Recently Read

I haven't done a book recap since January, so this will actually include all of the books I've read between January and March. 

The Giver by Lois Lowry I did something I don't usually do with this book: I didn't read it until after I had already seen the movie. Whoops. But it was still good. I kind of fell out of the whole dystopian genre for a while, pretty much ever since I finished The Hunger Games, but this book has got me back into it full force. I haven't read any of the other books in the quartet, but they're on my list. 
The Last Original Wife by Dorthea Benton Frank I still can't decide how I feel about this book. Set in modern day Atlanta, it follows Leslie a 50 something year old woman who is the last "original" wife out of her social circle - her husband's friends have all remarried younger, fitter, wilder versions of the women that used to be their wives. As the story evolves, she must choose between staying with her husband or following her own happiness. What I didn't like about the book was the writing style and the prose used during the dialogue. I'm from the south and I thought it was a tad overdone with all of the "honeys, sugars, babies, and bless your hearts" to seem legitimate. Like I said, it was an interesting story, I just don't know that I particularly enjoyed reading it. 
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand  (Joining Bonnie in her discussion of this book for her book club today. Spoiler alerts ahead!) This book. Man you guys, this story got me. It broke my heart in to a million little pieces then put it back together again. I'm not a big fan of biographical books (and I was a little slow to get in to this one) and even though I "knew the ending," this book had me hooked.
What I liked...I liked the story itself and how it was one of such resilience. I liked that there wasn't any detail that wasn't covered and I liked that the author took the time to write about Louie before and after the war, as it showed how he changed over time. The parts of the book that were easiest to read (though not necessarily fun to read) were those of the days on the raft and when Louie was in the camps. They were enthralling and kept me up much later than my usual bedtime because I just had to know what happened.
What I didn't like...At times, the book was a little too detailed. As I said, I'm usually not one to enjoy biographical types of books, and there were times where I didn't know if I would be able to finish this one. It was so much different from reading the fictional novels that I'm used to reading. Also, I still get nightmares about the duck. I definitely feel that part could have been left out.
What part of the story stood out the most...The ending, Louie's resilience and how, even though it took a long road to get there, it ended with Louie finding Jesus. 
How it affected my opinion on war...I wouldn't say it affected my opinion much. I've read previously about POW camps in WWII and even more so about death camps that the Jewish people had to suffer through. I guess I could say that it opened up my eyes a little more to the war in the Pacific specifically. I think people tend to forget a little bit about those people who didn't only fight the war in Europe.
Book vs. Movie...I haven't seen the movie yet, and I'll be honest, I didn't even know this was a book until the movie version was released. Because I'm such a weirdo, I refused to see the movie because I knew I would want to read the book first. I'm interested to see how much creative liberty they take with this story.  

What are some books you've read recently? Do you have any recommendations for me?