(You can catch up on what my Reading Challenge is all about here.)

It's been awhile since I've posted a reading challenge recap. Recently for book club, I read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and The Help. Then, for my mini book club (two other girls from book club and me), I read Middlesex. Here are my quick takes on each of them...

Book: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
Verdict: This book was difficult for me to get into at first, not because I didn't enjoy the story, but because the writing is so dense Most of the time, I can kind of skim over a paragraph here, or through a page there, but you definitely can't do this with this book. It is beautifully written and every sentence is important. I'd find myself skimming here and there, but then needing to go back and read some more. I really enjoyed this book, even though I know nothing about comic books and the comic book industry, which plays a prominent roll in the book. I know many people in book club had difficulty getting through this book, and while it did take me a long time to read (much longer than the usual book), once I got past the first few chapters, I was so into it. If you have the time to put into it, and you think you can make it through the first 75 pages or so, I'd definitely recommend this book.

Book: The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Verdict: This was a big hit at book club. It's been a while since so many people in book club actually read the book, and I think we had about eight people show up for this one. (We made a lot of yummy southern food, which may have motivated some people.) We all really enjoyed the book. I thought it was especially interesting to read the note about the author in the back, because the book incorporates so much of her real life experiences. Coming from New York, it is so crazy to read about how this was the way of life only fifty years ago in the South.

Book: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Verdict: I started out enjoying this book, in the middle it made me really uncomfortable (I don't really enjoy reading narratives of people having sex... I guess I'm just a total prude), and at the end I felt like it left me wanting to read a little more. I don't want to go into it too much here because my mini book club hasn't met yet, and I know both the other girls are reading this, but there was a lot more about the character's life and adjustment between his teenage years and his adult life (when he's telling the story) that I wanted to know.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think?

Posted by: Daniel O. | April 10, 2010 10:24 AM