Book Twos

Book two of The Lightbringer Series by Brent Weeks is The Blinding Knife.  I am really enjoying this series. The world building is fun and interesting. I still think the characters are kind of cookie cutter and stereotypcial, but Weeks really has thought about the world Gavin, Kip, and Liv live in.  I would recommend that you dig into this series if you're able to immerse yourself in fantastical worlds.

 

We read the first book in the Neapolitan Novels by Elana Ferrante series, My Brilliant Friend, for my book club last month. I really enjoyed it, but I wasn't entirely sure I was going to read more in the series, but then the ladies in my book club started reading the subsequent books and I just had to join in because I didn't want to be left out of future discussions.

I'm so very glad I read this book. It's even better than the first one. Our characters move into their early twenties. It's the story of all those ugly feelings of friendship - love, jealousy, anger, disillusionment, pride, wonder, and all the rest.  One friend gets married and struggles against losing her identity to her new husband and child. One friend struggles along with school, attempting relationships without an actual desire for the life that comes with being a wife. Each sees the other's life with something like envy, but at heart, they want what's best for the other. Or do they?

It's complicated in the best way possible.

And if I were Ferrante, I'd want to stay anonymous, too. Otherwise my best friend would totally be side-eyeing me all the time!!