June Reviews

I'm typing this one-handed- please forgive errors and be impressed with my dedication [pats self on back].

This month I read three whole books- not bad, considering the first part of the month was consumed with grading and I've had family in town twice. And the whole having an infant thing.

The Selected Works of TS Spivet by Reif Larson 

400 pages

I've raved about this book many times before, but in case you missed it it's about a young cartographer that travels cross country alone to accept an award at the Smithsonian (they don't know he's a kid). Along the way he works on accepting his family and past, and also reads one of his mother's notebooks where she has sort of re-transcribed an old family history. The margin is full of sketches and blurbs, adding to the richness of the story. 

Verdict- I suggested this for book club and was relieved that everyone seemed to enjoy it!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

576 pages

I'm pretty sure everyone has read this but me, so I'll spare you the synopsis (see one-handed comment above).

Verdict- I thought this was somewhat decent, but lacked the depth it could have had (which is a problem I've had with other YA books I've read). The idea of having death as the narrator is unique, but Zusak just fell a little short of accomplishing greatness.

How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid

240 pages

This self-help styled novel "instructs" our nameless main character on how to rise up from poverty and make it big in "rising Asia." We follow the man from childhood until death, watching as he falls in love with a "pretty girl" and is then separated from her, all the while working hard to make something of himself. Their later reconnection is sweet, while a little expected.

Verdict- I really enjoyed this novel- the humor was tongue-in-cheek, the structure was different from what I've been reading recently, and I appreciated reading about someone's complete life.

1216 pages