Books I Read in April 2013

Originally posted on 5/7/13 here.

I got a few more books read this month, thanks to giving audio books a try.  I really enjoyed the Bossypants audio version and would really like to go back and 're-read' David Sedaris this way!  I was thankful for being forced to listen to the first half of Code Name Verity, as it's slow to start and the narrator did a beautiful job of making it sound less technical and giving it some drama.

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter



Oh, I just loved this book! I'm a big fan of movies and, not only was this a bit of historical fiction (of which I'm also a fan) that's set in the golden era of the big Hollywood studios, it also unfolded in a very cinematic way. Each character's story line is fully realized and is expertly woven together with the others through the decades from the 60s to present day. It's an utterly engaging, gorgeous and epic romance.

Rumors by Anna Godberson




Not quite as fun as the first one (The Luxe), but still good soap opera brain candy - a great blend of Sense and Sensibility/Downton/Titanic. It ended with yet another cliffhanger; at least the whole series is published and I don't have to wait to pick up the next book...

Bossypants by Tina Fey



Oh I just love, love, love her. I listened to the audio book, which I highly recommend so that you can hear her pitch-perfect delivery. There were a few parts that got a little long winded, with stories I wasn't as interested in as I would have been to hear more about her time directing Mean Girls, doing SNL or 30 Rock. But, on the whole this is a gut busting read.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein



I think I'm not alone when I say that it took until about 3/4 of the way through this book for it to pick up steam. I listened to the first half on audio book and was glad to switch to the hardcover, as there were a few things essential to the plot that could not be conveyed in the audio version. It's the story of two women, one a pilot and one a spy, and their unlikely friendship during WWII. I'm glad I finished it, because the ending was masterful - intense, stunning, and ultimately heartbreaking.