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I checked this book out on a whim. Whenever I read the newspaper, I notice that list of popular books right next to the crossword puzzle. I never have looked at any of those books–until now. I thought it might be fun to see what’s so great about the current popular books out there.
I finished reading The Girl on the Train
Each chapter focuses on an individual character and records their thoughts and actions in diary form. The chapters jump around from one character to another, where we learn what happens in the story, the characters’ motives and thoughts, and what they think about one another.
This book is interesting in that you don’t really know who the “good guys” are until the end. In the beginning you will probably think that you have it figured out, but as the story progresses and peoples’ thoughts are exposed, you will come to a new understanding. The book really got me thinking about what makes a person good or bad. Outward appearances can be deceiving.
I don’t want to tell you a lot about the plot because that will totally ruin the book for anyone who hasn’t read it yet. I will tell you that it’s about a woman named Rachel whose husband (Tom) divorced her for another woman. Rachel can’t move on and she becomes an alcoholic. While riding on the train past the row of houses where she used to live, she witnesses something that is seemingly inconsequential, but that has a major impact on the other characters in the story. There are other characters who become entwined in the story–Anna (Tom’s new wife), Scott and Megan Hipwell (neighbors of Tom’s), Kamal (a therapist), Cathy (Rachel’s flatmate), etc.
I would recommend this book as an interesting and engrossing read. It kept me guessing almost up to the end about who the “bad guy” was. It’s also a good study on human nature and what makes people tick. I would say that it’s appropriate for adults because of the language, sex, and violence.
Possible Objections:
- Bad language–quite a bit of it.
- Sexual themes.
- Violence.
Rating: 5 Stars
Until next time…
Lori
is a funny book about the realities of owning a dog. The cubs ask Mama and Papa if they can get a pet, like other cubs have. Farmer Ben just happens to have some pups he’s getting rid of, and offers one as a gift to the cubs.
is great book for little kids who are just learning to count. The text is very short and repetitive. Each page is simply a counting of how many bears are on the bikes. The numbers change in silly ways–by bears jumping onto other bicycles, balancing on one another, or falling off.
is best for kids who are learning to read alone. The length is somewhere between a picture book and a chapter book.
is another book that I enjoyed as a kid. In fact, this is the very copy that I read back then, with my name printed inside the front cover. I loved, loved, loved this book. Maybe it was because of the cute baby, maybe it was the fun illustrations, maybe it was the goofiness of it. Or maybe a combination off all three.
. I enjoyed it when I was little and now my kids love it, too. This is a really cute story about a dog who runs away from home because he doesn’t want a bath. He goes through town on a series of explorations, getting dirtier with each one. When he finally decides that he would like to return home, his family doesn’t recognize him because he’s so dirty.
at the local thrift store. Thrift stores are great places to find cartoon anthologies! Anyhow, we are big fans of The Far Side. I love the humor and irony in Gary Larson’s strips. It’s also fun to see how he develops a theme over time, coming back to it over and over again.
from a family member several years ago as a gift. It’s a cute story about a mouse and a monster-type animal called a Gruffalo. The mouse is walking through the woods and when he is accosted by animals that want to eat him, he describes a monstrous animal that he’s meeting to share a meal with. The other animals flee because the Gruffalo sounds so scary and forbidding. Of course, the mouse doesn’t believe in the Gruffalo, until they actually meet in the woods!
is a very cute sing-song story for younger kids. It’s about a little boy who goes to bed and keeps kicking his stuffed animals out when he rolls over and pushes them out. When all of his animals have left the bed, then he starts to feel lonely and calls them back in.
is a book that really celebrates the LEGO minifigure–for all those addicted to collecting them. (That would describe our boys!) It starts with the origins of the minifigure, and then shows figures from some of the major series. This includes Star Wars, Knights, Space, City, etc.
. It features 151 Pokémon–from Bulbasaur to Mew. There are also some fun extra sections, like how to care for your Pokémon and information about the trainers and gym leaders.
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some time ago, and I didn’t bother to post about it. We’ve just been enjoying our reading too much.
, the second book in the Star Wars: The Last of the Jedi series. Book number three is waiting on a library shelf for us to come pick it up. As usual, the book kept my boys nestled in close, listening spellbound to the action going on in this galaxy far, far away.