Well, I knew when I accepted this new job it would be longer hours but I did not anticipate exactly how long... My time on the train that I used to spend reading is now spent:
A) working
B) sleeping
C) playing mindless cell phone games to avoid doing item B and missing my stop
Here's the quick rundown of what I'm been reading:
Cutting for Stone - This was incredibly well written but I felt some of the violence/bloody-grossness was not contributing to the book in any way. The storyline reminded me a little bit of Slumdog Millionaire (which I was also not crazy about even though everyone else seemed to love it) so maybe others will love this book and I'll be the lone "meh". I'm fine with that.
Room - LOVED IT! I thought this was incredibly well written and handled a very difficult subject matter without making me nauseous. I was still thinking about it a week later. There's so much to discuss I think this would be a great book for a reading group.
The Alchemist - Wow. Wow. Wow. I found the recommendation for this one on the list of "books you must read before you die" and I couldn't agree more. There are so many life lessons hidden in this book that I think this is one I'll go back to over and over gaining something new each time.
The Birth of Venus - I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this up from a used book store in Oregon, but I ended up really enjoying it. Set in Florence during the renaissance, it's the story of a girl whose wealthy father hires a painter to come live with the family and paint their newly constructed chapel. The girl is secretly drawing (something young women are apparently not supposed to be doing) and she turns to the painter for "tutoring". I think we all know how that story goes... The plot is set against the start of an invasion by France, strict religious rules, and the overthrowing of powerful political families within the city. I thought it was engaging, well written, and I would definitely recommend it.
