What I've Read Lately Vol. VIII

It's time for another post on what I've read lately! I only have five books for you this time around. I'll end up doing an end of year post where I pick out my best books from 2020, so I wanted to get these out there in November before that big post in December. As always, you can follow along with me on Goodreads!

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I fear that I do not have enough knowledge of Stalin’s Russia and biblical references to fully appreciate this work. The story follows three tracks: the love story of the Master and Margarita, satire of communism, and Pontius Pilate. The Master writes the story of Pontius Pilate and experiences the madness of Satan and his cronies running around Moscow. It’s a wild book; I laughed, I was puzzled, and I enjoyed reading this because it really made me think.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So in love with this book. Normally I don’t read fiction set during WWII, but have heard such things about this novel and it did not disappoint! It follows to key characters; a blind girl from Paris and an engineering protégée in Germany. From the early rumblings of war, through to the end you follow these two as they survive and live their lives as best they can. Their paths ultimately cross because of their respective duties (don’t want to give too much away) and it’s a very satisfying read. With beautiful language and fast chapters it’s easy to get sucked in.

The Space Between Us by Thirty Umrigar ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This novel brought forth many ways of life I did not know about. From different religions and occupations, to personalizing different socioeconomic situations, I learned a lot from this book. It follows two women, an employee and employer, and explores how their lives are interwoven in ways sometimes they don’t even see. Difficult subjects are discussed including abortion, STDs, and abuse, but through it all you come to know how unthinkable things can happen and how to understand why people do the things they do. Would definitely recommend, just make sure to be prepared to deal with challenging topics.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh my goodness, I read this in half a day! The Silent Patient tells the story of a woman accused of murdering her husband and stops speaking immediately after. She’s put in a mental facility and a newly hired doctor decides that he’s not going to rest until he helps her work through her experience and speak again. He’s facing his own problems with infidelity and soon it’s hard to tell who is the patient and who is the therapist. To say it’s a page turner is an understatement. A great, thrilling read for October.

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a book club read and was a unique take on what drives people to action, understanding and empathy, and the real value of happiness. A bank robbery turned hostage situation impacts two couples, an elderly woman, a single banker, an actor, and a real estate agent. They all have their own personal dramas unfolding while an accidental criminal grapples with how to get out of the mess. A father/son police officer duo try to solve the crime, a comedic tale sweeps them all up. At some points I found it to be a bit too “life lesson” “truth about the world” oriented, but overall it was entertaining and made me think.

-Alyssa J

Follow