What did you read during your hip replacement rehab?

All the pictures from this post have been pulled from my Instagram feed, @krembdelakremb.

During the past three weeks I’ve been able to dedicate a fair amount of my time to reading. While having hip surgery isn’t the best reason for free reading time, I sure have enjoyed that aspect of my recovery. I read four books during my rehab, and I thought I would share my reviews with you.

1. Eleanor and Park–5 Stars

Rainbow Rowell in my opinion is a master writer. I have yet to read a title of hers that I did not like, and I have read all of her books. Granted it took me two tries to get into Eleanor and Park, but once I did, I was smitten. Sometimes I think one’s state of mind is vital to appreciating a book. I must not have been in right place the first time around. The second time I went to read it, I could not put it down. Here are a few of the reasons why I think people would enjoy this book:

• The relationship between Eleanor and Park takes place in the 80s–a decade filled with misfits.
• The relationship between Eleanor and Park is interracial.
• The relationship between Eleanor and Park happens despite demographics–one being poor and abused, the other being loved and supported.
• The relationship between Eleanor and Park takes it’s time; it’s slow moving, cautious, and respectful towards the individuality of each of the two involved.

Basically this story is just lovely, and in quick alternating bits from Eleanor and then Park each chapter just passes by. Before I knew it, I’d finished this beautiful story of love that forms when friendship happens first.

2. The Winner’s Curse–5 Stars

Oh, this book was good! Marie Rutkoski has created a series with this Winner’s Curse that I want to read more about; it’s not guaranteed that I’ll continue with book two, but with Kestrel and Arin, I want to know what’s going to happen to them. Although it was made in a fantasty world, the setting became very medieval to me. It made me think that it could have happened in a land similar to Saudi Arabia with vast mountains set up against a sea. The women all wear a dagger right at their waste too–while it’s the style and simply for show, it’s a tool that works and sometimes comes out for its purpose to shield, protect, or harm. The relationship that’s instigated into romance between the general’s daughter and her slave was magnetic. Despite the fact that it shouldn’t work out, the reader desperately wants it too. A winner’s curse is an actual term; in an auction it’s win the winning bid wins, but really the winner didn’t win because the winner paid way too much for their prize. This story is so good: think war strategy with love mixed in…a dangerous combo for sure.

3. The Geography of You and Me–3 Stars

While reading The Geography of You and Me I thought it was good, but then now when I look back on it, I find it less memorable than the others. The book, like the other stories I read, is a romance, and I should like it better since it’s all about long distance and making a relationship work despite distance. I myself have lived the famous saying: distance makes the heart grow fonder. I’m not going to give up on Jennifer E. Smith and plan to give one of her many other novels a try. Similar to Eleanor and Park, maybe I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind when I read this. I did like how committed both Lucy and Owen were to getting themselves together–despite some serious long distance and circumstantial troubles.

4. Red Queen–5 Stars

This book is superhero fantastic! Wow! I loved Red Queen! It’s one of those novels where readers are going to determine what team they’re on, and I am definitely on Team Cal. There are two different types of people: the reds with red blood and the silvers with silver blood. Silvers have extraordinary powers like being invisible, creating fire, or even water. Reds, Reds just work and create a comfortable life for the Silvers. They also go to war and die for the Silvers. When the heroine of this story, who has regular old red blood, finds that she has a power, she’s an oddity that the Silvers want to hide. While there’s some foreshadowing that I caught onto, there were some surprises along the way. There was also one kiss that gave me the butterflies in my tummy–always a really good sign in my book! (No pun intended.)

*Bonus Title: The Secret Garden

This wonderful book is worth mentioning; Johanna Basford is an illustrator and has created several coloring books that are just spectacular. There’s The Secret Garden and The Enchanted Forest that I know about. Gigi received The Secret Garden for her birthday with some fancy markers. We’ve been having some relaxing fun just filling in these colorful flowers. We just sit there and chat and color petals in bit by bit.