Kathleen’s Comments (group member since Jun 05, 2015)

Kathleen’s comments from the Summer Reading Program group.

I was so close!! Book #10, Mind MGMT by Matt Kindt (graphic novel), just didn't do it for me. I didn't finish it, but I tried, I really did! I did finish the biography, Whittaker Chambers by Sam Tanenhaus, and the short stories, Smoke & Mirrors by Neil Gaiman.

So I got like, 95% of the way there.

Well, I had to give up. 9 discs in to the 11-disc The Night Circus, I'm DNFing it. Some of the language and imagery were gorgeous and I'm glad that I listened to it, but as I'm approaching the climax of the story I find I just don't care. And I'm really into the biography that I've chosen for the challenge, Whittaker Chambers, also being "read" on audio, so I'm going to devote my listening time just to that one.

After this, I've got two more to go to complete my challenge, my graphic novel (Mind MGMT by Matt Kindt) and book of short stories (Smoke & Mirrors by Neil Gaiman).

I finished The Girl on the Train this morning, and I loved it--well worth the wait on the holds list at the library! I'm also reading (or listening to, rather) the book I chose based on its cover, The Night Circus. I didn't know what to expect but so far I'm really enjoying it, and it's not usually the type of book that I would read.

I just finished #5, In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume. I loved this book. The backdrop of the story is tragic, but it's handled in such a way that while the reader feels the horror and dread of what's going on, it's not lingered over. Reading it felt like going home, there is just something so comforting about reading a Judy Blume novel. I loved the relationships, the character, the whole thing.

Now I'm very excited to get started on #6, The Girl on the Train.

Just finished book #3, The Ocean at the End of the Lane (audiobook). This is my first exposure to Neil Gaiman and I'm hooked. It made a very tedious, traffic-riddled drive home from vacation pass quite a bit more quickly than it could have, and I will bring along another of his audiobooks for our next car trip.

Today, I'm embarking on book #4, Brave New World (classic), which I'm listening to on audio. Im also reading #5, In the Unlikely Event (book published this year), and picking up #6, The Girl On the Train (NYT bestseller) from the library today.

Making progress...just finished book #2, nonfiction. I read "The Disaster Artist," by Greg Sestero, about the making the "The Room"--"the greatest bad movie ever made." I loved this book, it was perfect for beach reading.

I'm also making m way through my audiobook, "The Ocean at the End of the Lane." I'm thoroughly enjoying it, as is my son who has started listening in over the course of our long vacation drive.

Whoo, finally finished book 1 of 10 for my challenge! Here's my review of I am Having So Much Fun Here Without You (3 stars, 2.5 more accurately):

Like many others have said in their reviews, I finished this, but...I don't know why. There were some interesting meditations on marriage and monogamy, but so much angsty navel-gazing and whining to slog through to get to it! The Iraq war commentary seemed really shoehorned in there, and I didn't get a real sense of love for Camille, it was more "well, she's his daughter, so...what the hell, a few sentences about how he misses her for good measure!"

I gave this three stars because it was a pleasant enough way to pass my commute (listened on audio), but I can't imagine I'll remember much of it in a week's time.

Finally getting around to starting on this! Currently I am reading I am Having So Much Fun Here Without You as my book set in a foreign country. So far I'm really enjoying it--as much as on can "enjoy" the petulant thoughts of a cheating man-child.

I'm in! After some deliberation I've decided to read 10 books:
A non-fiction book
A graphic novel
A NYT bestseller
A classic
An audiobook
A book based on its cover
A biography
A book of short stories
Book set in a different country
A book published this year

I'll post my reviews here and also on my blog, kathleenmkenny.com/ancoraimparo