February 2015 Reads

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

This book has been on my radar for years, but I never picked it up until now. Arthur Dent is rescued by his alien friend Ford Prefect shortly before Earth is destroyed, catapulting them in a pretty epic space adventure. This was my quickest read. I think the world building was awesome, the characters were interesting, and the story line compelling. I only docked it a star because it felt a little slow for me. That’s not to say a lot isn’t going on, but I was mainly interested in what Arthur was going through and a majority of the book is about the other characters. 4 out of 5 stars. 

We Were Liars E Lockhart

I was seeing this book all over Tumblr and on some Youtuber shelves, so I decided to give it a go. I really liked it. This story takes place on an Island owned by the Sinclairs. The main character, Cadence, suffers crippling headaches and selective amnesia, coming back to the family island to try and sort out what happened to her and her family. I loved the characters in this book even though the book is more than a little white washed. It does follow a rich family who own their own island, so if you’re not interested in those kinds of story lines, I don’t recommend this one for you. I was drawn to the mystery of it, and I connected to Cadence’s struggle in watching her family self destruct. 4 out of 5 stars. 

Saga Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan; art by Fiona Staples

I loved this just as much as the first. Another beautiful book with a compelling story line. The inlaws have arrived, and our unconventional couple has to navigate that tense relationship while trying to find the ghost girl and not be found by those hunting them. Major cliffy at the end, and I’m still not so patiently waiting for Volume 3. 4 out of 5 stars. 

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

I like H.G. Wells generally, but this was not my favorite. Outside of Saga, it was the shortest but took me the longest to finish. It follows a time traveller as he gets stuck in the future and has to find his way home, witnessing some interesting things along the way. I think it was a little too much narration and not a whole lot of action or dialogue. I didn’t connect with the narrator or the creatures he met. I liked Weena a bit, but her ending felt like a convenient out to tie up a potential loose end. 3 out of 5 stars. 

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut

This book made me flip-flop. I didn’t really like it in the beginning. It’s about a wealthy man going against his family’s desires, putting their fortune and reputation in jeopardy. Money centric plots don’t really get my juices going, and I thought maybe satire was just beyond me. But, there were some really funny lines that kept me going, and by the end I really grew to like Mr. Rosewater and thought the ending was amazingly perfect. This was my first Vonnegut read; I’m definitely a fan. 4 out of 5 stars. 

As always, suggestions are accepted and encouraged!