Books

Gone Girl and Insurgent

I can’t let 2012 end without going over the final few books I read at the end of the year! I had the goal of completing 12 books in 2012, and I did end up surpassing that goal (I read 16), which is great! Going to 2013 I considered what kind of book reading goal I should set for myself, and as much as I think I want to increase the number of books, I think it is reasonable to keep the number at 12 again. Why not push myself for more? Well, I think one book per month sounds like a reasonable goal, so I think I’ll keep it for a second time. If I surpass it again, that will be a bonus. I’m just glad that 2012 was the year I got back into reading. I forgot how much I love getting lost in a book!

Anyway, on to the final two books I completed in 2012! First up: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

Gone Girl book cover

{via Goodreads}

I had heard SO MANY awesome reviews on this book, so even though I felt way behind on actually reading it, I knew I couldn’t miss out on it. If you like mystery and suspense, this book is replete with both. The story follows a marriage in trouble. It is Nick and Amy Dunne’s 5th wedding anniversary, and Amy mysteriously disappears. What unfolds next…I won’t even attempt to hint at. I’ll just say: it’s awesome, and that is as far as I’ll go!

Gillian Flynn’s writing is ingenious and very smart. She has you guessing at each and every turn of the page in this book, and there are plenty of plot twists that will surprise you. I finished the entire work in one day…I literally could not put it down. It isn’t a difficult read, so don’t worry that you’ll get bogged down by it. The book is thoroughly enjoyable, and I am quickly signing myself up at the library to get my hands on her other two books, Sharp Objects and Dark Places.

So – if you haven’t read Gone Girl yet, make sure you put it on your “to-read” list for 2013! It ranked up there as possibly my favorite book in 2012.

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Moving on…to my final read of 2012: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Insurgent book cover

{via Goodreads}

I read Divergent, the first book in the trilogy, earlier in the fall. It was natural that I would have to continue on with the series…and I’ll be reading the final installment that will be released in 2013.

Again, this series is teen literature, so the reading is very easy. Does Insurgent live up to the excitement I felt with The Hunger Games trilogy? Nope. It’s ok though. Personal preference here! But – Insurgent was a fun read. It picks up right where Divergent left off and continues the story of Tris Prior in a dystopian Chicago, where the people live according to “factions” they choose to become a part of at age 16. The book jumps in immediately and provides no back story, so if you have not read Divergent, you really need to do so before starting Insurgent. If it has been a while since you read Divergent, quickly go over the characters and back story to remind yourself of the details.

Overall, I think I enjoyed the first book better than the second, but that might just be because the characters were being developed in Divergent, and with Insurgent the plot was just thickening. There was action, but more so as a build up to what is to come. The kicker is….of course…that there is a big plot twist at the end of the book, setting you up to wait impatiently for the 3rd book of the series to be released. And of course, I will end up reading it because I want to know what ends up happening. So…don’t give up on the books and read Insurgent to prepare yourself for the finale of the series. It won’t take you long to complete the book!

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Have you read Gone Girl and/or Insurgent? What did you think?

Make sure to check out my profile on Goodreads as well!

6 Comments

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  • I agree, I liked Divergent better than Insurgent but am looking forward to the next one (I haaaaaate waiting for the next book in a series!!). I haven’t read Gone Girl yet but it’s next on my list!

    • I hate the wait too! Nothing was worse than waiting for each new Harry Potter book to be released. And then I read each one in about 24 hours….only to have to wait another year or two again!

  • I haven’t read either book…and hadn’t heard of them until your post. I like your review on Gone Girl and checked out the synopsis on Amazon. I’ve got it added to my list of future reads!

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