What I've Been Reading - November 2016

Welcome to What I've Been Reading, where I share my (quick and personal) thoughts on what I've been reading this past month. For specifics (plot summary, etc.) about each book, click on the provided links.

Self-Motivated Kids: Creating an Environment Where Children Listen and Cooperate by Damara Simmons (5 stars)

I loved this book! If you'd like to know why, read my post here!

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (5 stars)

 

How had I never heard of this book?! Written in 1938, Rebecca is a psychological thriller that does not disappoint. I loved it and at its end I found myself wanting more. Its jacket cover doesn't do it justice. Check it out! I don't think you will be disappointed. (MMD Book Club pick)

Rules of Civility: A Novel by Amor Towles (4 stars)

 

Set in 1930's High-Society New York, this book is glittering and beautifully written. I believe it was Amor Towles debut novel. I will definitely be checking out his second novel, though I've heard it is very different.

The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Diane Setterfield (3 stars)

 

This book fell short for me. After devouring Rebecca, and loving it, I wanted to try another psychological thriller. This definitely fit the bill, but it was just a little too dark for me. Dark, perhaps, isn't the right word. Its jacket cover sets things up pretty well and is absolutely beautiful. Check it out! (MMD Book Club flight pick)

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (4 stars)

 

My first audio book! It did not disappoint in that sense. Edward Herrmann (Richard Gilmore from Gilmore Girls) narrates and does a fantastic job. Really, the book itself did not disappoint either. It was just extremely difficult for me to swallow. The things Louis Zamperini, and many other prisoners of war, endured are almost unbelievable. Since finishing, I've thought a lot about the human spirit and its ability to survive. I really should have given the book five stars, but I took one away due to its overly graphic nature. I don't think you can find a better book, however, about the Pacific Front of WWII and its prisoners of war. I learned so much and I think you would too.