Here are the books I’m adding to my to-read list this week and think you should too!
The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry by Jon Ronson: I first heard about this book from my blogging friend over at AllNightKnits and thought it sounded fabulous, and then it just happened to show up on my 365 days of books calendar this week and I knew I was meant to recommend this book to all of you. Author Jon Ronson (which for some reason keeps making me think of Ron Swanson from Parks and Rec for no reason other than their names rhyme) tours the “madness industry” talking to doctors, scientists, and the mad men they work with. Aren’t sure if you’re a psychopath or not? It’s probably best if you find out now, and Ronson can help you answer that question. If you’ve ever been curious about the world of psychopaths, curious about high profile people who definitely aren’t (or are they…) psychopaths, or are just in the mood for some off beat humor, then this is the book for you.
Heat Wave by Penelope Lively: Penelope is writing a novel, her daughter is a new mother in love with her husband, and nothing could be more idyllic… Until (there’s always an until) Penelope uses her keen writer’s senses to pick up on daughter Teresa’s husband. Who happens to be in love with someone else. Suspenseful in the way only family dramas are the book’s synopsis doesn’t give much away here and while it doesn’t sound particularly original (most of these synopsises? synopsi? don’t) the main character’s daughter and I have the same name (except mine is spelled the correct way) and I like reading books when I can pretend the writer wrote me in as a character.
The Passage by Justin Cronin: Why did I add this book to my reading list? Simple. The first line of blurb is “For those of us who firmly believe that vampires should be scary, this is a novel of genuinely terrifying proportions”. Of course, from there it turns out to be a vampire novel with an I Am Legend-esque base, but I’m still willing to give it a try even if I’m going to feel like I’ve read it before. So, a government experiment goes wrong, the world is overrun with vampires destroying everything that isn’t a vampire, and only one person can save us. Twist? That person is a little girl named Amy (so not Will Smith or Vincent Price). I have to admit I’ll be going into this book with low expectations on the originality scale (it just sounds so much like I am Legend….) but I’m really hoping it surprises me.
So what are you reading this week? Feel free to share in the comments! Any books you think I should mention next week? Just let me know.