The Bookaholic Blogger's Top 5 Books for July

Hello, I'm back. I've been reading a lot this month. Some of these are books I'm finished, while others I'm still getting through. But these are my Top 5 for July.
                                         

1. Wild by Cheryl Strayed

I'm going to do a full review for this one, so I'll keep this short and sweet. This book changed my life.

Find it at an indie bookstore near you: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780307476074


2.  The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

As promised, I read a Neil Gaiman book. My coworker at the bookstore I work at says this was "definitely not" one of her favorites of his. I think this means that I am lucky that this was the first Gaiman novel I've read. I loved it. The writing was exceedingly elegant. My favorite concept in this book was the frustrating differences between childhood and adulthood. Gaiman illustrates these differences through his seven year old protagonist's challenges and victories throughout the story. The book itself was a triumph in storytelling, a fantasy that was eloquent and wise yet strikingly simple in its delivery.

Find it at an indie bookstore near you: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062255655

3. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, Oliver Jeffers (Illustrator)

A good friend spotted this picture book in my book store and demanded we sit down and read it immediately. I'm glad she did though, because this is my new picture book pick for kids and adults. In this sweet and colorful (har har) story, a boy named Duncan opens his crayon box and finds that all the crayons are gone. He finds a packet of letters, one from each crayon, explaining why they are absolutely done with coloring for him. The reasons are hilarious, witty, and downright preposterous. An adorable read!

Find it at an indie bookstore near you:  http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780399255373

4. Help, Thanks, Wow by Anne Lamott

This short and loving book made a great wedding gift this year. The book is about the "three essential prayers" and what exactly that means. Anne Lamott is a wonderful writer, and a gracious and frank human being. I've read some of her other work and I am never disappointed. I've been recommending this one for people in hospitals as well, because although it isn't necessarily a fun read, it is honest and hopeful.

Find it at an indie bookstore near you: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781594631290

5. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

First thing is first: don'ttellmetheending. I'm not done with it yet, OKAY? Anyway. I don 't usually read mystery- not for any particular reason, I really just never started to. But something about this book, sitting on the Indie Bestseller shelf, drew me in. I finally caved and bought the hardcover, and I have not regretted it since I've started. The writing is divine. The story is searing and dangerous. The relationship described between the split point of views- of Nick Dunne in the present, and his wife Amy through her journal entries, is the most realistic and brutal offering of a marriage I've ever read. I can't wait to read more.

Oh and...don't spoil it.

Find it at an indie bookstore near you: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780307588364/gillian-flynn/gone-girl