The last book I finished was "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. I was skeptical about the book after reading a description, but a friend gave me a copy so I decided to give it a shot. I wasn't really drawn in by the first few chapters but eventually the writing just clicked and I couldn't put it down. Fantastic book about a college aged kid who ends up dropping out of school and joining a travelling railroad circus during the Depression. It was a really enjoyable read, definitely something that I'd recommend.
The last book I started reading was "The Fate of Katherine Carr". It's terrible, one of the few books that I had to give up on, without finishing. The story had promise, but the writing is bad, the characters are contrived and the story within a story structure does nothing to add interest to the book. It's about an ex-travel writer who's son was kidnapped and never found. One night, he's at a bar and strikes up a conversation with the police detective who was on his son's case. They start talking about old cases and one of them catches the writer's attention. The detective gives the writer some of the kidnapped woman's manuscripts and he starts seeing clues in the writing, regarding her disappearance. Nice premise, terribly executed. Not recommended at all.
Right now I'm reading "Lords of Finance" by Liaquat Ahamed. I'm only about quarter of the way though, but it's quite interesting so far. As a non-fiction book that details the role that world bankers played in causing the Great Depression, it's definitely not a page-turner. However, for anyone interested in the history of the 1920s - 1930s, or anyone with an interest in economics/finance, it's worth picking up. The writing it entertaining and at a layman's level, or maybe just a small step above.
Up next, I'll be reading "Tongue" by Kyung-Ran Jo.
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