Books Lately: September Update

I did not read at all in August.  At all.  It was just too crazy with the start of school and everything else going on.  September was still pretty crazy, but I also got lazy and stopped working out for a few weeks so I had a lot more time on my hands to read.  Here's my list of books for September:

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

This book was pretty interesting.  I liked how it was told from Death's point of view rather than anyone else.  It was a fairly simple story about a girl growing up in Nazi Germany but the characters were so likeable that the end was hard to read without tearing up.  I especially loved the unique descriptions the author used throughout the story because it brought the characters and scenes to life.

Paper Towns, by John Green

This book was just so fast-paced from start to finish that I finished it in a few hours.  Margo seemed to be such an unbelievable, over-the-top character to me.  Straight A student, most popular, tons of friends, yet not one person really knows her?  Seriously?  I like how she planned her whole revenge thing but in the end she was just a selfish, spoiled brat to me.  Who in their right mind would leave a perfectly good life right before graduation to be homeless?  I feel like she needs some major help for her mental health issues.  Or maybe just a smack upside her head.

Life of Pi, by Yann Martel

Okay this one was reaaaaaaally slow for the whole first part of the book.  It took me a while to get through it, but once Pi got shipwrecked, things picked up and I was glad I didn't stop reading.  The ending was probably the best part and I really loved how Pi retold the other version of his story.  If it weren't for the first part of the book I'd have given this a 5/5.  

The Butterfly Garden, by Dot Hutchison

I really enjoyed this one because it was so dark and twisted and real.  It was one of those crazy stories you think couldn't happen in real life but then you think about how messed up our world really is so maybe it could...?  It's basically about a very rich man who abducts girls, tattoos butterfly wings on their backs, holds them prisoner, and eventually kills them.  The characters all have their own complicated backstories which I liked because it helped me to understand them better.  I did have a tough time visualizing the scenes in my mind because the descriptions were complicated.  I also didn't understand the ending and how the author created a link between Sophia, Maya, and the Gardener.  It was a bit confusing to follow, but besides that it was a really good story.

 Who We Were Before, by Leah Mercer
This book gave me all the feels.  It's about a couple who lost their 2-year-old son and how they changed after his death.  The story telling jumps back and forth between Zoe and Edward (the husband and wife) and their past and present.  I love how it tells both sides of the entire story from when they first met to how they grieved differently after Milo's death and drifted apart.  As a parent, I don't know how I would ever handle losing a child, but reading this made me realize a lot about the differences that Joey and I have in dealing with our emotions in our everyday lives.  I highly recommend this book, even if you're not a parent, because its a reminder to be more understanding and open-minded about other peoples' emotions and how they deal with it in their own ways.