Before The Fall... and Other Novels

I'm pretty sure I read more during the school year than I've done this past summer - I'm ALREADY writing in past tense, as if this summer is done already. I technically have one more week of "summer." Buuuuut, I am shamelessly admitting that I'm going into my classroom on Monday to start setting up. If any of you have seen my classroom, you would know why. It is a bear to set up, but it's worth it.

Usually, over the summer, I read at least ten books. Why wouldn't I? I stress out during the school year because I try to cram in my person reading amongst the grading, curriculum reading, magazine-editing reading... and I manage. But this summer, I haven't had the time or the drive to read. Although, those novels that I did end up reading have been fantastic.

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley was a gift from a student at the end of the year. She knew me too well. It was one of those "whodunnit" types where a plane crash happened and it goes through the backstory of all of the passengers to figure out why it happened. Without giving too much away, the novel was definitely a comment on how we are just a victim of circumstance. Some may be disappointed by the ending, but I found it kind of self-fulfilling. Maybe the readers who didn't like it as much wish that they could be more in control of what happens to them. But, to a certain extent, you're really just NOT. So suck it up and just be.

I've also read a few novels related to magazine review edits, but I don't feel like writing about them here. Nothing has been OUTSTANDING to the point where I want to write a review about it twice, so I'll leave it at that.

Books that I'm currently reading all at the same time...

Golden Son by Pierce Brown: I flew through the first installment because, of course, it's a dystopian set-up where one part of the civilization just isn't happy with the way they are living and thus, REBELLION. And it was great. It was a totally new plot, with the same dystopian storyline. The second installment, however, is kind of moving slowly for me. It's all action and battle and killing - and while that's all good and fine for me in the movies and on TV, reading it is a bore for me. I don't know why, but it just is. So it's lacking my attention.

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard: Same thing as above, for all the same reasons.

Maybe I should just give up on dystopias for awhile. Let it relax. It was really hard to follow after the last book of Justin Cronin's The Passage series came out. I'm probably experiencing withdrawal symptoms from that.

I think I'm going to try to fit in another novel before next week. Because if you aren't reading, consider yourself braindead.