March 29, 2016

Recent 5-Star Reads

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is Top Ten Recent 5-Star Reads. I don't actually give a lot of 5 star labels to books, so this list might actually go back a long way.

El Deafo by Cece Bell - This was kind of a graphic memoir. The author had a bout with meningitis as a little girl which left her severely hearing impaired. This book is about her struggle with wearing hearing aids to school and trying not to be different.

The Rabbit Back Literature Society by Pasi Ilmari Jaaskelainen - I'm sure you remember me raving about this book last month. I can almost type the author's name without looking it up, now. This book is a little bit magical realism, a little bit mystery, and a lot fantastic.

Deep South: Four Seasons on Back Roads by Paul Theroux - I have heard some people had complaints about this book, but I really enjoyed this peek into how people live.

Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton - This is such a neat project. The author has people on the streets of New York City tell him their stories and he takes pictures of them. It's such a neat thing. I love people's personal stories.

Ms. Marvel Vol. 2 by G. Willow Wilson - I actually enjoyed vol. 2 better than vol. 1. This one had cameos by other Marvel characters and I loved the dog. Of course.

The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan - This book was beautiful. The setting was strange and mystical. The characters were interesting. There was a bear. What's not to love?

Find Momo Coast to Coast by Andrew Knapp - I love Momo. He's such a perfect Border Collie. A little nervous. Trying to please. I love searching these beautiful photos for this cute pup.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot - This was not a fun book to read, but it was interesting and informative. The author didn't take herself out of the narrative, which at first blush seems like a mistake, but it gave her a way to make the story very intimate.

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent - Oh my goodness. What to say about this book. You would think that a book about the last execution in Iceland would be like a thriller, but it's very pastoral. It's told from the perspective of the prisoner and also a little bit from the people around her.

Lock In by John Scalzi - Now this was a thriller. The main character is a victim of a virus that left him completely paralyzed, but his brain was still intact. He uses a robot as his body and he is now a detective. Woo hoo! It looks like it will be a series!

Well, hey! That only took us back to February 2015. I guess I read quite a few great books.

Tell me about your best reads.