Top Ten New to Me Authors I Read in 2013

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Posted on December 17, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke & the Bookish. It’s awesome. Every Tuesday, the lovely ladies over there give us book bloggers wonderful and fun topics to create our lists! Check out what others have posted by going over there! http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com

1. Stephen King

The Shining & Doctor Sleep

I finally gave in and read The Shining and I loved it. Doctor Sleep was just as good. Now I have to get myself another but this amazing author.

2. Rita Leganski

The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow

The first book I read for the She Reads book club and it was amazing!

3. Christina Baker Kline

Orphan Train

Another She Reads selection.

4. Matthew Quick

Silver Linings Playbook

I want to reread this- the mark of a very good book!

5. Liane Moriarty

The Husband’s Secret

I can’t wait to read her new one.

6. Samantha Shannon

The Bone Season

I just finished this a few days ago and I am already itching for the next in the series- hurry it up Ms. Shannon!

7. Leo Tolstoy

Anna Karenina

One of the first books I read in 2013- beautiful.

8. Kathleen Tesaro

The Perfume Collector

I loved the dual narrative.

9. Charlie Lovette

The Bookman’s Tale

I love books about people who love books.

10. Alyson Richman

The Lost Wife

I thought the author did a wonderful job with this story.

Top Ten Tuesday #9

10 Comments

Posted on June 25, 2013

Today’s topic is:

TOP TEN BOOKS I’VE READ SO FAR IN 2013

(seems like a good time for it, since we are halfway through the year)

10. The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

a She Reads book club selection

9. Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

needless to say, better than the movie

8. The Bookseller by Mark Pryor

7. The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian

(can’t wait for his new one)

6. The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman

so sad

5. The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin

beautifully written

4. The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

her best so far

3. The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow by Rita Leganski

another She Reads book club selection

2. The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

love this series- need to read again

1. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Silver Linings Playbook

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Posted on April 1, 2013

Silver Linings Playbook

by Matthew Quick

published by Sarah Crichton Books

2008

Meet Pat. Pat has a theory: his life is a movie produced by God. And his God-given mission is to become physically fit and emotionally literate, whereupon God will ensure a happy ending for him — the return of his estranged wife Nikki. (It might not come as a surprise to learn that Pat has spent time in a mental health facility.) The problem is, Pat’s now home, and everything feels off. No one will talk to him about Nikki; his beloved Philadelphia Eagles keep losing; he’s being pursued by the deeply odd Tiffany; his new therapist seems to recommend adultery as a form of theraphy. Plus, he’s being hunted by Kenny G!

In this enchanting novel, Matthew Quick takes us inside Pat’s mind, showing us the world from his distorted yet endearing perspective. As the award-winning novelist Justin Cronin put it: “Tender, soulful, hilarious, and true, The Silver Linings Playbook is a wonderful debut.” (from Goodreads)

My Review

I started to enjoy this story almost as soon as I began reading it. Silver Linings Playbook is a fast read, and it is very easy to get into. The only drawback for me was not knowing why Pat had ended up in a mental facility. It almost seemed there was a bit of brain damage, the way he was so childlike and unknowing of the world around him and of passing time.

The characters in this book draw you in and make you root for them to succeed. Pat is working very hard on “being kind, not right”. The relationships in this book are touching, messy, and feel real. I love the way Pat interacts with his mother and brother, who are there for him and help him. Pat and his Dad, though, have a very difficult relationship, and the fact that it is not all cleared up and perfect at the end makes it even better. I think, perhaps, the character that really stayed with me was Tiffany. In Tiffany, we see how grief can truly rip a life apart, and the wonder of the human spirit, to fight to come back from despair.

I loved this book. It was a little darker than I had anticipated. I am looking forward to discussing it for my local bookclub next week. I have not seen the movie yet, but do want to. My mom-always trust her when it comes to books- said it was very good, but of course, not as good as the book.

rating-3.5 out of 5