession with midgets, and the dog-sitting interlude in which her boyfriend became overly familiar with a Peekapoo.
Whether it's a vacation with her dad during which he tells airline staff they're a honeymoon couple in order to get an upgrade, or her elaborate attempts to convince her third-grade classmates that she's starring in a Private Benjamin sequel, Chelsea lets it rip in these relentlessly entertaining essays. Displaying the candor and irresistible turn of phrase that have earned her a recurring stint as a correspondent on The Tonight Show as well as her own E! series, Chelsea Lately, this deliciously skewed collection is a guilty pleasure.

All book summaries and images via audible.com.  This is not a sponsored post.

14 comments:

Martina // Spunkyrella said...

Ha thanks for the great reviews! I recently read a lot of health related books and I am DYING to read a funny one or a great novel these days! xo

honey my heart said...

i really need to read more! and have been wanting to read chelsea's book :)

Sam said...

Thanks for your thorough and insightful book reviews, I am in need of a few new good reads! Happy Weekend!

rooth said...

I liked Special Topics in Calamity Physics and was impressed with how young the author was. Audio books are my favourite distraction on international flights. My sister recently listened to Bossypants by Tina Fey and said it was hilarious - maybe that's the next one you can check out?

Pratishtha Durga said...

I have read the Curious Incident, and loved it. I am about to pick up a new book, and jump right into some intense reading.

Have a great weekend.

Mal said...

Chelsea Handler's books are so fun to read!

Mal @ The Chic Geek

Suz said...

I haven't been reading this summer-I don't know if it's me or the heat. I like your suggestions.

Audrey Allure said...

Sound like great books -- love all of the Chelsea books!

Jessica said...

oh neat i am going on monday so i will try to post on what i think of the class! i have not read the first two but i have read the are you there vodka and it is soooo funny! i love chelsea she is ridiculously hilarious, i burst out laughing several time while reading this

-Jessica
http://www.jumpintopuddles.com

Sam said...

Thanks for your comment hun, have a great week ahead!

Ann said...

Thanks for the reviews of these books, Chelsea's book looks funny.
I am always on the lookout for an entertaining read because I can't sleep without reading.

Rainbow Gatherer said...

lovely blog :)
I'll be happy if u check my blog too=)

A Very Sweet Blog said...

i've thought about audible books for awhile and may pursue getting some. thanks for these reviews.
http://www.averysweetblog.com/

Lorena said...

I love Chelsea Handler !
I watch her shows and laugh my butt off - she is so rawishly funny.

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Hi, I'm Erin. I am living back on the east coast after 15 years out west. Currently readjusting to humidity and mosquitos. I love to take pictures and read fashion magazines.... and to talk about nothing in particular (ok, and my dogs).

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