"In a weak moment, I have written a book." - Margaret Mitchell
Loved:
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, Bryn Greenwood: This was a gorgeous and somewhat disturbing book I plowed through in about three hours on a flight - the story centers on a broken meth-cooking family in rural Kansas, and on how the young daughter of the family comes to find herself in an underage relationship with a much older man. The writing is powerful and the story is completely unexpected - a must-read, if you ask me.
Fierce, Aly Raisman: I have an enduring fascination with the Olympics and with Team USA Gymnastics, so I tend to read everything that comes out on either of those topics. I have so much respect for Aly Raisman's two-time Olympic performance and her hard-work ethos. Definitely recommend this quick and inspiring read!
Enjoyed:
Rhett Butler's People, Daniel McCaig: After finishing "Gone With the Wind," I usually re-read "Scarlett," but found out about this book a few months ago and subbed it in instead. It's not my favorite - but it was a fun, light, interesting continuation of the Rhett-and-Scarlett canon from a fresh perspective.
September Girls, Bennett Madison: I started and stopped this one twice before I got into it, and I'm glad I did power through - at first I was really not a fan of this semi-fantasy "bewitched mermaids doing creepy things in a North Carolina seaside town" story, but it hooked me in a bit harder by the end. It was fine - probably a better beach read, honestly.
Tolerated:
The One Memory of Flora Banks, Emily Barr: This was hands-down one of the worst books I've ever read. The premise, of a teenager with short-term memory loss who goes off to find a guy she kissed on a beach and ends up in Lapland, is far-fetched...the writing is elementary at best...and I legit wouldn't have finished it if I hadn't been stranded on a plane surrounded by strangers who wouldn't shut up. Do not recommend.
Re-reads:
Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell: This is one of my all-time favorite books, and I just really needed to re-read it after starting the movie on the flight home from Thanksgiving. Such a classic.
Girls in White Dresses, Jennifer Close: I read this for the first time right when it came out, so I was probably 24-25 and didn't really enjoy it at all. On a second read, older, the themes of love, relationships, personal satisfaction and settling hit home much harder and, while I still didn't love it, I did really enjoy it this time around.