Recent reads: April 2013

April was a really good book month for me, can you tell?  Thanks to Hila, I've been evening out the mix between male and female writers a lot better.  I have really been nothing but impressed with some of them whom I've discovered like Alexis Smith and her first novel Glaciers.  It's a quiet book that I'll probably send to a girlfriend who needs some peaceful time to herself.  The Report by Jessica Francis Kane was also a surprisingly good one.  It's based upon a true event that happened in a bomb shelter in London during The Blitz - trampling and accidental deaths of 173 people.  Jessica Francis Kane weaves her own version of the tale behind it all and the inquiry that happened post-incident.  Based on those dry details, you wouldn't think that her debut novel would be as satisfying as it was, but there it is.  It's satisfying, like a big home-cooked meal with just enough glasses of wine.

I also read loads of graphic novels.  I think I've gotten over the stigma of reading 'comic books' and have decided to enjoy them for what they are - brilliant stories made that much better by the wonderful illustrations that accompany them.  If you've ever thought about turning your nose up at a graphic novel, I urge you to read some of the drafts that Neil Gaiman inserts at the end of his Sandman series and compare that to the final product that has been published.  Not an easy task at all.  If you're looking for a recommendation for a particular type of graphic novel, do let me know.

And I also read beautiful Rob Lowe's memoir, which I only picked up because I really like him on Parks & Rec and because of the good reviews it received.  It's nothing earth-shattering (sorry to ruin it for those of you who are expecting something extra juicy) but he tells a good, well-rounded, cohesive story of his life and his career.  He talks about being objectified as a teenage heartthrob; you don't exactly feel sorry for him but it does make you realize that there is another side to fandom.  And there's stories upon stories about acting.  About faking it until you make it.  About the hard work that you have to put forth just to fake it.

Honestly, I want to talk about all the books I've read and some of them deserve longer discussion than others.  But I've already begun rolling on my May 2013 list and there are some pretty good ones in that grouping as well.  Feel free to keep up with my reading adventures via my GoodReads account.  What have you all been reading lately?