Recently I decided that I wanted to read good books. I’ve always been a reader. It’s in my blood. But I felt like I wasn’t reading anything that was really making me grow or learn. I was reading fluffy fun books that didn’t have much more value than pure entertainment. Don’t get me wrong, there is always a place for that in life, but I want to be a better person after I read.
So I immediately thought of my friend Melissa. She has a degree in English Lit and has read everything. Her blog often consists of book reviews as she constantly reads. I went there first, and decided to read everything that she recommended. I sent her an email and told her that I wanted her to educate me on excellent literature. She sent me a list of over 100 books that I had to read. I’d already read some, but the list is still significant.
I’d love to use this blog as a way to express my thoughts about some of these books as I read them. Here’s what I’ve read since beginning my quest to “be well read” as Mel would say.
Killer Angels
I have always loved Gettysburg PA. Since moving to the East Coast with my family more than 10 years ago we have been to many of the American History sites. But none has moved me quite as much as that battlefield. There is a spirit of sacrifice and dedication and peace that pervades the area. And since it’s not like most tourist sites (it’s acres of land, not a building or monument) it’s a lot easier to be alone and soak in all in.
Killer Angels by Michael Shaara is a fantastic book. It is the story of the battle of Gettysburg told through multiple voices. I love it because it treats both sides fairly. We were all Americans just trying to do what was right, and Killer Angels depicts that. No one who fought that day was perfect, but it’s wonderful to see how good a lot of them were. It taught me to see them as people instead of stories or history test fodder. I highly recommend it. I couldn’t put it down, even though I knew how it was going to end.
Also, the movie Gettysburg is an adaptation of this book and is likewise quite excellent. (If you have 3 hours to dedicate to it.)
The Hunger Games (Series)
I don’t even know where to start. I guess I’ll start at the beginning.
I first heard of this book in a class at BYU. It was a class about adolescents and we had to read a book written for an adolescent audience and then do a book report about it. There were a lot of people who read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and they all really loved it. I was intrigued. So when Mel also recommended it I decided to see what all the hype was about. Plus the third and final book in the series had just come out the day before and I got the boxed set pretty cheap.
The Hunger games – book one
I agreed with everyone. This book was amazing. It was very graphic and potent and had some very vivid visuals (and I’m not a very visual person in general). Again, I couldn’t put it down. There was danger and excitement on every page as well as some good insights into what it means to be human. There was also very little resolution at the end so I didn’t wait more than 20 seconds before I started the 2nd one.
Catching Fire – book two
This book was also well written and had some of the same elements, but I felt it lacked the originality of the first. It honestly felt like she was trying to do the first book over again. I found myself getting annoyed with some of the characters instead of caring about them. But again, major cliff hanger, so I went right to the 3rd even though it was about 3 in the morning.
Mockingjay – book three
This book was not great. If I read it by itself I might have had a higher opinion of it, but I couldn’t help comparing it to the other two and feeling disappointed. I felt like the whole feel of the series had changed and I honestly stopped caring by the end. Even less than caring, I was mad and confused and just wanted to throw the book across the room.
When my sister asked me what these books were about I summed it up by saying it was like Twilight meets The Lord of the Flies. That sounds crazy, but I think if you’ve read it you’ll know what I mean.
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
This was a major shift in genre from Hunger Games and it took me a few days to really get into the swing of it, but then I was hooked. It’s the story of the wealthy families in New York in 1860. I found it really interesting to think about all of the social class things happening in the US. I have always associated dinner parties and servants and evenings at the theater with England and Austen. When I think of those years in American history I'm usually thinking about the Civil War and about how everyday people lived in the country. I guess I just hadn't ever thought about people who lived like Englishmen in New York. But that that was part of the story. How those older traditions were starting to fall apart, and how the world was changing around them. The question that the characters ask themselves is whether or not this change is good or bad. Brilliant book.
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
This is the story of Dinah the daughter of Jacob and Leah from the Old Testament. It is obviously fictionalized and filled in since there’s only about 35 verses about her in the Bible. Here’s what I wrote to Mel shortly after finishing it:
So. The Red Tent.
There were things that I really liked about it, and some things that I really didn't like about it. First the likes: I didn't want to put it down. I got really caught up in the story. Also, I found myself wishing for the sisterhood and for the matriarchal line that was so much a part of their lives. Especially at the end when she's dying and she sees all the women who were influential in her life. I really wish that Womanhood was more celebrated in our culture. I liked the whole idea of women telling the stories of the women from generation to generation. I also really liked seeing Leah's side of the story. When I read the old testament account of Jacob, I always felt bad for Rachel. This made me realize that Leah was a real person too, and made me think about how she must have felt about the whole thing. It was shocking but good to remember how freaking young they all were.
What I didn't like was how graphic it was. I know that it was realistic, but I felt uncomfortable with some of the details that were given. I was also troubled by how un-religious it was. I wanted Jacob's wives to support him in his faith, but instead the author seemed to show all faith (whatever God you were worshiping) as important only as a tradition, without any real power. I had to separate the Bible story from it completely in order to enjoy it. Once I thought of them as simply fictional characters it was easier to like them, because I wasn't expecting anything from them.
I had very mixed feelings when it ended. I still do. But I'm still thinking about it, which in and of itself is a good thing. It wasn't forgettable that's for sure. I don't think I'll recommend it to just anyone, but I am glad that I read it.
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
I LOVED this book. There were a lot of themes addressed and there’s no way I can get into all of them, but I loved Lily because she really learned to forgive and rely on herself and a higher power to make her life better than the situation she was given. And again, like what I enjoyed about Red Tent, I loved the portrayal of sisterhood and the power that women have to build each other up. I’m a strong believer in the fact that women will always need other women in their lives.
Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult
This one was not on my list from Melissa. I was talking about how much I love to read with a coworker of mine and she evidently reads a ton too. So I told her I’d lend her The Secret Life of Bees and she gave me this book. Jodi Picoult wrote My Sister’s Keeper which they made a movie of recently, but I’d never seen it or read the book. But Meghan recommended it so I thought I’d give it a try.
Now I have a dilemma. How do you give a book back to a friend and say “oh, I couldn’t get into it. I tried probably 10 times to read it and I got about 4 chapters in, but couldn’t make it further than that.” Especially after she just loved the book you recommended to her.
Any suggestions? I feel bad starting something else before I give her book back, but I also haven’t really read anything for a while now because I don’t want to read that one. So I need to just move on I guess. But what do I say to Meghan?
I’ll try to keep you updated on my progress through The List. I am also crazy busy with a million other things in my life and I will blog about that later this week. :)
I'll give you a brief synopsis without actually ruining it. Basically it's the story of a girl who has an imaginary friend when she's 8. He's pretty much the perfect man: he's a great listener, he tells her she's beautiful, and gives her the support that she's lacking in the parent arena. But, according to Imaginary Friend rules, he has to leave her when she turn 9. Then, 20+ years later, she runs into him. 
