I’m linking up with Anne @ Modern Mrs Darcy to share the books I’ve been reading lately. I’ve read 5 books in the last month which sounds really impressive if you ignore the fact that two of them were really more like short stories. Or the fact that 3 of them were written by the same author. But more importantly, I’ve read and enjoyed 5 books this month and that’s really all that matters at the end of the day!

I’ve been reading…

1. **** The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie – Finished February 18, 2015 – My book club discussed this last month. It’s a YA book about a geeky boy growing up on an Indian reservation who decides to go to school off the reservation – and isn’t very popular with either his old classmates or his new ones. It’s kind of part coming of age story, part frank and often depressing look at poverty and racial issues but it’s somehow filled with humor as well. I’d recommend this one to adults or emotionally mature teens.
2. ***** Cress by Marissa Meyer – Finished February 25, 2015 – I really enjoyed book three. Now used to the rotating narrators, I wasn’t confused or surprised by the new characters being introduced. I really loved Cress’s character and her budding romance and enjoyed reading her story as well as the continuing story arcs of the other characters. I feel like in book three, the whole series really started to come into it’s own. I’m now Impatiently awaiting the next book! – full review –
3. **** Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky by Marissa Meyer – Finished March 4, 2015 – This is one of the free bridge books in the Lunar Chronicles. It was fun getting to read about Carswell ‘s back story from his POV. It actually made me like him a little more and was a nice return to the Lunar Chronicles while I wait for book 4 to come out. Very short short story so an easy, quick read. There were a lot of moments in this story that felt like foreshadowing or at least very clever references to things to come in the future books.
4. **** Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins – Finished March 10, 2015 – When my 8 year old son insisted that I read this series, I couldn’t say no. It’s no surprise that Suzanne Collins has written another series that creates rabid fans. This story is adorable and inspiring and often gives ‘all the feels’ – It’s also a nice quick read for advanced readers and probably a challenging read for intermediate readers looking for a push. I’ll definitely be reading book two. – full review –
5. **** Glitches by Marissa Meyer – Finished March 12, 2015 – This is a prequel short story to Cinder that gives the reader a look at Cinder’s back story and how she came to live with her step family. I enjoyed getting a peek at a younger Cinder and reading about her initial impressions of her family, her life as a cyborg and learning about her talents and abilities.

Right now I’m reading Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel which my book club will be discussing at the end of the month. It’s a very meaty book and I’ve been making slow progress though the plot seems to be picking up the further I get into it. It’s about Thomas Cromwell, one of the guys that was influential during King Henry VIII’s reign, especially around the time of the whole Anne Boleyn thing. Cromwell is a really interesting character and the book has a lot of interesting chapters, but it also has some tedious, boring chapters as well. I’m hoping it continues on the interesting path and perhaps picks up the pace a bit. Time will tell.

What are you reading?