Read it Wednesday: The Fault in Our Stars

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Ok, this is an older book-- but if you have not read it yet--- well, you simply must. Seriously, you will need them. Lots and lots of Kleenex. When I read this, I was a complete puddle of tears. It was cathartic and healing.

As someone who has lost a close family member to cancer, I have received a TON of well meaning "cancer" books along the way.
But this was not a book about cancer. It is a book about love. About taking the risk to love. About knowing that there will be pain from that love, but still falling with every ounce of your being.
I read this book in one afternoon, but I have no doubt it will stay with me forever.

To those wondering, I have not seen the movie-- still. I want to set aside a time I can be a great big puddle of tears again.

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Read of the Week Wednesday: The House Next Door

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The House Next Door from Anne Rivers Siddons was a book recommended to me last summer by one of my online "mom" groups. I have to say, the beginning of the book seemed fairly solid. I enjoyed the general plot line, and the first half of the book (approximately) was a decent read. I was able to get through it at a steady pace, and was enjoying the book. Then, about midway through, things took a turn for the worse, and the book went downhill fast. I did not enjoy the ending (I thought it was rushed and lacking), and it just seemed kind of to run out of steam. The characters never really went anywhere over the course of the book, and they all seemed very one-dimensional, especially everyone outside of the main focus of the book.
The basic premise is of a moderately wealthy couple who has a "haunted" house built next door, and the terror of what their neighbors experience.
However, if you like books about haunted houses, it is a decent read. It is easy to get through, hard to put down, and will keep you reading. I would say it is a good book to read when you are relaxing on vacation.

Read of the Week Wednesday: The Girl on the Train

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So, we are trying something new this Wednesday. We read a LOT, and since summer is fast approaching, we are hoping to read even more. So, each week, we hope to bring you the book we JUST finished (it will motivate me to read a book a week too)! These will not be books that I was sent to review. Just books that I am casually reading, meaning they caught my eye. :) First book:

The Girl on the Train

I bought The Girl on the Train mainly because I had heard a lot of buzz about it. I had heard from several people that it was pretty good. I have seen many comparisons to Gone Girl, and so I thought I would give it a shot.

What I enjoyed about it: It was a quick read. It took me just one weekend to sail through the entire book. I was completely engrossed in it, and it held my attention. It was one of those books I did not want to put down. I felt connected to the well written characters, and I liked that the main character grew as the book progressed.

What I didn't like: It was not so much that I did not like something, but it was just not the "wow" factor I was hoping for. I am wondering if my experience would have been different if I had not heard it compared to Gone Girl. But, I did, so I can only go in with that experience (and now YOU have heard that too). I really expected something a little more. Gone Girl completely took me aback. I did not see the book coming, and that is rare for me. I saw the ending to this book coming from a LONG ways. There was nothing that surprised me, nothing that shocked me, and I was hoping for more of that WOW factor.

In the end, I give The Girl on the Train 4 out of 5 stars. It was a good read, and I think the perfect summer beach read.