Live by Night - Dennis Lehane

Sometimes I really wished I lived in the Prohibition Era and reading this was one of those times.  Dennis Lehane does an excellent job of transporting you to a different time and place.  The book is set mainly in New England and Southwest Florida as it follows Joe Coughlin's life as a gangster.  The story progressed naturally while also keeping a very important question unanswered floating just beneath the surface.  Lehane did an excellent job of introducing characters that would be continue to be essential throughout the story.  This book also opened my eyes to some of the underlying issues in the South at the time.  The underlying issues between the Hispanics and the KKK are brought to light in the novel.  Being Cuban myself I enjoyed reading about the relationship between Tampa and Cuba and learning a bit more about my history and culture.  I would recommend for anyone that has a bit of an old soul streak.

NY Times Review

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

This was a book that was on the list for one of my book clubs.  I bought it and haven't seen it since I finished as it has been making the rounds with various friends and friends of friends.  I always go between buying tangible books and downloading on my iPad.  I had a feeling this was going to be one to share so I shelled out the extra and picked up the hardcover.  I must say it is one of my favorite books I've read this year (and I read a lot of books this year).  This book constantly keeps you on your toes as you try to decipher what is really going on and what happened to Amy.  I can say it never got boring and I could barely stand to put it down.  The ending comes much sooner than I would have liked and leaves the door open for the possibility of a sequel.  I really started to feel for Nick as the story progresses but love the true mind games this book plays.  I second guessed my opinion constantly and continued flip flopping between whether Amy was dead or alive.  I would suggest picking it up for a vacation or long plane ride as it is tough to put down.  I always found myself disappointed that the bus had reached its destination and wished I had more time to read.