The Absolutist by John Boyne

This book really got to me.  I couldn't read it before going to sleep at night, because if I did, I couldn't sleep.  I'd wake up in the night and think about it.  And I didn't want to read the ending.  Sometimes when I book is really good you just don't want it to end, but in this case, I was actually afraid to read the ending.  I sensed how it might end, and I didn't think I could bear to read it.  Why did this book affect me so?  I have no idea, but I felt on the verge of tears through much of it.  Does that make it a good book?  I think if any book makes you think the way this one did, it's a great book, and I'm desperate for someone to read it so they can talk me down.  BT, please?

The book is about World War I.  I've read piles of books about WWII, but none about this war.  The characters are young English soldiers, and the descriptions of the war are chilling and incredibly sad.  The main character, Tristan, is gay and is banished from his home in his teens.  He joins the war effort when he's just 17.  During his basic training he meets Will and they form a close friendship.  This relationship forms the basis of the book and is very complex and complicated.  Have you read it yet, BT?  Hurry, OK? - June

Audiobooks

Lately I've been reading more than one book at a time.  I rarely do this.  But I always have a book I'm reading and now I often have a book I'm listening to too!  I heard a woman being interviewed on the CBS morning news show who said that audiobooks are the rage now that people simply download them to their phones.  I find I can listen everywhere and while I'm doing almost anything - walking the dog, driving in the car, fixing dinner, cleaning bathrooms.  I used to just listen to them on long driving trips but now I'm getting into it.  The actors who read these books are amazing and often switch their voices for the multiple characters making it so easy to understand and more enjoyable.  It makes me wonder how my feelings would differ if I had read these books instead of listened to them.  Anyway, here are two I've just listened to and liked.

Where We Belong by Emily Giffen
This is definitely in the chick-lit category but maybe that's why it made a good book to listen to.  The characters were interesting, and as I mentioned above, the actor made it fun as she changed her voice from the sophisticated Marion to the teenaged Kirby.  Marion gave birth to Kirby 18 years ago and put her up for adoption.  She then launched a very successful career without a thought to family and children.  Kirby felt out of place in her family and tracked Marion down.  The chapters switch from one woman to the other and the book comes to a thought-provoking conclusion about finding out who we really are.  Enjoyed it.

The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison
Carla recommended this one because she'd heard it has been compared to Gone Girl.  And there are similarities.  The chapters switch from husband to wife, and there is certainly some dysfunction in the marriage.  In fact, I think we learn very early in the book that the wife will eventually commit a murder.  If you're someone who can read a book and not really like the characters, then this might work for you.  The husband is a total ass, not just because of his infidelity but because of his enormous ego and his overall feelings about women.  But it is certainly an interesting read, and I loved listening to it.

Inferno by Dan Brown

Something must be wrong with me.  I've read many positive book reviews of Inferno, and I've had friends tell me they just couldn't put it down.  Even the New York Times seemed to think it was a fun read.  And since it takes place in Florence and Venice (two of my favs), I should adore it.  Years ago, I remember liking The DiVinci Code.  And you'd think that since this book is basically the same plot that I would like it too.  But there is something about the way it is written that just turned me off. I felt as if the author took a travel guide from Florence and Venice, chose a couple of key historical landmarks and artifacts, and then created a far-fetched storyline while he spewed dates and miscellaneous facts to the reader about these things.  For example, as our hero is being chased by people he thinks want to kill him, he jumps into a water taxi in Venice and tells the driver to take him to St. Marks Square ASAP.  Yet as he moves down the Grand Canal, he acknowledges many of the landmarks along the way giving dates, architectural details and owners names, etc.  This totally breaks from the plot and seems to just be copied right from Frommers.  Maybe he knew that there would be "Inferno Tours" in Florence and Venice, so he wanted to give the tour guides landmarks they could include in the itinerary.  And here's a spoiler - nearly everyone you think is a good guy in the book turns out to be a bad guy and vice versa.  One key character starts out good, then bad, then good again.  Crazy.  I'm glad it's over.  -June