Haley's Book Club #1

I would like to take this opportunity to formally pat myself on the back, because so far, I have kept my New Year's resolution to read one book every week.

*pause for applause*

It's January 11 and I have already read two books. First, I read "Gone Girl," which I wouldn't recommend if you dislike cursing--there is quite a lot of it. Regardless, I enjoyed it. The story was intriguing and suspenseful. It took me a while to get into it, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. The book is about a man whose wife goes missing under suspicious circumstances and he is the police's number one suspect. I think it makes a few interesting observations about how media handles cases like these. Beware, there is a twist and a movie made, so steer clear of the internert if you plan to read it because you may be spoiled.

Next, I read "Someday, Someday, Maybe" by Lauren Graham. If you know me, you probably are aware that Gilmore Girls is one of my all time favorite shows and Lauren Graham played Lorelai Gilmore. So when I found out Lauren Graham wrote a book, I was all over it. This book is about Franny, a struggling actress in NYC. It follows her through the ups and downs of trying to make it in "the biz." This was extra fun for me having just moved to the city. I loved reading her mention street names and subway lines and actually knowing what she was talking about. I recommend this for anyone interested in showbiz and/or New York City and/or anyone looking for a cute, fun story. I think it will particularly resonate with my fellow college graduates who are still a little bit iffy on this whole "real world" thing.

That's where I am with my plan to read a book a week. Full disclosure: I was about a quarter of the way through "Gone Girl" before the year started, but seeing as it hasn't been a full two weeks yet, I don't think that's cheating.

My book for this next week is "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand. Here is the book synopsis from her website: 

On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood.  Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard.  So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.

The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini.  In boyhood, he’d been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails.  As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile.  But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.

Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater.  Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.

I've decided that I'm going to listen to the audiobook of this one for three reasons. 1) I spend a lot of time on public transportation these days and it's easier to listen on my iPhone than lug around a book; 2) The audiobook is read by Edward Hermann, the patriarch of Gilmore Girls who recently passed away. I can't think of someone who is better suited to read books (Morgan Freeman included); 3) It's pretty long...

If you want to read/listen along with me you can get a free audiobook from audible.com with a new account. It's basically Netflix for books and if you don't want to pay for the account, just cancel it once you get your free book!

Happy reading!

+Haley

Other books I plan on reading:

"This is Where I Leave You" by Jonathan Tropper (Novel)
"I Was Told There'd Be Cake" by Sloane Crosley (Humor Essays)
"One More Thing" by BJ Novak (Humor Essays)
"Yes Please" by Amy Poehler (Humor/Memoir-ish)
"Bright Lights, Big City" by Jay McInerney (Novel) - I'm particularly excited for this because it is written in second person, which will be interesting!
"Wild" by Cheryl Strayed (Memoir)
"Behind the Beautiful Forever" by Catherine Boo (Novel)
"Bossypants" by Tina Fey (Humor/memoir-ish)
"Almost Famous Women" by Megan Mayhew Bergman (short stories)