Tag Archives: Jodi Picoult

Sunday Book Recommendation 2/15

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Second Glance by Jodi Picoult

second-glance-2104-383Oops, I forgot to publish this yesterday so this is more of a Monday Book Recommendation. Sorry about that!

Jodi Picoult has SO many books, everyone knows that. Almost every reader owns at least one of her books, especially after My Sister’s Keeper became a movie. Second Glance is definitely one of her lesser-known novels and it pains me that more people haven’t read it. It’s by far my favorite of her books (and I’ve read almost all of them!).

cw: suicidal ideation

Like her usual writing style, Picoult switches between many different points of view that range from children a man over 100 years old. Also, like many of her novels, this book touches on rare and controversial subjects. The ‘ultimate’ main character, Ross Wakeman, has struggled with suicidal ideation since the loss of his wife. As a compensation, he becomes a ghost hunter and lives off of the adrenaline rush that his career gives him. Ross has never actually found a ghost, but he continues searching for the sake of meeting his wife in the afterlife.

This book is about love and its boundaries. Yes, love is unconditional; but can it pass through time? I believe this is Jodi Picoult’s only paranormal romance, and it’s a fantastic one. I know Picoult’s style is love or hate, but if you love her books then please give this one a try!

The Best Books of 2014 (IMO)

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I’ve read quite a few books this year! It feels good to scroll through Goodreads and see my year in books. I thought I’d highlight 8 books that really grabbed me this year. In no particular order, of course.

Dawn by Octavia Butler— Butler was one of the first female African American science fiction writers. Dawn is the first book in the Xenogenesis trilogy and the other two books are currently on their way to my house. Dawn was a mix of sci-fi, thriller, and horror…a great combination, if you ask me.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman— This was the first book I’ve read by Gaiman and I ended up purchasing two more of his books for Christmas. This book really stuck with me; I find myself randomly thinking about it throughout the day. Gaiman is absolutely brilliant.

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult— I’m a sucker for Picoult. I’ve loved her books since I was in middle school. She’s the reason I became such an avid reader. I think Sing You Home is extremely underrated. Perhaps this is because it touches on a bunch of controversial issues. Regardless of your stances on gay marriage, artificial insemination, and abortion, this is a fantastic story.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman— Unwind was one of the only YA novels I read this year. It’s part of a trilogy, although I think I’m going to stop at the first book. It was captivating and a very fast read. Despite this, the concept of unwinding is very interesting to both YA and adults. I got this book for my younger brother for Christmas this year!

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel— What a fantastic graphic novel! Well, I guess it’s technically an autobiography told in graphic novel format. Bechdel tells of her life growing up in Vermont, the suicide of her dad, and her eventual coming out as a lesbian. Bechdel lives around my university, so sometimes she’s spotted at the local bookstore. She seems really cool.

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman— I’ve just learned that this book is going to become a movie in 2015. I rarely read historical fiction, but this book was a great exception. The plot was very interesting, and I’m so excited to see what they do with the film!

Ubik by Philip K. Dick— Philip K. Dick is one of my all-time favorite writers. His books are weird, I mean, I found myself looking up from this book thinking “what was this guy on when he wrote this?!”. He’s written so many books and I’m glad I randomly picked this one up. It’s about sci-fi, time travel, and drugs. Awesome.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield— If you scroll down two posts, you’ll see an in-depth review of this book. I loved it. It was great. Read the review!