In a strange accident of timing, I finished three books in one week. I’ve been toggling back and forth between books on my Kindle, and listening to an audiobook in the car. It’s odd I finished them all together, because the trio could not be more disparate. Here’s what I’ve been reading:

Zombie by J.R. Angelella

I was really excited to read this book because J.R. is my former writing teacher/current mentor and friend. I thought I’d have trouble getting past the feeling of “someone I know in real life wrote this book!” but actually, the book sucked me in so quickly that I forgot J.R. was the author. I’m going to be completely honest: I don’t feel I can properly review this book because it is SO different from anything I have ever read. (Which is either saying that this book is incredibly unique, or that I’ve been ignoring a whole subset of books; probably a little of both.) However, though I may be out of my league genre-wise, I do know good writing, and this is amazing writing: sharp, twisted, deep, humorous. The story is gripping, and the characters colorful. I was sad, touched, amused, angry, cynical- the whole gamut of emotions. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a page-turner that’s off the beaten path. Don’t be put off by the word “zombie” if you’re not a Walking Dead kind of person. Zombies are only an interwoven melody, not the main theme.

J.R. thought it was hilarious that I was reading this next book in conjunction with Zombie, as they are the definition of antithesis to each other.

The Happiest Toddler on the Block by Harvey Karp

I’ve been working on this one for awhile, but stepped it up a few weeks ago when Edwin started to act more toddler-esque. I loved The Happiest Baby on the Block, which taught me how to soothe my fussy baby like magic. The scenarios and scripts in this book take a step up in complexity, to go along with a toddler’s more complex needs. Despite that, the concepts remain simple, straightforward, and sensible. Karp divides the book into “green light, yellow light, and red light” behaviors, with common toddler behavior issues that fit into each category. Some of the strategies I’ve liked best include reinforcing positive behavior by “gossiping” about your kid to a spouse or stuffed animal; teaching patience by gradually stretching waiting time; and the oddly-named “Fast Food Rule,” which refers to repeating back what your toddler feels in simple language to validate his feelings at the start of a tantrum. As in Happiest Baby, Karp builds his theories on the child’s baser instincts, comparing toddlers to cave-people with limited language to express their fears and overwhelming emotions. I think this book is helpful for any parent to understand the toddler’s perspective, and use that to the parent’s advantage in the approach to discipline.

The Smart One by Jennifer Close

I almost didn’t try this one because I was kind of put off by Girls in White Dresses, but I’m glad I did. The Smart One follows the lives of four women in the Coffey family throughout a year in which all three of the adult children find a reason to move back home. Each character has a unique perspective, faults and frustrations, and as in Girls in White Dresses, Close’s writing is very true-to-life; it almost feels like a documentary about the family, rather than a novel. As in most documentaries, there’s no real structure to this plot; it starts in August, ends in August of the following year, and a lot of things happen within that time frame, but there’s no typical rising action, climax or resolution. I don’t usually like unstructured novels, but this one didn’t bother me. I think it’s because, while the four point-of-view characters are related and even live in the same house, they’re still all living separate adult lives, and a climax for one character’s story wouldn’t always be a climax for another’s. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys slice-of-life novels, strong female characters, and twisted family dynamics.

Books I’m looking forward to reading soon: the new e-book in Rachel Schurig’s Three Sisters series; The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley; and David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell (how have I not read this book yet?).

What are you reading right now? Any recommendations? Have you ever read two or three books at the same time that could not have been more different?