1) We were Liars by E.Lockart

This much acclaimed Young Adult book lived up to its reputation. It is very YA and extremely well-written. It has fun, laughter, emotional conflicts and heartbreak at the right doses. It did haunt me for a few days.

2) Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami

My first foray into the land of Murakami. I was not sure what to expect from his much-acclaimed books and to be honest I still don’t know if I liked his work or not. It is one of those books that seems to have a tight plot and great writing but it didn’t leave behind footsteps. I plan to give Murakami another chance.

This book tracks the life of Tsukuru and his friends – friendship, love, relationships and heartbreak are all dispersed through it. Quite fascinating.

3) The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson

I don’t think I have ever read a book like this one. It is like a dump – a dump of information, an overload of senses through words and takes you to the brink of being overwhelmed. The story sounds outlandish and the protagonist Nombeko is almost superwoman. There were portions when I desperately wished the book will end. It was taxing on my mind and yet captivating. I am still trying to get my head around the story I read.

4) Hello from Gillespies by Monica McInerney

I have been trying to explore more Australian women writers and this book came highly recommended. From her Outback farm in SA, Angela Gillespie sends an end-of-year-perfect-life email to all her friends and family. One year everything goes wrong.

The book started strong, the characters real and relatable. Somewhere along the way, I started losing interest in the Gillespies and their drama. It dragged on a bit too much in an attempt to find the perfect ending.

5) Emma by Alexander McCall Smith

Modern day interpretations of classics are in fashion these days. I have not read the Austen’s Emma (it is on my list for this year). Without having reference to the classic, the modern day Emma seemed just plain boring text. Page after page that kept dragging on. I didn’t want to abandon the book but it just didn’t do much to me. I read it, put it down and forgot all about it.

5 books is a monthly series featuring some of the books I read and loved recently. For more book updates and to check my current reading list, head to my Goodreads account