What I've been reading lately...

Haven't felt my best this past week, with seasonal headaches making themselves known again, but I have managed to attack the stack of books beside my bed.  You know the one, those books that others have loaned me and I've been wanting to read, but other books have somehow managed to wedge their way in front of them.  

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys is one of the books I've wanted to read for quite some time.  Actually, I should rephrase that... it's a book I have needed to read for a long time.  The title itself has drawn this beautiful piece of historical fiction through the literary mud puddle.  Yes, it's similarly entitled to the adult novel, Fifty Shades of Gray.  But that's definitely where any comparison stop.  Yes, parents have noticed the similarity.  Yes, students have been confused.  And I hate that, for this book is a story of the author's family who miraculously survived WWII and the Soviet occupation of Lithuania.  Students are drawn in by Lina's story of survival over the years as a political prisoner, serving her time in Siberia.  The injustice is blatant and mirrors what many innocent people endured in Europe and Asia during Hitler and Stalin's attack on the world.  I'm so glad I read this story.  So glad to finally be able to defend it against parents who become confused and wrongly accuse it of being anything like the adult novel.  How unfortunate for everyone involved...

I also made time to read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky.  90s realistic fiction at it's best.  I don't know how much my readers will be able to connect with the characters or how they'll handle the mature content, but I'm sure they'll be hooked from page 1.  Charlie is a magnetic character that any introvert will see themselves in.  I know I sure did.  However, I appreciated the fact that the author didn't reveal the reasons behind Charlie's social awkwardness all at once.  Very subtle.  Very effective.  Some readers will love Sam, the hypnotic female love interest/infatuation of Charlie's and others will love Patrick.  This book includes every controversial subject that a young adult might be looking to learn more about.  And for that reason alone, it resides in our "restricted collection".  I watched the movie, released last year, and was disappointed.  Charlie's character wasn't awkward enough.  Perhaps the author shouldn't write the screenplay after all.  Perhaps I appreciate another interpretation of the characters/plot more than I originally thought.  

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And now, I'm spending this rainy afternoon reading an adult novel,  from that same stack, recommended to me by one of our teachers.  It's a thriller.  I can tell I'm going to be hooked at about the 3/4 mark!  It's definitely a book you think about when you're not reading and for that reason I will recommend it to LT.  She loves books like that.  I'll go ahead and suggest you pick up a copy at the library if you have a chance.  Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson.  It's a debut novel about a woman who wakes up every morning and has no memory of the day before.  Very "40 First Dates" at first, but then you realize that her husband may not be trustworthy and you need to know why not!  I predict he'll be the villain and her life will be in danger!  I just can't figure out why!   

I'm liking it so far.  And I'd like to get back to it.  Happy Reading!  
RC