It’s time for another Nightstand post, a blogging carnival hosted monthly at 5 Minutes For Books – the premise is pretty simple: write about what you’re reading, read recently and / or plan to read in the future.

Here’s what I’ve read since February:

1. Friendship Bread by Darien Gee – Finished March 1, 2011 – I liked this book a lot, especially considering that I almost put it down after reading a few really sad chapters. I thought I wouldn’t be able to get through some of the heavy subject matter, but after deciding to stick with it, I’m really glad I did. Gee’s characters are so realistic and well written, the story is full of everything that makes a story good. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it, with caution, to anyone. – full review –
2. Anthem (kindle) by Ayn Rand (Classics Challenge) –Finished March 3, 2011 – If you’re looking for a classic book that is also a quick read, Anthem is a great choice, I blew threw it in two sittings. I’m not sure that I’d say I enjoyed this book, but I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it either. It’s an interesting concept, with an interesting writing style – but that writing style borders on tedious and dystopian novels at this point are almost a dime a dozen. Still, I’m glad to finally be able to say I’ve read this book.
3. Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen– Finished March 9, 2011 – Godbersen’s new series has all the same intrigue, luxury and perfect story telling that made her Luxe series so incredible. The characters are each unique, fully realized and endearing despite any faults and Godbersen creates a suspense that lingers throughout the entire book which ends with her signature cliff hangers that have you begging for book two. Loved it. – full review –

I’m currently reading The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon on my Kindle, a novel which my book club will be discussing on Thursday (crossing my fingers I finish by then, I’m 60% through it right now). Here’s a quick summary from GoodReads.com for anyone curious:

Barcelona, 1945—Just after the war, a great world city lies in shadow, nursing its wounds, and a boy named Daniel awakes one day to find that he can no longer remember his mother’s face. To console his only child, Daniel’s widowed father, an antiquarian book dealer, initiates him into the secret of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a library tended by Barcelona’s guild of rare-book dealers as a repository for books forgotten by the world, waiting for someone who will care about them again.

Daniel’s father coaxes him to choose a book from the spiraling labyrinth of shelves, one that, it is said, will have a special meaning for him. And Daniel so loves the book he selects, a novel called The Shadow of the Wind by one Julian Carax, that he sets out to find the rest of Carax’s work. To his shock, he discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book this author has written. In fact, he may have the last of Carax’s books in existence.

Before Daniel knows it, his seemingly innocent quest has opened a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets, an epic story of murder, magic, madness, and doomed love, and before long he realizes that if he doesn’t find out the truth about Julian Carax, he and those closest to him will suffer horribly.

When I finish reading this awesome book, I plan to read most of the following:

• The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman (April’s book club pick)
• The Help by Katheryn Stockett
• Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz
• Anne of Windy Poplars (kindle edition) by L.M. Montgomery (before reading Much Ado About Anne (kindle edition) by Heather Vogel Frederick)

What are you reading right now?