Books: May 2013

image via Amazon

So, you know how I said I was going to read an easy, short book before finishing The Lord of the Rings trilogy?

Yeah, that didn't happen.

Mr. Geek received this book as a Christmas present from his dad, and he gobbled it up pretty quick.  He told me it was pretty sad, and he seemed like he really wanted to talk about it, but he wanted me to read it first so I could experience it.  When he first picked it up, he told me a little about the plot- and yeah, it's sad.  It's about a man who works for a cleaning company that cleans up crime scenes after the cops have left and the bodies have been removed.  His wife, a high school teacher, died about a year ago.  The book follows him and his 11-year-old son as they cope with the loss of her.

Or don't cope.

I have been referring to this book as "The Saddest Book in the History of Sad"- Mr. Geek refers to it simply as "The Sad Book of Sad." You definitely need to hug someone after reading it.

I think books like this are meant to be shared.  You can't just read this by yourself, put it down, walk away.  You need someone else to read it, too, to experience it, and then together you talk about what it means, what it means to you, what it made you think and feel.  That's why book clubs are so awesome- you all read the book at the same time and react at the same time.  But sometimes book clubs can feel too academic, or sometimes too many ideas brought forth at once make it difficult to sort through and explore any one of them deeply enough.  That's why I prefer to read a book and then pass it on to a friend, impatiently waiting for them to finish, then revel in a one-on-one dive into the far corners of the book, discovering things I may not have noticed on my read-through.

And now I have my best friend with me under the same roof, sharing the same bookshelf, introducing me to stories I may not have found on my own.  And we can stay up all night lying next to each other and geeking out about minute details.

Or just plain cuddling, because after "The Saddest Book in the History of Sad," you just need to cuddle.

What did you read this month?  Do you and your spouse read the same books?  Have you ever joined a book club, or do you prefer your book talks one-on-one?

Much love,
The Geeks