Books 35, 36, and 37

Whew, it took me a long time to get through these last three! I'll have to speed it up a notch to finish 13 more books in the remaining 4 months of the year... I think I can do it though...

35) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by J.K. Rowling. I had only read this once before, in one 10 hour sitting, the day it came out. So I was really happy to spend more time enjoying it this time around. This book may be my very favorite book of all time. I realize that by itself, it may not earn that honor, but as a culmination of the entire series, no other book has had such a pull on my heart. I had forgotten how genius it truly is. The things that were so carefully woven throughout the story that seemed so insubstantial at the time and now change the course of the plot. The decision Harry must face between the Hallows and the Horcruxes. Even the "dull" points of the book when they aren't sure where to search next and are just moving from one spot to another, make the reader feel frustrated and emphathetic to how difficult a task Harry is facing. The deaths- and JKR is not afraid to say goodbye to those we have come to love- are often sudden but poignant. Every word makes you just want more, so that by the end of this book, the reality of your world seems more dream-like than the reality of this book. For the second time, I feel a loss at having finished this series, like I have lost a very good friend.

36) The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. There were things in this book I really loved- like the distinct voices of the different characters, or the general writing style. But overall, I found the premise somewhat unbelievable. The ending also really confused me... and even after going back and trying to figure out what I missed, I was left feeling like I just didn't get it. I did read this over the course of moving across the country, so maybe I wasn't following the plot as much as I could have, but I also felt like it shouldn't be that hard to figure out what was going on.

37) The Stand by Stephen King. I'm a little torn about this book... I'd give it 3.5/5 stars, although I know everyone seems to absolutely love this book. I found the beginning fascinating- and part of me wishes it had continued on in a more "realistic" vein. It got a little too into religious allegory for me. At the same time, I loved the writing- the descriptions, the characters, and the plot were all fantastic. This is the first Stephen King that I've read, and I liked how ruthless he is as an author. Despite the fact that this book is looonnggg (1300 pages which took a month to read in my dissertation-writing state), I never felt bored. Overall, I just liked it- didn't love it, didn't hate it. Nonetheless I have a feeling I'll remember this book for a long time.