What I've Read So Far (3Q)

The third quarter of my reading year is rolling to a close, and compared to the first two quarters, I’ve been diving more into the graphic novel/manga territory. I was consistently on a hunt for a really quick read and they fill my desire for it. Nonetheless, here are some of the non-graphic novel books I’ve read for the months of July until September. I have included links that would take you to their respective Goodreads page.

Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen

I’m still continuing on with the Rizzoli and Isles books, as the show has just recently concluded. The mystery on this novel is a bit tame compared to the others. It’s not as fast-paced, plot wise, but still a quick read. 

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

This book is a bit popular in the book community – or what I’ve seen of it. It was even up for the Manbooker Prize, if I’m not mistaken. It’s a short book, but it’s something that you have to digest in order to grasp the metaphors woven in the story. I did like how the narrative is presented, although I would have wanted to get more insight from the main character.

Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler

This is part of a Shakespeare project, and this is the re-telling of The Taming of the Shrew. While I have not read the play, I didn’t enjoy this one bit. The writing was terrible; the way the plot was spun around was equally atrocious. There could have been 600 scenarios to make the situation seem plausible, but I hated that it went to that direction, and even ended up detesting the characters in the process.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne

Like a massive Harry Potter fan, I went ahead and read this. The script was met with mixed reviews but on my part, I enjoyed it. I won’t say that it’s up par with the series, but it had that spark that I enjoyed. The main characters were great, especially Scorpius. Now all I want to do is to watch the play!

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

The Eyre Affair has been sitting on my shelf for sometime, and I think that this is a good introduction to the series. However, I’m having a problem with the world-building. The setting is interesting, but I’m having trouble conjuring up images to go with the description. The whole Jane Eyre affair doesn’t come to play until the last third of the book so most of the story is a build up to some grander scheme. While I did enjoy this one, I’m having trouble picking up the next book.

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

It was what I expected. It was thrilling and adventurous, with some scenes of the film fresh in my mind. I haven’t picked up the sequel (somehow I’m having trouble picking up sequels these days), but if it’s as good as this, I’m very excited to read that one as well.

I’m Traveling Alone by Samuel Bjork

I got engrossed in this one. There’s a number of mysteries to be solved in this one, and while the climax isn’t as gripping, I really ended up liking this and can’t wait for future books from the series. This could be adapted to a movie.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

I got curious as to why a lot of people rave over Sarah J. Maas as she’s gotten some publicity recently as of writing. I think people would usually start with her Throne of Glass series, but I went for this one instead because it is a retelling. I did enjoy this book although I had some problems with the length and the characters. The writing was engrossing; this is that kind of book that I wouldn’t mind breaking the spine off as it is made for continuous reading. While this does have a sequel, I think it also works as a standalone novel.

Perfect Days by Raphael Montes

I don’t know what to make of this novel. It’s bizarre and sinister, and while the story is spiraling out of control, you’re not really sure how it ends. Since the narrative is told from the perpetrator’s perspective, you see how completely mental his character is that you’re left to wonder how on earth are other people missing his real motives, or his sinister personality.