Book Recs (and Warnings): Read in 2014

[crickets]

Wherein I recommend and/or warn you about some of the awesome/terrible things I read in 2014!

Comments

[blighted_star]

Orphan Train, Christina Baker Kline | I was recommended this book by one of my library compatriots. It was not for me. Maybe it's a good book actually and I just have bad taste? Maybe?

Oh....I was going to read this. I think I might still give it a try but I won't be in a rush to read it.

My Friend Dahmer, Derf Backderf | This is my first graphic novel. It was written by a classmate of Jeffrey Dahmer's that is all about Dahmer's high school days and pre-cannibal ways. He was in no way "just a normal kid." This book kind of stuck with me because I find myself thinking about it a lot after reading.

I never read a graphic novel before, but I will give this a try. Sounds like a really interesting premise.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and Other Lessons from the Crematorium, Caitlin Doughty | This book is a memoir written about the author's time working for a crematory -- it is exactly as morbid as it sounds but thankfully her tone makes it palatable. This book has completely made me think burial/death rituals in modern America. I am

[crickets]

Regarding Orphan Train. I have a sense that this is a "just not my kind of book" situation. I barely even remember most of the plot but I remember vividly being bored by it, and being glad it was over.

My Friend Dahmer was one that was reviewed by Literary Disco and a friend of mine on goodreads had added it to her to-reads list, I can't remember which came first. But I remember going to the goodreads page and reading a hilarious review of the book and I was sold. I am not exactly a graphic novel convert as a result, but this was super fascinating!

If you end up liking Smoke... and what Doughty has to say about the "death industry" then you should know that the author has a youtube channel apparently. I haven't watched any of her videos but I keep meaning to check them out.

[blighted_star]

Did you get My Friend Dahmer through Barnes & Noble?

I think I'm going to read Smoke after the current book I am reading, Oxygen by Carol Cassella. They almost fit together because Oxygen is about an anesthesiologist whose patient 8 year old patient dies during surgery.

[crickets]

I got it from the public library actually.

Oxygen sounds sad. How is it so far?

[blighted_star]

I like Oxygen so far. The author in real life is an anesthesiologist, so she definitely knows what she's talking about when it comes to the healthcare system and malpractice.