What I've been reading- a few notable reads

I don't even want to say how long it's been since I've posted one of these- so let's just say that I have not read all these in the past month. Linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to share some of my most notable reads lately.

We Were Liars: This finally came through for me at the library, and it was fantastic timing- I binge-read it on a stressful day when I needed some serious distraction. Suspenseful and enjoyable, I didn't feel it expanded beyond it's YA genre. At first I felt betrayed by the ending, but I've come around to it. It's certainly stuck with me as an intriguing piece of work. Young love, mystery, and heartbreak.

Cinderella Ate My Daughter: I fit right into this book's target demographic, with four year old and one year old daughters.  While some of the material felt like filler, I found my conversation littered with stories and facts from this book for about a week, and it certainly strengthened and clarified some of my feelings and guiding principles on dealing with this aspect of raising daughters. So much pink.

Outlander & Dragonfly in Amber: The adventure in the Scottish Highlands- and Jaime- were my favorite parts of these. The physical romance *ahem* was a little much for my taste- I'm happy to skim, but I felt the heavy-handedness detracted a bit from the story. I was hoping the second book would have more adventure and less (descriptive) romance, but I found the time spent in France to be quite slow. I haven't moved on to the subsequent novels, but I might take them to the beach. History, chivalry, and indecision.

Seabiscuit: Laura Hillenbrand was everything she is made out to be. If I had any complaint, I'd say that reading about a horse can only draw you in so much- I'm ready to read Unbroken. Quirkiness, portraiture, and horse racing.

The Age of Miracles: I'd put off reading this one- the plot line didn't catch me- but then I found it at the library. It excellently evoked a sense of impending doom, but after finishing it I'm not sure what it was leading up to. It might work as a cautionary tale of environmental abuse of the Earth. Reflection, family, and coming of age.

Invention of Wings: This was one of my favorite books I've read recently. I'm sure it was somewhat sanitized, but the fictionalized narrative was very satisfying without losing the inspiration of a real character. Strong women, strong principles, and human nature.