Twelve Months by Steven Manchester - Book Review

Twelve Months by Steven Manchester is a novel about living. Don is diagnosed with stage four cancer and is given a year to live. So he lives. The book follows his journey through a bucket list and back to his family's side.

I definitely teared up at the end. But I'm having trouble voicing my opinion on this one. It was a lot of telling, but in a way that is different from the norm. I didn't feel like I was being chastised or lectured. I felt like I was getting to witness someone else's experience, but it felt so perfect that I couldn't really believe it. I wasn't emotionally involved except that the writing pulled emotions from me.

The writing was great. It was poetic at times and portrayed daily life in a beautiful manner. I didn't necessarily love any of the characters, but I certainly loved the prose. Perhaps it's better that way because you are allowed to be a bit numb while reading about someone dying. It wasn't gruesome, and it seemed that Don (though it was first person) hid a lot of his pain and feelings from his family and the reader.

I liked it, but as with any controversial book, I'm torn. It's hard to get a message like this one across smoothly. It has some great messages, some real gems, but they were too obvious for me. I will recommend this one for the writing alone, as that hooked me.

I received this book from the author for review.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - Book Review

I have not had the pleasure of reading a book like this in a long time. The Night Circus is really a gem. This is the type of book that students will be studying in years to come. There is so much hidden inside, I simply cannot imagine how Erin Morgenstern does it.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The first chapter, wow. So many little nuggets of confusing information. The writing is fluid and captivating. Although it's hard to fall in love with the characters until you're a good chunk into the book. I think this is because the circus is what you are supposed to focus on, but it made it hard to care about the characters. I wanted to see the circus take on a life of its own, since it is supposed to be a character. But instead of that we find out things that have much more impact. (No spoilers, I promise.)

The story is one big ball of twine, dropped from a skyscraper and unraveling before your eyes. Secrets come out of the corners, flying at you like the paper birds Marco creates.

My one regret with the ending, it was perfect and simple and just wonderful, but I don't really understand why. I don't want to give things away so I'll attempt to explain. Someone is given something, and it just seems like this someone is pulled out of thin air. I don't see the reason. Maybe that just means I need to reread!

I read this book for my themed book club. And man are we planning a party! I will definitely share pictures because my roommate and I have big plans for decorations. The circus is coming to my apartment.

Mehr Bücher - More Books

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott - 4
A classic for any writer or writer-wanna-be.

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini - 2
He's a good writer, but he made his trilogy into four books, and he tends to have ideas that sound just like other fantasy writers.

Business Plan in a Day by Rhonda Abrams - ?
I can't rate this book. It was very good, but it's not like I would recommend it unless you needed to write a business plan.

Colors of the Mountain by Da Chen - 3
I love learning about other cultures through a good story.

Confessions of a Pagan Nun by Kate Horsley - 3
Cultures through fiction, loving it.

Crooked Little Heart by Anne Lamott - 3
I got on a Lamott kick and the books got boring by the end of it, but she is such a good writer.

Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir - 4
If you want history books that aren't boring, read Alison Weir.

Paper Towns by John Green - 2
Very good, but exactly the same plot line as Looking for Alaska.

Rosie by Anne Lamott - 3
Part of the Lamott kick.

The Entrepreneurs guide to Writing Business Plans and Proposals by K. Dennis Chambers - ?
Again, if you really need it it was a big help.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows - 3
Wonderful book. If only the title had been better I would have picked it up a lot sooner.

A little disclaimer: these are all my opinion. I don't think I have the right to say whether these books should be best sellers or not. But if they are above a 3 I would highly recommend them to you. And even if they are a 2 or a 1, you should read them anyways just to broaden your horizons. Books open your mind.