My Reading Frenzy

What I've Read - What I am Reading - February 22, 2021

I have been remiss in posting anything here at all, but I am back with an overview of what I have been reading during these long, cold weeks. In addition to what I have read, am reading, and am listening to, I have added an "Up Next" section to preview what I have at the top of my TBR pile.

 

Read:

• The Best of Me (audiobook purchased from Audible) by David Sedaris I am thoroughly enjoying this one. I listened for hours the other day while working on a jigsaw puzzle while the snow fell.

 

• A Rogue of One's Own (egalley) by Evie Dunmore - Yep, romance is my go-to when I need a comfort read. The assurance that it will all work out in the end gets me through the frustrations every time. If only real life were so predictable.

 

• Riviera Gold by Laurie R. King - This is the most recent Mary Russell mystery to have been published. It takes place mainly in Monte Carlo and brings us back to Mrs. Hudson's story. I like these mysteries when I take a break from Elizabeth George and Louise Penny. The more recent novels have not lived up to the fascination I found in the earlier books, but I will keep reading unless they take another downturn. (Next book in the series is due out in June.)

 

• Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love by Jonathan Van Ness - (library eaudiobook) I have loved watching the revival of Queer Eye over the past five seasons. Jonathan is a force of nature with his positivity and vision for each of their heroes. His book was personal in tone, as if we were sitting together having a chat. 

 

• The Bear and the Nightingale (purchased paperback at a DC independent bookstore) by Katherine Arden - This was recommended to me by a bookseller when I asked for something to follow the Daevabad trilogy. I loved its fairy tale and folklore roots as well as the magical and fierce Vasya. I am looking forward to the continuation of her story in The Girl in the Tower. 

 

• Dangerous Alliance (library ebook) by Jennieke Cohen - Eh, I finished it. The ending was satisfying, but predictable. The rest was also predictable and just ok. 

 

• Deception on His Mind (library ebook) by Elizabeth George - I am moving through these quickly because I can't get enough of definitive mystery solving. But I can take a break now and read one Louise Penny before the next Lynley mystery. This will be seamless, in part, because I have the next George installment in print having found it in a neighborhood Little Free Library and am not therefore beholden to when my library hold comes in.

 

• Fashionopolis (audiobook purchased from Audible) by Dana Thomas - This is not my first read about the dangerous waste associated with fast fashion, but this is the first to give equal time to designers and companies who are trying to shift the industry to sustainable practices. This is an important read for anyone interested in the the environmental impact of clothing production. 

 

• The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win (audiobook purchased from Audible) by Maria Konnikova - I am not sure when I last gave a book 5 stars in Goodreads, but this story earned every star. Wow! I found the mix of poker history, strategies, and play with Konnikova's personal progression to winner to be fascinating. She spends time with poker masters, game theorists, and psychologists as she learns about the world of poker, not only for the book, but also for herself. Some of the most interesting revelations are how what she learns about being successfully at the poker table spills into other areas of her life in positive ways. 

 

• All's Faire in Middle School (purchased paperback) by Victoria Jamieson - While this story does not quite live up to Roller Girl, Jamieson captures the challenges Imogene faces in attending middle school after previously being home schooled, while also exploring the respite the Renaissance Faire provides. This was a fun read.

 

• It Had to Be You (egalley) by Georgia Clark - This was a lovely romance. It could have dived right into some romance tropes, but Clark was able to write the love stories of a new widow, recently out queer woman, and music partners in a way that felt fresh even while the outcomes were expectedly happy.

 

 

Reading:

• Ghost (library ebook) by Jason Reynolds - I realized after watching an online chat between Reynold and Dr. Ibrahim X. Kendi that I have missed a few of Reynolds works, so I am jumping into the Track series with Ghost. I have two others on hold at the library. 

 

 

Listening:

• Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton - I am only about 14 minutes into this listen, but settled in easily as Hamilton explores some of the ways food was important to her family as she grew up in New Hope, PA a town I have loved since high school visits during the annual geology trip. 

 

 

Up Next:

• The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden - see "Read" for my thoughts about the first book in the trilogy. 
• Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir - I read and loved Gideon the Ninth and feel ready for the 2nd book.
• Commonwealth by Ann Patchett - I am making my way through all of Patchett's backlist after being bowled over by The Dutch House. I had previously read Bel Canto at the recommendation of a number of readers, for some reason had not read anything else until recently.
• Four Hundred Souls (purchased hardback) edited by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blair - I think this collection of essays exploring 400 years of the history of African America will be a good companion to read alongside Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Dr. Kendi.
• Amari and the Night Brothers (purchased hardback) by B.B. Alston - I admit it, sometimes I buy books for their covers. While the cover is spectacular, as soon as I read that Amari would be dealing with a ticking briefcase from the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, I was in for the premise too. 

 

 

What have you read? What are you reading and listening to?

 

**A note on the picture. I always use an image from the Prints and Photographs collections of the Library of Congress. I like these because they are interesting, and freely available because they are in the public domain. I mainly choose images of people reading. If you click the image in any of my posts you will be able to see the Library's bibliographic record which includes whatever they know about the image including its creator. There are also usually links to other similar items or to the collection the image is a part of.***

2020 Reading Reflections and Favorites

Wanting to write a post about everything I read in 2020 made me grateful for my diligence in logging everything I read on Goodreads. I was able to pull up my 2020 challenge and look at all the books I read this year, including dates and a look at the cover. I have always told my students the phrase "Don't judge a book by its cover" applies in many situations as a metaphor, but not when talking about books. Artists, marketers, and salespeople count on book covers being engaging in order to sell them to us. I am highly visual, and almost never buy a book simply for its cover, but the cover does imprint in my brain and help me remember reading it and at least a bit about it, making a walk down book-memory lane much easier. 

 

 

 

 

Here they are - My 2020 favorite reads:

In roughly in the order I read them.

• Happier at Home (eaudiobook from the library) by Gretchen Rubin - I have found valuable takeaways in all of Rubin's books, but this one hit exactly where I needed it to, when I needed it to. It was particularly prescient because I was isolated at home starting in March, not too long after finishing this listen. I was able to incorporate some of her ideas that in turn helped make staying at home less fraught with anxiety.
• Almost American Girl (purchased book) by Robin Ha - While I read this one as soon as it arrived in our library in February, it was not until August that I had the opportunity to watch an online discussion between Ha and Malaka Gharib, author of the graphic memoir I Was Their American Dream hosted by One More Page Books, an independent bookstore in Arlington, VA.
• City of Girls (egalley) by Elizabeth Gilbert - This is a work of historical fiction that takes place in 1940s New York City in the glamourous-ish theatre world. It reminded me very much of Herman Wouk's Marjorie Morningstar with a young hero who longs to be New York theatre star. This year I also read Gilbert's Big Magic (non-fiction) about living a creative life. It just barely missed being on this list, though here it is I suppose. Ha!
• New Kid and Class Act (purchased books then gifted to my niece) by Jerry Craft - New Kid was the 2020 Newbery winner, the first for a graphic novel. Class Act is an equally thought provoking companion.
• Maybe You Should Talk to Someone (purchased audiobook from Audible) by Lori Gottlieb - Gottlieb chronicles her therapy journey after a sudden break up, while also sharing details of therapy patients she is seeing. And interesting look at therapy from both perspectives.
• The House in the Cerulean Sea (purchased book) by TJ Klune. This might be my favorite read of the year. It is one of the books I specifically sought at the beginning pandemic related isolation. The story of Linus Baker and the magical children he is seeking to help was a perfect mix of humor, heartbreak, and fantasy. I want to read it again to savor all the delights of the family they all become.  
• Buzz Saw: The Improbable Story of How the Washington Nationals Won the World Series (purchased book) by Jesse Dougherty - One of my most missed 2020 activities was baseball. We are and have been Washington Nationals fans, which made 2019 the culmination of 14 years of hopes with our first World Series win. It was tremendously disappointing to be deprived of all the celebrations that should have come at the beginning of the 2020 season. Dougherty's book came to me just when teams were cancelling spring training and the season was put on hold indefinitely. I derived great comfort from reliving the triumphant season through this book. I also had the opportunity to hear Dougherty discuss writing the book in  a live Twitter talk.
• Kingdom of the Blind (purchased book) by Louise Penny - Penny's mysteries get better and more sophisticated with every book. This one was particularly satisfying because it finished out a significant story arc. There are two books after this one, which I have not read. I try to stay a bit behind her publications so I do not run out. I have one with me in FL to read soon.
• A Banquet of Consequences (elibrary book) by Elizabeth George - I have found mysteries a great comfort during the pandemic, perhaps for the way they end with the solving of the crime. I read 8 Lynley mysteries this year, but this was my favorite.
• The Goldfinch (eaudiobook from the library) by Donna Tartt - I loved Tartt's The Secret History, I was less enamored of The Little Friend. The Goldfinch was wonderful. I listened to it because I balked at sitting with such a long book. In retrospect I would have torn through it, probably faster than I was able to listen. I had to pause twice because the audiobook was due back at the library before I could finish. In the end, I was on edge for most of it after the initial disaster, always waiting for the other shoe to drop. It did, in spectacular fashion. I loved it.
• Magic Lessons (egalley) by Alice Hoffman - I saw the movie Practical Magic when it came out in 1998, having no idea it was based on a book, which I just read in 2019. I followed in 2020 with the others in the family of books, but this was my favorite, with its overtones of The Scarlet Letter.
• Untamed (eaudiobook from the library) by Glennon Doyle - This was my favorite non-fiction read/listen of the year. Doyle is amazing. She shares her own story in all her books, but somehow is also able to tap into the ways we all feel weak and not enough in our own situations, but then she offers badass wisdom to build us up. I like this one so much I also purchased this book to re-read and re-visit.
• Daevabad Trilogy (purchased books) by SA Chakraborty - Like I sometimes do, I rejected these books because they were too popular, everyone was reading them, I was going to be different. I am a fool because I LOVED them all. The benefit however of my stubborness is having been able to read all three books in a row without waiting. 
• The Year of Living Danishly (eaudiobook from the library) by Helen Russell - Having never lived outside the United States, I appreciated Russell's thorough exploration of her temporary (or so she thought) country. The book is organized by months, beginning when she arrives in January. She explores, in depth, 12 different facets of life in Denmark from work to motherhood to eating to winter to traditions. This detailed look at moving and living in another country was intriguing.
• The Left-Handed Booksellers of London (purchased book) by Garth Nix - I have raved about this one more than once. It was definitely ending up on this list.
• Return of the Thief (purchased book) by Megan Whalen Turner - While I really liked how Turner wrapped up this six book series, reading it was an important reminder that sometimes it is a good idea to re-read earlier books.
• The Witches are Coming (eaudiobook from the library) by Lindy West - I recently listened to Shit, Actually, West's most recent publication, but this one is so far my favorite of hers. I need regular feminist commentary in my life so I do not get complacent. 
• A Promised Land (purchased audiobook from Audible) by Barack Obama - I was so eager for this one, I pre-ordered the audiobook. I spent much of the book lamenting the loss of dignity and integrity in the White House. (I am looking forward to their return next week.) But I also learned about aspects of law making and running for office I had not known. 

 

What were your 2020 favorite reads?

 

Some 2020 Reading Reflections (based on all my reading, not just my favorites)

1. I need more diversity in authors, particularly in non-fiction. I don't feel I need to diversify in genre as I read:

• fantasy
• science fiction
• literary fiction
• historical fiction
• romance
• mystery
• non-fiction 

In all of the above I read adult as well as YA and some middle grade (mostly realistic). There were also MANY graphic novels and comics in my reading year. These tended to be memoirs, realistic, and fantasy. I will admit I avoid horror, thrillers, crime. They just take the intensity of a mystery up a notch too far for me. 

2. I want to try to tackle more of my TBR this year rather than jumping immediately to new publications. I make no promises about this one. If I decide however that I am most satisfied when I read newer releases, I need to cull my physical shelves of older books I may never get to. They should find a home with someone else.

 

What reflections do you have on your 2020 reading life? What are you looking forward to in 2021?

 

Is it ok to skip the classics?

This is really a two part question: 

Should we read and study the classics as part of coursework at colleges and universities or as independent readers?        YES!

Should we teach the classics to high school students?        It depends.

(I believe this for the classics of any language or culture, though my experience is with and examples are from American and British literature.)

 

 

 

 

Benefits of reading the classics (from my point of view):

*Please note: The examples I provide come from my experience as an English major, English teacher in the United States, and independent reader and are in no way meant to trace the history of literature in a comprehensive way

• To gain an understanding of the origins of the writings of a country or culture 
  • Beowulf
  • Gilgamesh
  • The Iliad and The Odyssey
• To experience the progression of those writings through the ages
  
  • Shakespeare's plays and poems
  • The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
  • Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi's poetry
  • Religious texts such as the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, the Qur'an, the Bhagavad Gita
  • The ideas of the early Greek and Roman philosophers
• To experience the products of great thinkers and writers
  • Virginia Woolf
  • Thomas Hardy
  • Jane Austen
  • Gabriel García Márquez
  • Franz Kafka
  • Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  • Margaret Fuller
  • Henry David Thoreau
  • The Brontë sisters
  • George Eliot
  • Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • Oscar Wilde

The dangers of the classics are that too often the lists that make up the canon are missing works by marginalized voices including women and people of color, they are not necessarily well-written, and the context in which they were written is often lost on contemporary readers, especially teens. Additionally, when we force students to read texts we have chosen because we think they will be "good for them" we remove the freedom of choice that leads people to become life-long readers. If one of the goals of literature courses is to instill a love of reading, asking students to read what we have chosen from a list of books that are far removed from their experiences and context will not work.

Classics I would toss out:

• The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - Holden is whiny and angsty. This however is typical of many novels featuring teens who are lost and traumatized. What I think is harmful are Holden's attitudes toward homosexuality. There are many contemporary novels that deal with the same topics and themes as Catcher that take place in an era more relevant to today's teens without the problematic parts. Alternatives: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky or The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth (there are others, but these are two I have read)
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain - Only twice in my career did I teach this novel. Both times I was bothered by the use of the "n-word" but did not know how to undertake a conversation with my students about the problems of the novel. That oversight was a weakness in my teaching. But, I was also incensed by the behavior of Tom Sawyer in the last section of the book when he knows that Jim has been freed in Widow Douglas's will. Instead of jubilantly sharing this information immediately, Tom decides to plan an elaborate escape for his own entertainment, thus subjecting Jim to additional unnecessary captivity and emotional turmoil. We can have honest conversations about the history of slavery and racism in the United States with better books. Alternatives: The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass or Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - This has many of the same problems as Huckleberry Finn, but adds the classism evident in the portrayal of the Ewell family. Alternatives: To encourage conversations about racial injustice, Monster by Walter Dean Myers or All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brandon Kiely. To encourage conversations about sexual assault, Speak (fiction) or Shout (non-fiction) by Laurie Halse Anderson or The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.

There are a number of other novels I would take out of the high school curriculum for a variety of reasons such as Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (literary blasphemy, I know), and Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. I may write another post about these, or just ask why if you are interested.

 

 

Classics I would keep teaching:

• The novels 1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell and the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller - All three of these works were written to address events witnessed by their authors. Orwell's predictions about our lives under surveillance by our government as well as the rise of communism and fascism have relevance here and now. Miller's play about metaphorical and literal witch hunts is far too relevant to current events. Another contemporary classic I would add here is The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. (I would not read this one with freshman or sophomores, but I think juniors and seniors have the maturity to have meaningful conversations about the novel.)
• Any of Jane Austen's novels with Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma as first choices - Austen's commentary on society and the mores that unfairly target women and anyone not of the upper class are still relevant today. Students may feel removed from the time period, but the themes are fresh. If Austen's work seems too removed for students alternatives are: Pride by Ibi Zoboi or Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal.
• The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - Anyone who knows me well knows this is my favorite novel. It is not without problems, but it is beautifully written with a tight structure. I believe it also offers opportunities to discuss sexism, sexual double-standards, hypocrisies of religion, as well as being a portrait of a resilient woman and single mother.
• The Importance of Being Ernest and The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde - I have previously discussed my love of Wilde's satire. I believe the personal relationships, humor, and word play in Ernest are accessible to modern students. Dorian Gray offers a more insidious, but equally compelling look at the superficialities of society.
• Tess of the D'urbervilles by Thomas Hardy - This is a novel I first read as a senior in high school, then again in college, and then chose to teach to AP Literature seniors. I have always loved it. Hardy was ahead of his time. Tess is trapped between the old and new worlds in ways that leave her without the resources to thrive in either. Her experiences with hypocrisy, stigmatization of sexual behaviors, and learned helplessness serve to set her up for unhappiness and failure whatever choices she makes. (I am not doing this justice. I would love to go back into an English class to read this again with students.) If I were to teach a course on early feminist literature I would use this and The Scarlet Letter as two texts written by male authors in conversation with Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and Indiana by George Sand among others.

 

 

What are the classic works you would toss out? Which would you keep?

How to Incorporate Big Books into Your Reading Life or I Like Big Books

I love to read. I love to read books from many genres, though as you know I am particularly fond of time-travel science fiction and mysteries. (I'll write about fantasy favorites soon.) Despite my love of reading, reading, reading, I do no seek long books. I gravitate toward books that come in under 400 pages for the most part, but sometimes I am tempted by a story that is much longer. Sometimes, as happened in college, I am assigned something longer. Sometimes long books can be daunting even when the story is one I want to read because I think I will enjoy it. I have therefore read a number of LONG novels over my reading life and have some advice for those who may actively avoid big books.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Take notes: Depending on how long the reading takes, it is possible for even the most attentive reader to lose track of significant details. Taking notes can take the form of separate notes with page numbers for reference in case you want to return to a plot point, character, or paragraph that seems important. Or you may opt to use sticky flags to mark pages that have been annotated in the book (No gasping necessary, it is ok to write in a book you own.), or on a sticky note. 
2. Break up the reading with shorter works in between: If you decide to read a big book in chunks, with other shorter works peppered in, it may be even more important to take notes to refer back to when picking the big book up again. While this is not my preferred method I have used it when I cannot give a big book the sustained attention it needs. 
3. Choose one long period of time to focus on one big book: If you have travel planned, bring just one long book to read on the entire trip. If your winters are cold and you are indoors and read lots anyway, use this time to focus on just one book. I usually do this in the summer time when we do not have school. I gain both time and increased concentration when I am not distracted by working all day. Pesky job.
4. Read with a friend or book club - If you read a big book with a friend or book club you may be more motivated to continue knowing there are opportunities for discussion as you read. Instead of meeting up or chatting just once about a book, a long book offers opportunities for multiple checks ins, which may be incentive to read regularly and a fun opportunity to socialize.
5. Read a book rather than an ebook - I feel much a greater sense of accomplishment when I see the pages go by than when I see the "15%" at the bottom of the ebook. This is personal to me, but it can also limit when and where I read since a big book is by definition unwieldy and not necessarily convenient for all reading settings.  

 

Some of the big books I have read over the years in no particular order:

• The first four books in the Clan of the Cave Bear series by Jean M. Auel: I am not sure what about the first book prompted someone to recommend it to me as a young teen, but I read and loved them. This is not a series I will be rereading. I am not sure the investment of time would be worth it.
• Les Misérables by Victor Hugo: After seeing the musical on Broadway, I was bound and determined to read the book. It took me an entire summer. Maybe the summer after my junior year in high school. I do not remember. I loved it and am glad to have read it, even the extensive detail about the sewers of Paris.
• War and Peace AND Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy: I read these for college courses. One was definately in a European literature class and the other was for my junior seminar. I am not sure which was which. I do remember War and Peace was during the fall semester of my junior year (along with a number of other novels) and I was not able to finish before the winter break, but I did finish!  Both are books I took notes while reading to be able to discuss details in class and keep all the Russian names straight.
• Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien: Often the "books" of the Lord of the Rings series are split into three separate books. I did not read them that way. A friend who was appalled I had not read the books at age 29, bought me one big tome. (I had not read them because I was traumatized by Gollum after reading The Hobbit and watching the 1977 cartoon version.)  I had no idea they came any other way. It took me a few months because the beginning of the year in a teacher's life is often more hectic than later. I remember feeling lost after finishing since I had been immersed in Tolkien's world for so long. (This is often referred to as a book hangover.)
• The Baroque Cycle: Quicksilver (2003), The Confusion (2003) and System of the World (2004) by Neal Stephenson. These were a doozy. Theoretically, I would like to read them again one after the other. Realistically, I am not sure I have it in me until retirement.
• The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt: This one was a recent listen for me. I had a paperback on my shelf on and off a few times, once from the library, once from a Little Free Library, and once from my father, but in the end I listened to it over many weeks of driving and I enjoyed it immensely this way. 

 

Big books in my future reading life:

Fall by Neal Stephenson

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

I think one of these will probably be in the mix during my winter break this year and the other in the spring or summer of 2021.

 

What big books have you read?

What is Magical Realism?

I have just finished reading The Two Lives of Lydia Bird (2020) by Josie Silver, which prompted me to think about magical realism as a genre and revisit other books I have read in the genre. I found this book after reading and enjoying One Day in December (2018), which is not magical realism. I did not know this was magical realism until I started reading. Magical realism is not a genre I seek, but always like.

While I could describe what magical realism is well enough for you to understand, I found a satisfying definition and a discussion of the types of magical realism in this article in O Magazine from 2019. I particularly like this description offered by Ramona Ausubel, an award winning author:

"In other words, magical realism can be defined as stories rooted in reality—with a touch of, well, magic. They are fictional tales probable enough that they could actually happen, with a bit of whimsy.."

 

 

The first I read was Beloved by Toni Morrison as a junior in college. Sethe, the main character, escaped from slavery 18 years before, but has not escaped the horrors of that life. She is haunted by the ghost of her unnamed daughter and also by the memories of her past. The novel's realistic elements are a window to the experiences of someone formerly enslaved, while the magical elements ask the reader to accept that we cannot know or understand all the mental, emotional, and physical repercussions for someone who has suffered and lived on as Sethe has. The book is both painful and beautiful.

Another from college is The Metamorphosis (1915), a novella by Franz Kafka in which Gregor Samsa wakes one morning to find he has turned into an insect. There is no explanation for why or how this has happened. Samsa goes about his business to find there are professional and personal repercussions to his transformation. 

I also seem to remember having read The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, but cannot remember much of the story. (This will need to go on a list of novels to re-read.) The book appeared on all the lists of magical realism I looked at to jog my memory of what I have read. 

Joanne Harris is an author who seems to specialize in magical realism as seen in Chocolat (2000), which is also an excellent movie, The Girl with No Shadow (US title) (2009), Peaches for Monsieur le Curé (2013), and The Strawberry Thief (2019). I have read the first two, while the other two are on my extensive TBR list. The stories take place in a small French village, Lansquenet-sous-Tannes and Paris and feature Vianne Rocher a chocolate maker with a talent for guessing every patron's favorite. 

I have read three novels in which the emotions of cooking are a significant element. In Like Water for Chocolate (1989), by Laura Esquivel, the emotions Tita is feeling as she cooks a dish are then transferred to those who eat the dish. The opposite is the case for Rose in The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake (2011), by Aimee Bender, who can taste the feelings of the cook. This is also true of Lumi in A Taste of Sage (2020), a romance by Yaffa S. Santos.

A.S. King is that rare case of author who I seek out because of the magical elements. I have read, in the order I read them:

• Ask the Passengers (2012) - Astrid sends thoughts and questions up to passing airplanes, in which a passenger hears and is prompted to their own introspection. 
• Reality Boy (2013) - This one is not magical realism, but an excellent book.
• Please Ignore Vera Dietz (2010) - This one is also just regular realism, but also highly recommended. 
• Glory O'Brien's History of the Future (2014) - Over night Glory gains the power to see a person's past and future in a glance.
• Dig (2019) - This one is my favorite. The story is told from the point of view of 5 teens and follows a twisty path all connected to the Hemmings family potato farm. This one is difficult to sum up in a few sentences. It is well worth keeping up with the twists and turns. 
• The Year we Fell From Space (2019) - This is a middle grade novel while the others are YA. (I was never prevented from reading any book I chose, and have adopted this philosophy as well, so if you want to know the age range for any book for young people there are resources like Common Sense Media to help guide you.)

And as I mentioned here, I recently acquired a copy of Still Life With Tornado (2016) that I am looking forward to reading soon. 

 

Other titles I have read and remember reading are:

• Belzhar (2014) - Meg Wolitzer - At a therapeutic boarding school, journal writing takes students to the alternate world of Belzhar.
• In Five Years (2020) - Rebecca Serle - One night Dannie skips ahead five years to a life she is not expecting, then wakes back in her time with mysteries she spends the next five years figuring out.
• Long Way Down (2019) - Jason Reynolds - As Will takes the elevator down toward a life changing act he is visited by ghosts of friends and family who help him to see what might come of his decision. This really does not do this novel in verse justice. I highly recommend just reading this one to feel the full power of the story. 
• Paris on Repeat (2020) - Amy Bearce - This is a Groundhog Day story in which Eve relives the same day of her 8th grade trip to Paris until she is able to fix some mistakes and take some risks to make the day "perfect."
• Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) - Zora Neale Hurston - Hurston is one of the authors from the past I would most like to meet. When I was looking at lists of magical realism novels, this one was a surprise, especially since I used to teach it and read it numerous times in the 15 years I was an English teacher. But in thinking about it, I realized the influence of nature on Janie brings in magical elements.  

 

While I don't care for the click-baity nature of this title, "11 questions you're too embarrassed to ask about magical realism," the content is well research and informative about the origins and progression of magical realism as a separate genre.

 

What are your favorite works of magical realism?

Yes, comics and graphic novels are REAL reading.

I am not the first writer, nor will I be the last to make the case for the legitimacy of comics and graphic novels as "real" reading.

• "Raising Super Readers: Benefits of Comic Books & Graphic Novels" from Scholastic 
• "The Power of Comics" from the International Literacy Association

The reason I am writing about a topic that has been addressed by experts in reading and the ways our brains get involved in different types of reading is because even colleagues of my own, high school English teachers AND librarians sometimes still want to debate if students are really benefiting when they read comics and other graphic works, which leads them to forbid graphic stories as choice or free reading in the classroom. I believe this is harmful to students who need opportunities to read what they choose rather than what has been assigned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let's start with the difference between comics and graphic novels:

from "The Power of Comics" -

"Stylistically, comics and graphic novels are very similar. Comic books are usually about 24 pages and are released in single issues usually once or twice a month. These individual books often form an ongoing story that spans several issues. Like TV shows, they are published regularly and collected in what are called trades. Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Bone are all popular examples of comics.

Graphic novels are basically longer versions of comics. Usually, graphic novels tell one full story and can be a couple hundred pages long. Examples include Amulet, The Witch Boy, and Smile."

 

There is also a fabulous book called Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, who is a graphic novelist, in which he covers in great detail how visual communication works and the ways in which artists use pictures and words to convey meaning.

When I began reading comics, my first was the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman. The series was published between 1989-1996, but I did not read any of them until they were complete and I could get them in trade paperback form. I like reading comics this way because I am not usually able to acquire the next installment every month and fall behind. I would prefer to read them quickly to remember the story line. The books tell the story of Dream and his fellow Endless: Destiny, Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, and Destruction. 

I am glad I began here because these are considered a triumph in cartooning. The series won more than 26 Eisner Awards among many others. Gaiman wrote the story but a variety of artists were brought in for the visuals. This means that each comic book or chapter in the story has a different look. This makes it vital for the reader to closely engage with the art to see and "read" details important to the story. 

While visual literacy is one of the reasons comics are good for the brain, it is also where I stumbled when I first began reading. I start by reading just the words and skipping the pictures, assuming I was getting the gist of it, but I wasn't. Facial expressions, gestures, and other body language as well as background details were telling parts of the story that I was missing. It took little time for me to slow down and modify my reading style to engage fully with the story. 

I have continued to read the work of Gaiman, but have added other comics. Some of my favorites have been 

• Saga by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples
• Monstress by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
• Giant Days by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, Max Sarin, Whitney Cogar, and Jim Campbell
• Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona with a changing group of additional authors
• Rat Queens by Kurtis J. Wiebe, Roc Upchurch, and John Upchurch

Some of these are teen friendly but most are for an adult audience. 

 

When choosing graphic novels to read, I focus on those I have or will order for my high school library.

Some of my favorite authors are:

Raina Telgemeier 

Lucy Knisley

Gene Luen Yang

 

Some recent favorite books are:

Hey Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka, which is a graphic memoir and was a National Book Award finalist

The March Trilogy by Rep. John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell, which has won Coretta Scott King awards as well as a Robert F. Kennedy book award among others. The idea for Lewis to write about his experiences at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was prompted by "Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story," a comic published in 1957. 

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson, a book I enjoyed but is beloved by my 10-year-old niece

New Kid by Jerry Craft, which was the winner of the Newbery Medal, Coretta Scott King Author Award, and Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and Emily Carroll, which is a graphic version of Anderson's 1999 novel of the same name. It is powerful reading for any teen. 

 

It would take a novella for me to list and discuss all of the graphic novels I have read over the years, but I believe it is an important format for readers because of the need to visual literacy skills when we are surrounded by images in the news and social media. 

 

What are your favorite comics or graphic novels?

 

When the world isn't funny, satire still is.

I have always enjoyed the subtleties of well-written satire. Three favorites are by Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, and Joseph Heller.

In one of my British literature courses as an undergrad at the fabulous Albright College, (Just ask, I could talk all day about what a good fit a small, liberal arts college was for me, and may be for others.) we read Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal." My mind was blown. What an example of satire in all its glory. Unfortunately, I did not have the same reaction to Gulliver's Travels (1725) no matter how many times it was assigned in class after class (AP Literature, British lit, Great Novels, etc.). It feels overwrought and too long while "A Modest Proposal" is a master class in brevity and precision. What surprised me on my first reading was its publication date of  1729. This is 291 years ago, but there are parts relating to abuses by the government that could have been written yesterday. 

For instance when Swift writes "I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children," he is acknowledging the way the landlord system in 18th century Ireland "devoured" the livelihood of poor parents leading him to wonder why they might as well devour the children too. To me, this is akin to the way employers wring out employees who are just barely able to survive on the current minimum wage. A good, modern book about this topic is Nickel and Dimed. It is non-fiction, not satire, and both interesting and informative. 

I loved to read "A Modest Proposal" aloud to my students. Those who were paying attention would start to look around with questioning looks on their faces at, "It is true, a child just dropt from its dam, may be supported by her milk, for a solar year, with little other nourishment: at most not above the value of two shillings, which the mother may certainly get, or the value in scraps, by her lawful occupation of begging; and it is exactly at one year old that I propose to provide for them in such a manner, as, instead of being a charge upon their parents, or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall, on the contrary, contribute to the feeding, and partly to the clothing of many thousands." Every year in every class, someone would look up, shoot a hand in the air - or maybe just shout out - "Did he just say people were going to 'eat' babies?" YES!  That is exactly what he is saying - satirically. And that would launch us into a full discussion of the power of satire.

For 8 of my 15 years teaching English I taught 11th grade British literature, which can be a hard sell to 17 year olds, who I find delightful in many ways, but not when I am trying to engage them with literature that is far removed from their own experiences. I found success with both "A Modest Proposal" and The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde. This is a play I find so compelling that when I saw a performance in Washington, DC in 2014 I was so overwhelmed by its perfection that during intermission, I bought a ticket to see it again.

The play aims its pithy satire at a number of facets of life in Victorian England (If this sounds at all familiar it is because a number of my favorite mystery series also take place in that time and place.) including romantic love, marriage, familial relationships, and materialism. The word play is fast paced and highly entertaining if you can keep up. One of my favorite segments is when Algernon (who is going by the name Ernest) and Cecily meet for the first time:

Algernon.  I hope, Cecily, I shall not offend you if I state quite frankly and openly that you seem to me to be in every way the visible personification of absolute perfection.

Cecily.  I think your frankness does you great credit, Ernest.  If you will allow me, I will copy your remarks into my diary.  [Goes over to table and begins writing in diary.]

Algernon.  Do you really keep a diary?  I’d give anything to look at it.  May I?

Cecily.  Oh no.  [Puts her hand over it.]  You see, it is simply a very young girl’s record of her own thoughts and impressions, and consequently meant for publication.  When it appears in volume form I hope you will order a copy.  But pray, Ernest, don’t stop.  I delight in taking down from dictation.  I have reached ‘absolute perfection’.  You can go on.  I am quite ready for more.

Even now, I am chuckling and tempted to stop writing this post and instead re-read the play in its entirety. 

A newer example (1961) is Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, which lampoons the bureaucracy of war and those who have made it their life's work. If The Importance of Being Earnest is farcical, light satire, Catch-22 is its dark cousin as the ridiculousness of the regulations and inept leadership have terrible consequences. I have not read this one in over 10 years, but it is on my shelf to re-read in 2020. There is also a TV series available on Hulu, but I have not seen any of it and cannot speak to how well it stays true to the book. 

Truly contemporary satire can be found in The Onion, an online publication that has new "news" stories every day. One recent headline I enjoyed: "Ian McKellen Waiting In Line At Buckingham Palace Administrative Office To Get Knighthood Renewed Before It Expires" with an accompanying picture and "NCAA Reminds Boosters That Full Bribes Still Due Even If Football Season Canceled." They are fun to follow on social media as well as a break from the news sources I follow to keep up to date. 

Do you have a favorite work of satire?

 

Ready for a change

It all started with The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and frankly I still think they are the best.  (Though to really give credit where it is due, Lois Lowry's The Giver is probably the true source of the genre.)  What I mean of course is alternative reality dystopia stories.  Before this there were vampires and there is still a big section of the bookstore in the YA section labeled "Paranormal Romance."  Dystopia does not have its own section, but it could:

James Dashner: Maze Runner series

Veronica Roth: Insurgent trilogy (final book due out in October)

Ally Condie: Matched trilogy

Marie Lu: Legend trilogy (final book due out in November)  I just finished reading the second book, Prodigy, which is what prompted these musings.

Catherine Fischer: Incarceron duo

Closely related:

Leigh Bardugo: Shadow and Bone trilogy  (second book was just released)

Rae Carson: Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy (final book due out in August)

and maybe even

Laini Taylor: Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy (no release date that I know of for the final book)

I enjoy this type of novel.  Another pre-cursor of which is 1984 by George Orwell, but I have had enough.  Once the trilogies I have started end, I will not be picking up a new series.  As much as each of these is unique, or I would not have read past the first 50 pages, they do start to blend together after a while. 

1.  Strong female and male characters, making the books appealing to all readers.

2.  Struggle against a corrupt or at the very least, deeply flawed government.

3.  Death of one or more significant characters resulting in big emotional impact.

4.  Romance thwarted by the circumstances and the need to place the greater good above personal happiness. 

5.  Hero's search for his or her true place and role in the brave new world he or she helped to bring about. 

I am not sure where I will go from here...hopefully into a wider variety of reading types to stimulate my brain.

Summer Reading: Brain Candy or Lit-ra-chure

I seek out two different types of books in the summer. 

1.  Light reading that some would call "beach reading."  These are the books that are entertaining, often with a charming setting and a happy ending.  To that end I have already devoured Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams, Where Have all the Boys Gone?, and Amanda's Wedding, all by Jenny Colgan, a recent discovery of mine.  Additionally I have read Mr. Darcy's Dream by Elizabeth Aston, bittersweet by Sarah Ockler, and The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes, though honestly I read that one before the school year officially ended, but mentally I was there already.  I can honestly say I enjoyed each of these books and have an extensive line up of this sort of reading ready for July and August.  I set my expectations low, but thus far have been happy to have been told a good story by competent to excellent writers.  

2.  Literature,  the types of books that require all my concentration.  This summer I WILL read both Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel, both of which have been on my shelf for an embarrassingly long time.  I also have a few by Salman Rushdie, both Midnight's Children that I am really looking forward to and The Satanic Verses.  Not too long ago I read Fall of Giants by Ken Follett, which I loved.  I have the sequel Winter of the World on deck for July as well as Pillars of the Earth.  These books are so chock full of characters and plot machinations that they need my full attention.  I also place non-fiction in this category.  I have trouble reading non-fiction sometimes as it does not always have the quick pace of a novel, but I pick subjects in which I am interested to keep me going.  I am currently two-thirds of the way through Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss.  The writing is excellent, exceeded only by the depth of research on the scary topic of processed foods. 

Fitting into neither the former category nor the latter are Legend by Marie Lu and The River of No Return by Bee Ridgeway.  These are not just entertaining, but also fodder for thought, but do not require quite the same level of intense reading as do Booker Prize winners Mantel and Rushdie.  Lu's book has a sequel to which I am looking forward, along with a bevy of other YA items I have been piling up in anticipation of summer.  I find that sometimes YA fits into the brain candy category and sometimes it does not.  I almost always like what I read in YA, but sometimes find the plots to be too predictable. 

 

Anyway, I wish a full shelf of summer reading for you all!

Thank you Sean Pidgeon...

for writing the best King Arthur book  I have read in a long time, Finding Camlann.  And I have read MANY King Arthur books.  My two favorites are T.H.  White's The Once and Future King and Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon (but not its many sequels which are pale imitations of the original.)  Finding Camlann is not an Arthur novel in the same vein as my favorites since Arthur is not a character.  The story takes place in modern times featuring scholars who are interested in the historical Arthur, mainly the question of whether or not there is a historical Arthur or if he is in fact the product of bards who created him from various bardic traditional stories with a smattering of historical warriors.  This story centers on the search in Wales for various Arthurian battlegrounds and burial places. 

Of course while these scholars are searching for a lost hero, they are dealing with their own failures and triumphs as human beings.  Some of the story deals with Welsh nationalism and English rule.  I learned some very interesting things.  I already know some about English and Irish clashes, but was not aware of similar problems in Wales. 

The search in the novel for original sources of information about a possible historical Arthur are intertwined with the story about Siôn Cent a poet who recorded stories of Owain Glyn Dŵr a historical Welsh warrior.  Modern Welsh warriors who fought to keep England from flooding Welsh towns to provide a reservoir of water for England brings in Hugh Mortimer, Julia Llewellyn Mortimer, and her father Dai Llewellyn.  Donald Gladstone is an archaeologist interested in Wales in general with an interest in Arthur that seems to intrigue all Romantics who cling to the ideas of nationalism and chivalry and a golden age of knights and ladies battling evil.  What I enjoyed most is that Pidgeon has refrained from turing the modern characters into metaphors for the Arthurian stories.  This is a novel for anyone who is fascinated by the way storytelling has always held power and how legend and history are deeply intertwined in ways that make the past both more realistic and more nebulous than we will ever be able to know. 

Life Among Giants by Bill Roorbach

Life Among Giants is one of the books I had on lists to read, then took it off, then put it back.  Finally I put it on my hold list at the library.  I knew it was time to read an adult book and take a break from YA.  I need to do this from time to time to engage my brain a bit more and get away from the angst.  Though to be fair, adult fiction has its fair share of angst. 

Life Among Giants reminds me of some of the John Irving I have read.  Those of you who have read my reviews before will know that generally I love Irving's work.  This similarity is therefore positive to my mind.  I do not mean to say that Roorbach is an imitator.  There were just some atmospheric and tonal things that made me think of Irving.  The plot was not similar to any of Irving's work. 

In Life Among Giants, Lizard, or David tells his own story.  His story really begins with the murder of his parents when he is 17, just about 18.  He tells his life before this incidentally, sharing only relevant memories.  Afterwards he covers his life in detail, but even 20 years later much of what he is is related to the loss of his parents.  In a minor way, the book is a mystery with David and his sister Kate trying to discover exactly who murdered their parents and why.  At times through the years, Kate is obsessed with the crime.  She spends time in a mental institution trying to deal with her intense paranoiac beliefs about what happened.  David on the other hand lives a quiet life as a football player for the Miami Dolphins then as a restaurateur.  Always in the background of the siblings' story, are Sylphide, a ballerina who lives in the mansion that backs up to David and Kate's modest family home and Dabney, the ballerina's rock start husband who died not long before David and Kate's parents.  How all of these people and events are tied together if at all is the central conflict of the story. 

Just as much of YA literature deals with the central character's place in the world, this adult story revolves around adults having to confront who they have become and how on earth they ended up this way. 

John Irving Genius

My favorite John Irving book used to be The Cider House Rules, but now I think it is going to have to be Last Night in Twisted River, though really all the Irving novels I have read are such good stories that it is hard to decide which I like best.  To be honest, I listened to this one, but I have to say I think Irving's rhythm of storytelling lends itself to a good old fashioned read aloud.   I started in college or just after with The World According to Garp and have kept up with most of his fiction since then.  I will admit to starting Son of the Circus and not being able to get very far.  I may need to give it another go.

One of the most profound elements of Last Night in Twisted River is its insight on the process of writing.  One of the main characters, Danny Angel, or Daniel Baciagalupo is a novelist.  Irving's comments about writing really struck me.  I cannot be 100% certain this is Irving speaking through the character, but evidence from this and his other writings seem to point this way. 

"You've got to let yourself go, Danny."  Ketchum was saying.  "Be more daring." 

"I'm a beer drinker, Ketchum - no red wine for me, " Danny told him.

"For Christ's sake - I mean, as a writer!" Ketchum said.

"As a writer?" Danny asked.

"You keep skirting around the darker subjects," Ketchum told him.  "You have a way of writing around the periphery of things."

"I do?" Danny asked him.

"You do. You seem to be dodging the squeamish stuff," Ketchum told him. "You've got to stick your nose in the worst of it, and imagine everything, Danny." (p. 488 - Hardcover)

And that's what Irving does, he writes about life as it is with all its messy, unpleasant, harsh realities, but his stories are not depressing, not hopeless, but hopeful and triumphant. 

This isn't Mr. Irving's story, it is that of Daniel and his father Dominic and maybe even more strikingly Ketchum, people who are real, which made me sad to leave them at the end. Though Irving knew when it was time to end the story I really enjoyed my time with these people and felt loss when it was over.

The story mainly follows Dominic, a cook, and his son Danny through half a century.  It is impossible to describe what the story is "about."  I do not envy the inside cover blurb writers for Irving's books, but Dominic and Danny move from place to place, essentially on the run from a tangible danger as well as from each life they build then must leave behind.  The structural time shifts of the novel are fascinating.  Just when you think a huge chunk of time has been skipped, Irving circles back, and circles back is an apt description because the story always comes up to meet itself just where it left off.  It's brilliant. 

Near the end of the novel is another significant statement about story writing,

"...Danny knew how stories were marvels - how they simply couldn't be stopped." (p. 554 - Hardcover)

I hope Mr. Irving's stories will not stop for a good long while.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Just moments ago I finished The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.  I kind of want to rest for a while and read it again.  I have been traveling quite a lot for the past two weeks and read this in a disjointed way.  Even all broken up it is a powerful story.  

It was originally written in French.  (Which I hope to be able to read some day.)  Translations make me nervous, because some are just so poorly done that "lost in translation" does not come close.  I used to teach Madame Bovary by Gustav Flaubert to 12th graders and if they did not pay attention to the syllabus and buy the Francis Steegmuller translation they were reading an entirely different novel, devoid of Flaubert's beautiful words.  (Books whose language is as enthralling as its story is irresistible, which is why The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is my favorite book of all time. I am as drawn in by the language as the story.)  I think the beauty of the writing confirms that the translation is excellent and Barbery's prose lovely. 

I am not a particularly snobby reader, but The Elegance of the Hedgehog is literature, not genre fiction.  It is the story of Renee, the concierge of an up-scale apartment building in Paris and Paloma, a twelve-year-old resident.  Renee is a closet intellect and Paloma is a closet depressive.  Both are brilliant and much of the beauty of the book comes from their ruminations.  The humor comes from their interactions with other, less observant and introspective residents.   I love novels that are character rather than plot driven, though I was endlessly wondering what would happen next, so there was still plenty going on to keep it from being a character sketch rather than a story. 

Barbery has another novel, Gourmet Rhapsody, that takes place in the same building, before the   time of this one, featuring a character who is minor to Hedgehog.  I am tempted to jump in immediately, but this is an author I want to savor. 

If you like summer reading that is heavier than a beach read, or are ready to begin fall reading, I would start with either of these two. 

Pure by Andrew Miller

I heard about this book a few months ago.  Somewhere in one of the many e-letters I receive about books, this one was reviewed.  It sounded so interesting that I added it to my wish list.  Then a bit later I took it off the list as it seemed like it was going to be an obscure book and maybe not all that great after-all, but then it kept cropping up again so-o-o-o I added it back to the list and finally it came out in paperback and my local library had it listed as "On Order."  To shorten up this long story, I just finished it.

I have not read anything else by Andrew Miller, nor had I heard of him before this.  But he is not new and won the James Tate Memorial Prize for Fiction for his first novel, Ingenious Pain.  And his novel Oxygen was a finalist for both the Whitbread Award and the Booker Prize in 2001.  Pretty impressive, which makes me ashamed I had not heard of him. 

In this novel, Jean-Baptiste Baratte is hired, ostensibly by the king of France, the doomed Louis XVI, to clean out the cemetery of Les Innocents and bring down the church as well.  Jean-Baptiste is an engineer more used to building than dismantling and the overwhelming stench of the cemetery that has taken over the neighborhood makes the work even more unpleasant.  Between the sexton and his granddaughter Jeanne, Jean-Baptiste learns the history of Les Innocents and decides where to begin digging.  As with any award winning book (this one won the Costa Best Novel Award for 2011) there are layers of meaning just as there are layers of dead to be excavated. The workers who are brought in to do the digging as well as the friends Jean makes populate the story and make one wonder if what they are doing is ironically a purging of the land before the greater purge of the Revolution.  The people of the city simmer along in the background of the story biding their time.  It seems not haphazard that Jean's time at Les Innocents ends with a conflagration.  

It is an added boon that the book is one of those solid, lovely Europa editions that reminds a reader of all the qualities e-books lack. 

Wisdom from Stephen King

This essay from Stephen King really captures what is wonderful about reading, but also indirectly addresses some of the issues that have been floating around out there about the appropriateness or inappropriateness of YA literature. 

Stephen King in The Telegraph

*Incidentally I used to love teaching Lord of the Flies, because it was often one of the first books students had ever read and liked. 

 

 

 

 

Flavorwire » Famous Last Words: Our 20 Favorite Final Lines in Literature

Famous Last Words: Our 20 Favorite Final Lines in Literature

11:00 am Saturday Apr 2, 2011 by Emily Temple

Endings, as we all know, are important. An entire novel can be ruined by a disappointing ending, but by the same token, an entire novel can be made by a wonderful one. We’ve already given you a rundown of our favorite opening lines in literature, but since every beginning needs an ending (and you’d be surprised at how many works with awesome first lines also have awesome last lines – or perhaps you wouldn’t be surprised), we feel compelled to treat you to a list of our favorite last lines as well. Click through for 20 of our favorite endings from our bookshelf of classic and contemporary greats, and let us know your own picks for best last lines in the comments.

via flavorwire.com

I was not sure they would include it, but my Number 1 favorite last line is from The Great Gatsby.  It is a last line that even has some impact if you have not read the rest of the book, but will completely wreck you if you have read it, especially if you have read it straight through all at once.  Gatsby is a book I think everyone should read in as close to one sitting as possible..it is just that powerful. 

 

The Vespertine - Love and the Supernatural

I have not yet decided if The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell is fantasy historical fiction or historical fantasy fiction.  Amelia has moved to Baltimore for the season in the spring of 1889 to find a husband, as there is no one suitable in Broken Tooth, Maine.  What she finds instead is the power to see the future.  Sometimes she sees a mundane future about a lost glove, but other times she sees a death or other tragedy.   She discovers this power by accident one evening at vespers (hence the title) as she looks into the setting sun. 

One element I really liked about the book is the way the fantasy elements naturally fit into the story.  (Clearly I have decided it is historical fiction with elements of fantasy.)  They do not feel contrived or forced.  Amelia simply does what a young woman does, which is flirt and dance and giggle and rebel, but there is much more to her and her powers.  The novel is a celebration of young womanhood and the discovery of the magic within.  Sounds a little hokey, but I cannot help but admire Mitchell's portrayal of Amelia as she discovers her feminine power and finds the male who is her complement. 

The writing is also beautifully descriptive, which I always like.  I can appreciate books that qualify as brain candy, but I like when novels, especially those for young people have a compelling story as well as being strongly written literature. 

The book also ends well, though I did have my worries for part of it...suitably vague but optimistic.  This is another novel I would like to see remain as a stand alone.  I care enough about Amelia and her soul mate to wonder what happens to them and content to remain wondering.  I think a sequel would lessen the power of the story. 

Loved Catcher in the Rye....what now?

Flavorwire has developed a list of books we loved as teens, but do not have the same impact now, so they have offered some alternatives.  They are taking suggestions for an adult replacement for Catcher in the Rye.  Hmmm....

 

Jane Eyre

I love the novel Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë, but I am not sure about this new movie.  See for yourself. 

 

Who doesn't love a challenge...

..especially when it is a reading challenge.  I just signed up to participate in the 2011 Historical Fiction Challenge.  I love historical fiction and have already read a few of the titles.  (I will write about them a bit later.)  I am excited to get started.  I signed up for "Severe Bookaholism" or 20 or more titles from the list this year!

Historical Fiction Challenge 2011