Children's Books
5. The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket~Though the Lemony Snicket books are growing on me, this book was terribly depressing. The reader hates to see the protagonists succumb to bad fortune over and over again.4. The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket~The second installment in this series was more upbeat, but it still managed to end in heartbreak. I think these are excellent books for children dealing with loss or grieving a loved one.
3. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi~This book is a great adventure tale about a young girl on the high seas. It was a bit suspenseful so probably better for bigger kids.
2. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll~Great imagination and full of non-sense. It's just fun to read.
1. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis~I reread this in French for fun. It's just the best story for children ever.
Plays and Short Stories
6. Dom Juan by Moliere~This play was a drama about Dom Juan receiving judgment for his wrong doings. I always look to Moliere for humor and complex romantic mix-ups.
5. After the Fall by Arthur Miller~Semi-autobiographical and probably better to see performed on stage, this play only left me wondering what happened to Marilyn Monroe to make her so troubled.
4. Minority Report by Philip K Dick~Very different from the film featuring Tom Cruise, that's for sure. I liked reading a bit of sci-fi for a change.
3. Billy Budd by Herman Melville~Poor Billy Budd who is loved by all encounters misfortune while sailing on a ship. Melville challenged me; he's got a difficult writing style.
2. Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut~I love this short story. Though it is an exaggeration of what a totalitarian government would do, it illustrates the intention to make equality of outcomes for every individual.
1. L'Avare (or The Miser) by Moliere~Like I said before, my favorite Moliere is when he confuses romantic interests, and it creates humorous scenarios. This play did that while making a caricature of a man who loves his money above all. Kyle took me to see a stage performance of this play for our anniversary~very fun!
Non-Fiction Books
4. Winning the Future by Newt Gingrich~A book on political position and strategy. It was a gift from a friend who thought I'd like it. I learned a few interesting things.3. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck~This book is like an extended blog post from a roadtrip across America. It wasn't as compelling as Steinbeck's fiction or even other blogs I've read, but a fun read.
2. La France contemporaine~This is a text book (in French) about modern French culture put into context with brief accounts of history. Even after living in France for a year, this book helped me learn a lot more about my European home.
1. When Character Was King by Peggy Noonan~This is an excellent biography of Ronald Reagan. It's not exhaustive but includes great stories about his childhood, family, career, and presidency. I could have used a little bit more on Reagan versus the USSR, but I'm sure that can be found in other books.
Fiction Books
12. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold~Disturbing book; I question why it's so popular. I also found it to be on high school reading lists from my hometown. It was also listed as a favorite to many teachers. I think Sebold could be a great writer, but the content in this book gross. Don't read it ever.11. On the Road by Jack Kerouac~Beatnik lifestyle and roadtrips across America. To me it's a tale of wasted youth, irresponsibility, and debauchery. I didn't even learn much about the post-WWII era in America or the beat movement. I guess I'm starting to sound like a ninny, and as we approach #1 I'm sure you'll determine I'm old fashioned.
10. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger~This was a beach read while on vacation. It was a fairly stressful read and ultimately kind of pointless. The movie is a bit better because they take some liberties with the plot.
9. Beach Music by Pat Conroy~I know a bunch of folks who love Conroy and wanted to see what the hype was all about. I think he's a good writer and knows how to tell multiple stories within one novel, but he includes a lot of violence and horror in this story. That may not sound odd to you, but the plot focuses on a single dad raising his little girl in Rome, Italy. They decide to return to his home in South Carolina for his family to meet his daughter for the first time. In an effort to make the characters real, he just made me believe that he's a disturbed man.
8. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy~The title of this book is a bit deceptive. Anna shares the role of principle character with Kostya Levin. Anna carries on an adulterous romance and slowly ruins her life while Levin pursues a wholesome, healthy, and somewhat boring (I must admit) life with a farm, wife, and children. It's a neat dichotomy, but for me the book was long and downright depressing. I guess that's Russian lit for you.
7. Island by Aldous Huxley~Island feels more like a dream than a real book. A society of uncorrupted natives adhere to Buddhist principles to achieve enlightenment and happiness. Meanwhile, the nation's young prince has become seduced by the modern world and want to introduce an advanced first-world lifestyle to his people. It's a well written book, but I disagreed with the author's ideas on how to achieve utopia (actually~utopia can't be achieved....)
6. Tara Road by Maeve Binchy~I've wanted to read a Maeve Binchy book since my big sister read Circle of Friends. This one depicted everyday life for a woman born and raised in Dublin. I wouldn't say it was excellent or bad; it simply tells about how she fell in love, got married, had a family, lost her marriage, and copes with life as a newly single woman. I'm going to spoil it for you~she takes a trip to America and then opens her own business. The end.
5. Silas Marner by George Elliot~What an odd little story this is. It feels more like folklore than anything. An old man saves and hoards gold in his home, but by a serious of odd events, he is robbed. In place of his highly beloved fortune, he finds a baby girl with golden hair in his home. It's a really sweet story, and I look forward to reading more George Elliot.
4. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad~Somehow I skipped the mandatory reading of this one in high school. I had learned a good bit about imperialism and colonization in Africa from history classes as well as a number of francophone novels. This was supposed to depict the horror and heartless brutality of Europeans who left the civilized world and transformed themselves into violent occupiers. Though these things appeared in the story, I was more surprised by how internal the telling of the story was. It was more like stream of consciousness writing where the narrator included his thoughts continually with the progression of events. It's a good and challenging read.
3. My Antonia by Willa Cather~I love this book. I don't want to give any of it away to you. I had never heard of it before I found it on a bookshelf. It's a great example of American literature. You should read it!
2. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen~My girliness is coming out. Jane Austen is one of my favorite writers. I prefer Sense and Sensibility over all her books, but Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy gave Marianne Dashwood and Colonel Brandon a run for their money. It's the best love-hate relationship in literature, and if you're a lady who's never read an Austen book before~start with Pride and Prejudice.
1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte~This is one of my new favorite books. Imagine a Harry Potter beginning where there is an orphaned girl being brought up by cruel relatives. She is sent away to an orphanage where life is very difficult; there's always hunger and discipline and illness. She grows up to become a tutor to a French girl in the home of Mr. Rochester, a manly older gentleman with a sordid past. I will share no more with you about this book in the hopes that you will read it. I feel like one of those children on Reading Rainbow who introduce a book to you, share a few illustrations, and then leave you hanging so that you'll be encouraged to beg your parents to take you to the library to read the last 8 pages. Jane Eyre is excellent; of course, you don't have to take my word for it! *cue 80s theme music to change scenes*
One bonus category for you~ I did a couple of Bible studies this year. Kyle and I did A Year with C.S. Lewis which had daily excerpts of his writing to think on. I also did Invincible Love, Invisible War from the Amazing collection. It is a great study for a small group with workbooks and DVDs. It covers the many ways God wants to have a relationship with us while showing what we can learn by his character throughout the Bible. It is a great survey of the Bible for someone who is new to reading it and desires to see the big picture. It's also a great review and reminder of God's desires and promises for those who are more familiar with scripture. I loved it.
There you have it. No pictures, just a ridiculous amount of writing about what I read. This seems like it could be a total snoozefest so I'll try to kick up the interest-factor as we carry on. I do want to ask~ did you have a favorite book you read last year (or ever for that matter)? What category of books do you prefer most? I think it's obvious for me that I love fiction most. Later bookworms!
