The Book Bump

I am pleased that only one book carries over from my Current Reads in March and April. And that’s only because I had temporarily misplaced it. However, we have been reunited, and I am anxious to finish the novel.

As mentioned in a previous post, I have already started planning my summer reads, so I have tried to limit myself and only start a few new books.

So, here’s my current reads list, the reasons I picked the book up, and my in-progress thoughts.

Bag of Bones by Stephan King

I haven’t been able to read much of this book in a while, considering I left it at my parents’ last time I visited.  But we have finally been reunited, although I don’t know how easy it will be to pick the story up where I left it. We shall see.

Your Royal Hostage by Antonia Fraser

I started reading this over the Easter weekend as part of the Norwegian and Swedish tradition of Paskékrim. I learned about the practice from a Peter James tweet and thought it would be fun.

Your Royal Hostage has been on my bookshelf for a few years now, and I thought, “Oh, it’s a relatively short book; I should be able to finish it quickly while I try and remember what I did with Bag of Bones.” Well, true; it is a relatively short book with just under 200 pages. But I was wrong about finishing it quickly.

The writing style makes it hard to grow attached to any of the characters. I feel like I don’t know any of the characters in depth. The head hopping is hard to follow. I’ve never read many novels with an omnipresent narrator; honestly, I am not convinced it’s my cup of tea.

I am 100 pages in, and the story starts very slowly. For now, there’s been talk of some significant action. In the previous chapter, there was finally a little action, but only a subplot of the main plot. At halfway, and considering the novel’s title, I would have expected a hostage situation earlier. The author beats around the bush too much and loves to waffle on with seemingly pointless information. I say, seemingly, as I await to see if it is all part of a slow build-up. If the book were closer to 300 or 400 pages, I wouldn’t have the same opinion, as you could slowly build the intrigue and bring it all to a satisfying end.

My fears, however, are that with only 200 pages, the ending may feel very rushed.

Anxious People by Fredrik Bachman

I found this book on Kindle. I hadn’t heard of it before seeing it among the Kindle Book Deals. I was intrigued by the title and the fact that it said it had been turned into a hit Netflix series.

From the beginning, the author sets the tone for this quirky novel about eight strangers. On the first page, the narrator claims, “This story is about a lot of things, but mostly about idiots.” Throughout the novel, the narrator hits the nail on the head with many life situations. His insight into ‘being human’ is spot on.

At times, it feels as if the narrator is talking directly to the reader, which is a new style for me, but one I thoroughly enjoy.

I find some characters particularly intriguing. I want to see how they develop, although I have an inkling about how the novel will pan out.

Overall, having read the first 3^rd of the novel, I am not disappointed. We shall see how the rest pans out.

Good Inside by Becky Kennedy

Having children of my own, I admit I’ve never been one to read parenting books. I might look up a few things on the internet from time to time when I feel I am at a loose end, but that’s about it.

This book, again, was part of the Kindle Book Deals, and something drew me to it. Perhaps it was the bright yellow, flowery cover, or maybe it was simply the title. I can’t quite say for sure.

I find self-help books preachy and make you feel bad about yourself, especially concerning parenting. And I am pretty sure most parents carry enough guilt, constantly worrying if they aren’t messing their children up for life.

This book is a breath of fresh air. The author speaks directly to the reader and seems to understand the struggles, validating the experience of being a parent.

As the author mentions in the title of her book, everyone is ‘good inside’ but and as she correctly states, the advice in this book could also go a long way in helping relationships at large and not just between parent and child.

Most of what I have read so far seems obvious when you are sitting down with a level head but in the heat of an argument, it is true that we tend to forget it. I am rather intrigued to read on and see how helpful her advice is.