Dark Matter

I could not put this book down. It is one of the best books of 2016. So smart it makes me dizzy but in a good way. Crouch does an amazing job of turning something so complex as a multiverse into something the every day non-scientist can understand on some level, even if you can't fully wrap your mind around it.

Jason is abducted from his life one evening and finds himself in an impossible place. Unless you are a quantum physics genius. Jason tries to untangle what is happening to him and find his way back to his family. This novel is mind bending similar to the movie "Interstellar". Excellently written. The characters are lovable, believable, and easy to connect with.

The First Time She Drowned

Oh how I loved this book so so much.  And the farther along in the book I got, the more I loved it.

Cassie was committed to an in patient mental care facility as a teenager. Except, she wasn't mentally ill. This debut novel looks at childhood abuse in a new and unique way. The authors use of words is beautiful and poetic. Sometimes I re-read a line just because it was so poignant.

I was taken with the family life Kletter created and how well she shows the shattering affects of mental illness, childhood abuse, and identity in teens. Because of the language throughout and one sexually charged scene, I'm not ready for my middle schooler to read it. But, once she's in high school, it'd be great to read.

Truly, Madly, Guilty

Erika and Clementine have been friends since their youth. Due to family circumstances with her mom, Erika was sort of an adopted child, which made Clementine resentful. Their relationship is a strange one and gets even more strange when Erika asks something of Clementine that she's not sure she can give.

Mysterious enough? The whole book is one big "What is going on?!" which was delightful to read. You know something big is coming and it's not until the very end of the book when it finally does. So, everything that happens you are wondering if it relates to the "something big" or if the author is just toying with me.

Great writing, as always from Liane Moriarty. The book doesn't get as high reviews as I thought it would. But, as I think back through it, the "something big" isn't as big as I thought it would be. The relationships are fleshed out well, but flimsy and seem to fall apart easier than I would expect.

Overall, a great read that I recommend. Just have lower expectations and you'll absolutely love it.

A House for Happy Mothers

A House for Happy Mothers is about a couple in America who as a last choice has their baby via a surrogate in India. It goes back and forth from both families involved, the surrogate and her family and the couple using the surrogate. It was just okay. It was certainly good enough to read and I never wanted to quit reading it, but I critiqued a lot as I read. Parts were very repetitive and lacked the depth of emotion I would expect in a book like this.

Night

So, even though this is supposed to be my year of classics, I have taken a break to read some YA for my daughter and some "must reads of 2016" according to Pinterest.

I listened to this book instead of reading it with my eyes and I am very happy I did that. There aren't many books I'd rather listen to, but this one was the perfect choice.

Night is a classic written in the 1960s and I'm calling it a classic. If it's not in that category yet, it will be. It's a memoir about Elie's experience in Nazi Germany. The interesting thing about this story that's different from other ones similar to it, is that his dad is an almost constant point in the camp with him. The horrors of what they went through and saw is unlike any other novel I've read about it (movies don't count, so stop thinking "Schindler's List").

I highly recommend this book to anyone, just be ready for a heavy heart.

The Lake House

Oh how I love Kate Morton. This is her newest novel and I was super excited to delve in, confident I would not be able to put it down, like so many of her other good works.

I was very disappointed. It was boring and I couldn't keep reading it. If I didn't have other great books to on my "to read" list, I'd probably have powered through in the hopes it'd get better. But I do have a large stack of "must reads" so alas, I'm giving up and may try again another year.

With Love From the Inside

Grace Bradshaw was convicted of killing her baby son and was sentenced to death. Because of that, she is estranged from her now adult daughter, Sophie. This novel is a very well woven story between the two women's perspectives. The narration style is excellent and the messages in the book are excellent.

It's been a very long time since I've read a book I wanted to stay up late reading. I highly recommend it! And even though there was quite a bit of language and some very heavy themes, I let my 12 year old daughter read it and she loved it as well.

Here's a caveat: read with tissues.

Shatter Me

I read this because my 12 year old daughter asked me to preview it for her. It's a compelling dystopian story about a group of kids who have super hero powers. Juliette is the heroine who turns out can't touch people without hurting them. She ends up a prisoner of the bad guys, who actually want to turn her into a weapon for them. The story is halfway between unique and overdone.

It's a fine YA book for adults, but I can't recommend it for kids. Lots of sexual scenes and language.