Reading

I've been on a reading kick lately, here is what I've read:

Prince of Tides, Pat Conroy - Price of Tides is a fantastic, scary, heartbreaking book (the movie is terrible, though). I read it with E about five years ago, but forgot a lot and wanted to read it again. I loved it just as much the second time. If you haven't ever read a Conroy book, you must! Beach Music is by far my favorite (one of my favorite books of all time), but Prince of Tides follows closely. Five stars.

The Reader, Bernhard Schlick - This book has been sitting on my shelf forever, so I decided it was a good idea if I read it. It was an Oprah's book club choice, so I was excited. She has really picked some wonderful books over the years. This book, however, was horrible! It was a quick read, hence the reason I finished it, but I felt like there was no character development, the characters themselves were unlikable, and it was not memorable. Two stars.

Red Azelea, Anchee Min - This book is a memoir about Communist China, one of my favorite topics. My friend Colette recommended this book, saying I would not be disappointed, she was right. The book starts when Anchee is a tiny girl trained to love Mao, China, and communism. As she gets older, she realizes that she isn't happy until she falls in love. I loved this book, but felt like the end was rushed. Because it was a true story, I wanted to hear more details about the beginning of her life in America. Four stars.

Sarah's Key. This book was so emotionally draining, but I loved it. It was about the roundup of Jews in France in 1942. It was horrific, captivating, wonderful, heartfelt. Everything you want from a book. Five Stars.