Reading on the Kindle continues at a rapid pace, as I finished 5 novels and 1 single last month. It was also a good reading month because everything I read was above average, and one book was absolutely terrific.
The terrific book was Erin Morganstern’s The Night Circus, which is a speculative fantasy about a magical circus set in the late 19th century. This was a simply lovely book, so carefully crafted that the images became fully formed in my mind. I felt quite enchanted as I was reading this, which is appropriate since this is a book about enchantment. Also, how refreshing it is to read a book where most of the characters are essentially good and likable, set in a place that is so essentially positive and welcoming, magical and like home all at the same time. How wonderful to imagine it might be real. I hope someone very good makes a movie out of this (Tim Burton perhaps?), as I would love to see these images brought to life.
Speaking of movies, I really enjoyed the suspense film A Simple Plan when it came out, and last month I read the novel. It was also very suspenseful, maybe a tad more unbelievable than the movie, but a quick page-turner nonetheless.
Stephen King‘s new Dark Tower novel, The Wind Through the Keyhole, came out last month, and I read that plus a Kindle single that King wrote with his son Joe Hill, Throttle. They were both fast, entertaining reads, but not among the best of King’s works. The Wind Through the Keyhole had a strong fairy-tale flavor, more for fans of something like The Eyes of the Dragon rather than King’s horror. Throttle would have been better if it had more meat to it.
Finally, I read two dystopian novels last month. I really enjoyed M.T. Anderson‘s young adult novel Feed, which is accessible to both teenage and adult readers, and provides a lot of fodder for thought and discussion. Harry Harrison‘s Make Room! Make Room!, the basis for the movie Soylent Green, comes across as somewhat dated and lacks a real plot, but is an enjoyable read nonetheless. Both should be on the wishlists of any fans of dystopian fiction.
Roundup: 5 novels and 1 single read. Click the titles below for my full reviews or reading notes (some links will take you off this site). My rating scale is explained here.
The Wind Through the Keyhole; Throttle; A Simple Plan; Feed; Make Room! Make Room!
I adored The Night Circus, I’m glad you seemed to enjoy it as well
Comment by Michael @ Literary Exploration — June 11, 2012 @ 2:08 am
Michael: I think it’s one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.
Comment by Shannon — June 11, 2012 @ 7:42 am