I ended 2013 by reading two great books. Last week I finished, We Are Water, by Wally Lamb. I love Wally Lamb books but they are tough reads. Long books with so much detail. This book was no exception. It covered same sex marriage, murder, child abuse, pedophiles, alcoholism and Daddy issues galore. The story is about a child that loses her mother and baby sister in a flood. Her Dad cannot handle the loses and turns to alcohol. The story that follows covers three generations of dysfunctional family.
Wally Lamb's books are like a trip to Colorado. You have to go through Nebraska to get to the good stuff. It feels like a very long journey. I appreciate what a fantastic writer Lamb is. This book made me uncomfortable. The subject matter was upsetting. The ending left things up in the air. When all was said and done I still enjoyed the story. Only a great writer could make me feel that.
The Dream Maker came to my village. We went to dinner. Discussed our love of Wally Lamb. It was such a great evening. Miss talking books! We both rated the book a 4.
Last night I was looking for a book. I wanted something that would blow me away for my final book of 2013. I went to Goodreads. Based on on past ratings they give suggestions on books I might like. The book I picked was called, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. The description made it sound like a fluff book. It was rated over 4 stars. I started reading descriptions from people that read it. The one that sold me was written by a man. He said it was tough to pick books through a site that was mainly used by women. He had to be careful the books were not sappy love stories. He said this book was not. He also said the book left him in tears.
This book had me hooked immediately. The first chapter discussed an accident. The description was so real. It took my breath away. That almost had me in tears. This is the first published book by this author. Amazing! The story was unique. The writing was so good. It is the story of a man that becomes a paraplegic in his 30's. He had been a very active, successful business man. This is the story of a man that no longer wants to live. He finds a place to go for an assisted suicide. His parents get him to give them six months to change his mind. They hire a caregiver to help him find joy in life.
Enter Louisa Clark. She was damaged from an incident when she was a teen. She reacted by keeping her life very small and safe. Through a job loss she ends him being hired as Will Traynor's caregiver. She has no qualifications. She was picked because she was chatty and quirky. Will's mother thought the characteristics might help Will find some happiness.
The story is so well written. It touched close to home. Made me think of how brave my niece, Katie, is. She is paraplegic and handles it with strength and determination. She works hard to find a new purpose in her life. She is in the early stages of working on a nonprofit organization to help people with spinal cord injuries. It has been 18 months since her injury. She is already helping other people through their adjustment period. Amazing. I could not help but think of her throughout the book.
This story is well worth the read. I rate it a high 5.
I finished the year with a total of 59 books read. There could have been more. I got busy with opening a business and rarely read and my book journaling suffered. There might have been a few more books. Certainly not over 100 like last year.
Reading is such a gift. Happy New Year to you. Hope 2014 is filled with blessings. Maybe a few books you can rate a 5 and carry with you for a long time.
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