Old-Ish Books I'm Currently Reading

For almost two months I've had five boxes of books in my trunk. 

Why?? 

Because when I abruptly moved out of my old apartment in May (mine and my roommates' house was robbed), I didn't feel like lugging those boxes from my car. Yes, it's lazy, but the upside to this scenario is that now if I'm waiting a long time for an appointment, or if I have extra time before work, I have a plethora of books to choose from for entertainment! This has actually come in handy a couple of times, especially this month because I'm working two jobs until school starts in late August. Yesterday, I got to do a lot of reading before work; I started two books, and there's also another book that I started reading last week.

The first book that I started today was Lost Lake by my favorite author, Sarah Addison Allen. 

This book has actually been out for two-ish years now, and it's set in south Georgia. And if you have ever lived in the South, then you will appreciate the magic and warmth with which she describes the setting in this book. The reason I like Allen's books is because they usually center around reconciling family ties, learning to love yourself just as you are, and coming to terms with the positive and negative circumstances that have shaped you into the person that you are. Perhaps I'm coming off a little cheesy, but these themes are never overstated in Allen's books! Rather they are beautifully interwoven within the characters' stories; as you read about the tragedies that some of these characters have endured, you hurt and you cry with these characters. Sarah Addison Allen's other books are Garden Spells, The Girl Who Chased The Moon, The Sugar Queen, The Peach Keeper, and First Frost. 


I was first drawn to this book because of the book cover (haunting isn't it?). I absolutely love supernatural/thriller stories! As I flipped through the book, I was even more intrigued by the photos that are incorporated into the story (old, eerie photos, from Ransom Riggs own collection). I'm just getting into chapter four, and it's getting good already! I won't spoil anything, but if you like history, then this story will pique your interest pretty quickly. One of the first people you will read about is Abraham Portman who survived WWII thanks to his parents who sent him to an orphanage in Wales before the Nazis invaded Poland. The book is the first in a trilogy, and apparently it is being made into a movie! It'll be released in March 2016. Ransom has also written two other books aside from his trilogy: Talking Pictures and The Sherlock Holmes Handbook.


I was SO excited to find this book! This book was written in the 1970s and it is basically an anti-hero story centering around Grendel, one of the villains from Beowulf. I didn't even know this book existed until I did a presentation on Beowulf a few semesters ago. This character has also inspired a comic book series written by Matt Wagner which has been running since 1983. I found this book at a local bookstore where I live, and it was only $2.50! I love the cover art, and I love the story so far. But I'm kind of sucker for the anti-hero. 

Anyway these are the books I'm reading for fun before I have to start reading for school, what are you reading right now?