Life Among Giants - Bill Roorbach

I found this when I was searching for new books in the iBookstore (which is a continuous process).  The blurb looked interesting and I rarely (even though I've been making more of an effort recently) read books that have a male narrator.  There is something about the book that is beautifully tragic.  It is a bit hard to read as it flips between different times in the narrator's life.  I loved the underlying love stories that span from the characters youth to middle age.  The book is full of secrets and one is constantly waiting for another key piece of information to reveal itself.  There are times when you struggle to understand whether the story is actually happening or just a figment of the imagination of the main character.  The author constantly keeps you guessing and I would definitely recommend for anyone looking for something a little less predictable.  

Books into Movies...

So as much as I love reading I also love watching a good movie.  I have no shame in going to the theatre alone (as I did today) to catch a movie I want to see.  This year I've decided to watch all of the Oscar Best Picture nominees (and in some cases read the books).  Most of the movies are either still in theatres or about to be released on DVD.  I'll keep you update on my progress!

The nominees:

• Amour - foreign film so this might be the toughest to find
• Argo - comes out on February 5th 
• Beasts of the Southern Wild - downloaded this on my DVR
• Django Unchained
• Les Misérables - watched this today
• Life of Pi - read the book
• Lincoln - has been in theaters for a while so I hope to see this one next
• Silver Linings Playbook - watched the movie on Christmas Day with the fam and have the book on my to-read list
• Zero Dark Thirty - cannot wait to watch this one but just need to find someone to see it with

Reading Wish List

So I find myself constantly searching for the next good read.  I find myself downloading samples of the books on my iPad.  I use this as a reading wish list for when I finish my current read.  I usually find myself searching the iBookstore, NY Times Reviews, Amazon, and B&N looking for the next good read.  I've went through my iPad and wrote down all my samples and will keep that updated on the Reading Wish List tab.  Please feel free to take a look if you are in need of a new book.  I can't make any promises as I haven't read any of the books but they are on my list.  Some book stay longer than others depending on what I feel like reading next.  The list is quite diverse as I like to read all sorts of different books: Non-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Murder Mystery, Bad Chick Lit.  

Happy Reading!  

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.