Two book reports this week: First, I read Joy for Beginners by Erica Baumeister. This book was too predictable and too perfect. The character, Kate, chooses challenges for each of her friends who had supported her through a bout with cancer. Magically, she manages to choose just the perfect challenge for each friend, even though some of them were secret longings within a friend's own mind. How could she have known these so perfectly?
Of course, each challenge resulted in just the right amount of work, introspection, revelations, and empowerment. Too cliche, too perfect, and even the writing bothered me with too many metaphors and similes. It's unusual that supposed "good writing" bothers me, but in this book I felt it was way overdone.
I gave it three stars because there were parts that kept my attention and interst, such as the rafting ride through the Grand Canyon. That part was interesting and was maybe a zillionth of a microgram less perfect than the other portions. I was leaning toward two stars, but the parts that I found interesting got it up to three.
Second book: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. Definitely 5 stars! This was a great book! It's so good that I don't want to say a lot about it, in fear that I will ruin it for you, a potential reader. Please read this book! It's about a man who walks across England to visit a friend who has cancer. But it really is about WAY MORE than that. It's the human story, with all our foibles, fears, mistakes, regrets, joys, and loves. Just a great, great book. The writing is beautiful, the characters are very human. This book will break your heart and touch your heart... definitely one of my faves.
1 comment:
It's been so long since I've read a good book, I can't wait to finish what I'm reading (that will be another month, at the rate I'm going) to read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry! Thanks!
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