About Me

Are you a book addict? I am. I can’t get enough. Reading is my favorite thing to do.

I typically read one book a week, every week – on the subway, on the bus, walking down the street, in the shower (yes)! Okay, so first, a little about me…

ABOUT ME

Hi! I’m Erin. I am a young “professional” (?) working and living in New York City. I actually sing for a living at a popular NYC tourist location and attend night school to fulfill (one of) my dream(s) to become a sign language interpreter. Random! I know.

I live with my roommate, my Chihuahua and my talking parakeet (yes, she talks; no, it’s not typical; yes, it’s possible). I have a boyfriend – let’s call him David, to maintain the complete privacy that we already possess on this obscure and so-far-neglected website. He used to sing at the same place I do – that’s how we met – and now he is trying to get into the same school I go to for the same thing – sign language is one of the things that brought us together.

Anyway, I’d like to have a place to write about the books I read and share my recommendations with other book addicts. School hinders how many books I am able to complete, but…

 
SO FAR THIS YEAR
(I HAVE READ):

1. SHARP OBJECTS by Gillian Flynn / 252 pages

2. DEFENDING JACOB by William Landay / 421 pages*
3. THE END OF YOUR LIFE BOOK CLUB by Will Schwalbe / 326 pages*
4. WHERE WE BELONG by Emily Giffin / 372 pages
5. THE CHILD'S CHILD by Barbara Vine / 302 pages*
6. THE GLASS CASTLE by Jeannette Walls / 288 pages*
7. PROOF OF HEAVEN by Eben Alexander, M.D. / 172 pages*
8. RECONSTRUCTING AMELIA by Kimberly McCreight / 380 pages*
9. THE DINNER by Herman Koch / 292 pages*
10. THE LOVE SONG OF JONNY VALENTINE by Teddy Wayne / 285 pages*
11. THE PARIS WIFE by Paula McClain / 314 pages*
12. UNSINKABLE by Debbie Reynolds / 283 pages*
13. ACCELERATED by Bronwen Hruska / 288 pages*
14. WAITING TO BE HEARD by Amanda Knox / 457 pages*
15. THE HAPPINESS PROJECT by Gretchen Rubin / 292 pages

This list does not include any of the books that I began reading, but decided to quit 50-100 pages in. The stars mark the ones I would recommend.

Right now I am reading Orphan Train by Chrisina Baker Kline. Perhaps in the future I will keep my current book a secret until the big reveal, but being that this is the first blog I have little else to talk about.

I didn’t really expect to like it and I almost quit about 30 pages in. I’ve made it a rule that if I am not enjoying a book – if it is a burden to pick up – I will allow myself to quit. I used to forbid myself from ever quitting any book ever, but I felt that I was just suffering my way through books that I wasn’t enjoying and what’s the point of that??

I’m glad I pushed myself to read just a little further through Orphan Train though because I actually really started liking it and it is now pulsating next to me, asking to be picked up again. That sounds gross, but you know what I mean.

BRIEF REVIEW

Ok, I am now going to give you the briefest review possible for all fifteen of the books I’ve read so far this year….

SHARP OBJECTS – Don’t bother. Gone Girl was amazing, but this… not so much.

DEFENDING JACOB – Fantastic! You must read this!

THE END OF YOUR LIFE BOOK CLUB – A very good read. Kinda sad. Duh.

WHERE WE BELONG – I normally don’t read “chick lit,” but I don’t care. Emily Giffin is great!

THE CHILD'S CHILD – Loved this! Give it a minute to get into it. It’s worth it.

THE GLASS CASTLE – Very good read.

PROOF OF HEAVEN – I’m always very interested in this real-life-went-to-heaven stuff. If you’re into that too, then this is for you. Ew, that rhymed.

RECONSTRUCTING AMELIA – I enjoyed this a lot. Not as good as Gone Girl, but a worthy read.

THE DINNER – A good read. Yes.

THE LOVE SONG OF JONNY VALENTINE – Ok, I know it’s a take-off on Justin Bieber’s life, but it’s not lame and you will probably enjoy it. It’s not about him at all.

THE PARIS WIFE – Interesting. Worth the read if you can get through it, but hard to keep your attention sometimes.

UNSINKABLE – First half of the book – fantastic! Second half – crap!

ACCELERATED - Very good read!

WAITING TO BE HEARD – Must read!!

THE HAPPINESS PROJECT – A good book. It definitely makes you think about your life and perhaps even in a different way. Gets a bit repetitive as it goes on, but I enjoyed it.

Also, I tried reading THE PASSAGE by Justin Cronin and I loved the first 250 pages, but when the story switched over I kind of lost interest. I think this is maybe the kind of book I am going to have to slowly push myself though because I think it’ll be worth it in the end. There are still almost 800 pages to go – yikes.

I originally got it at the library – where I get all my books (I don’t buy books unless I love them) – but then I decided to get it on my Kindle app (on my iPhone) because it was too heavy to carry back and forth between work, school and home and while I think that was the smartest choice, it might also have been what damned me. Without being able to flip through and see how many different “stories” there are, I think I got too sad that the first story was over and gave up. Must push through! I feel that all the stories will eventually intersect.

CONCLUSION

Well, that’s it for today. Sorry to talk your ear off, but I have a lot to say about books.

See you next time when I finish Orphan Train.