Tuesday
Apr272010
you make me feel so mean
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 12:00PM
can't get that line of this song they play at work out of my head. anyway, are you loving my totally unrelated titles? ME TOO!
today a friend asked for book recommendations, and I went to town, so I thought i'd post it here as well.
wuthering heights Emily bronte
densely written, but still remains one of the most dramatic love stories in literature.
the inferno dante alighieri
alighieri’s interpretation of hell and how man moves through the circles of hell is a touch point for many common verbal references that we use in everyday speech.
the odyssey homer
Super dense, this is one of the greatest adventures ever told as we follow Odysseus on his journey from the battlefield back home
siddartha herman hesse
this philosophical, short novel about man’s journey through life helped fuel the revolution-filled days of the early seventies. must be read with an open, curious mind.
northanger abbey jane austen
her first novel, this gives jane austen more of a sense of context amongst her peers than her later work. obviously influenced by reigning gothic novels like ann radcliffe’s the italian, this more whimsical, melodramatic novel is a great primer to austen.
the count of monte cristo alexandre dumas
more relatable than his series on the musketeers, the count of monte cristo deals with powerful struggles through punishment and forgiveness, revenge and fate without losing sight of adventure, action and romance. one of my favorites of all time.
tale of two cities charles dickens
designed to taunt the reader in weekly installments (dickens’ novels were published chapter by chapter in london newspapers), this book reflects on this tumultuous time caught between war and strife and has one of the most memorable endings ever in a novel.
i know why the caged bird sings maya angelou
it is no coincidence that this woman went on to become a poet laureate; her unflinching examination of her own incredibly difficult childhood is related with honesty and a lyrical sense of prose. really sad and slightly triumphant, but an amazing narrative.
ethan frome edith wharton
sometimes I think I’m the only person who genuinely likes this novel, but its portrayal of choice and consequence and unfulfilled desire against a stark new England novel is so beautiful.
the crucible arthur miller
meant as an allegorical warning about huac (house un-american activities committee) during the sixties, the crucible triumphs as a novel about the power of mass hysteria and the awful vengeance of a woman scorned in 1600s salem, ma.
the great gatsby f. scott fitzgerald
celebrating the iconic American struggle between “old money” and “new money”, laced with unfulfilled desires and haunted with frustrated dreams, this is a stunning novel and a beloved American classic.
the fountainhead ayn rand
This is a dense book, but well worth the effort. howard, the architect who is young, idealistic, and violently uncompromising, is heroic in his efforts to achieve his dreams, but not at any cost.
a separate peace john knowles
this is a great book set at a new england boarding school and told through flashbacks; at the onset of the novel you know something terrible happened a long time ago, but not what it is. a coming of age story with male protagonists.
lord of the flies william golding
this psychological experiment of a novel explores what life would be like if a bunch of boys got dumped on an island together and had to fend for themselves. it’s a little crazy, but it’s a great book.
in cold blood truman capote
This book is incredible because of what it isn’t. it’s never what you want it to be, expect it to be, or need it to be. it’s not fiction, but its not journalism. it’s not easy to digest, because it’s the story of the author’s developing friendship and resulting sympathy for a man who, with his partner, slaughtered a family without much reason. it’s chilling but it’s a feat of literature because it toys with your sympathy and who you think is truly to blame.
the name of the rose umberto eco
this is one of the most complicated, confusing novels I’ve ever read, but going along for the ride is a complete mystery and the ultimate homage to books and reading.
the red tent anita diamant
this tale of biblical womanhood puts into context the feminine mystery and our current stature as free, capable women. the women who have come before us are strong, motherly, and powerful and this book shows them beautifully.
ella enchanted gail carson levine
this feisty reimagining of cinderella remains today one of my favorite stories. ella is no wilting maiden in this one, but she misses her mother and isn’t sure of her place in the world.
the book thief markus zusak
this book will haunt you for the rest of your life. one of the most impressive literary feats I’ve ever read, this chronicles world war two from the point of view of death as he brushes past the book thief on several occasions.
the disreputable history of frankie landau banks e. lockhart
this novel felt extraordinary to me because it was so funny and incisive and yet so familiar—how do teenage girls empower themselves as women and still have boyfriends and social lives? and, oh yeah, how does one girl topple a secret society?
The catcher in the rye jd salinger
this was an almost genre-less novel at the time, and helped start america thinking about the difference between ya and adult fiction. it’s about a disillusioned youth searching for his place.
a great and terrible beauty libba bray
This book is about four girls at a finishing school that discover a magical world outside their own, but what makes the book truly magical is that their contemporaneous issues feel so real, from struggling with family to trying to determine a way to assess your self worth. and the magic part is way fun too.
inkheart cornelia funke
this is a gorgeous book about a father who can—but refuses to—talk storybook characters to life by reading them aloud. It’s been translated from german, so I don’t know if its due to the translator or if there is a natural richness to the language, but its incredibly well written.
city of bones cassandra clare
jace, the main male protagonist/love interest, is uber hot. The story about demon-fighting angels is pretty cool too, but mainly jace is hot.
the golden compass philip pullman
the first installment in an incredible, mind blowing trilogy, the golden compass follows lyra through an alternate oxford, england, where everyone’s soul is attached to them in the form of a animal and there are incredibly dark forces at work.
howl’s moving castle diana wynne jones
a fairytale with a tongue in cheek attitude where nothing is ever as it seems. howl is a wizard that eats young girl’s hearts and sophie is a forgotten older sister that gets cursed into an old woman. fun, magical romp.
all american girl meg cabot
meg cabot is one of my favorite authors, and this book clearly shows why—she’s unapologetically fun, incredibly endearing, and insanely relatable. when you read the book it sounds like a conversation you’ve had inside your head—just infinitely cooler and more interesting.
today a friend asked for book recommendations, and I went to town, so I thought i'd post it here as well.
…nourish your mind…
literary classics
wuthering heights Emily bronte
densely written, but still remains one of the most dramatic love stories in literature.
the inferno dante alighieri
alighieri’s interpretation of hell and how man moves through the circles of hell is a touch point for many common verbal references that we use in everyday speech.
the odyssey homer
Super dense, this is one of the greatest adventures ever told as we follow Odysseus on his journey from the battlefield back home
siddartha herman hesse
this philosophical, short novel about man’s journey through life helped fuel the revolution-filled days of the early seventies. must be read with an open, curious mind.
northanger abbey jane austen
her first novel, this gives jane austen more of a sense of context amongst her peers than her later work. obviously influenced by reigning gothic novels like ann radcliffe’s the italian, this more whimsical, melodramatic novel is a great primer to austen.
the count of monte cristo alexandre dumas
more relatable than his series on the musketeers, the count of monte cristo deals with powerful struggles through punishment and forgiveness, revenge and fate without losing sight of adventure, action and romance. one of my favorites of all time.
tale of two cities charles dickens
designed to taunt the reader in weekly installments (dickens’ novels were published chapter by chapter in london newspapers), this book reflects on this tumultuous time caught between war and strife and has one of the most memorable endings ever in a novel.
i know why the caged bird sings maya angelou
it is no coincidence that this woman went on to become a poet laureate; her unflinching examination of her own incredibly difficult childhood is related with honesty and a lyrical sense of prose. really sad and slightly triumphant, but an amazing narrative.
ethan frome edith wharton
sometimes I think I’m the only person who genuinely likes this novel, but its portrayal of choice and consequence and unfulfilled desire against a stark new England novel is so beautiful.
the crucible arthur miller
meant as an allegorical warning about huac (house un-american activities committee) during the sixties, the crucible triumphs as a novel about the power of mass hysteria and the awful vengeance of a woman scorned in 1600s salem, ma.
the great gatsby f. scott fitzgerald
celebrating the iconic American struggle between “old money” and “new money”, laced with unfulfilled desires and haunted with frustrated dreams, this is a stunning novel and a beloved American classic.
the fountainhead ayn rand
This is a dense book, but well worth the effort. howard, the architect who is young, idealistic, and violently uncompromising, is heroic in his efforts to achieve his dreams, but not at any cost.
a separate peace john knowles
this is a great book set at a new england boarding school and told through flashbacks; at the onset of the novel you know something terrible happened a long time ago, but not what it is. a coming of age story with male protagonists.
lord of the flies william golding
this psychological experiment of a novel explores what life would be like if a bunch of boys got dumped on an island together and had to fend for themselves. it’s a little crazy, but it’s a great book.
in cold blood truman capote
This book is incredible because of what it isn’t. it’s never what you want it to be, expect it to be, or need it to be. it’s not fiction, but its not journalism. it’s not easy to digest, because it’s the story of the author’s developing friendship and resulting sympathy for a man who, with his partner, slaughtered a family without much reason. it’s chilling but it’s a feat of literature because it toys with your sympathy and who you think is truly to blame.
the name of the rose umberto eco
this is one of the most complicated, confusing novels I’ve ever read, but going along for the ride is a complete mystery and the ultimate homage to books and reading.
the red tent anita diamant
this tale of biblical womanhood puts into context the feminine mystery and our current stature as free, capable women. the women who have come before us are strong, motherly, and powerful and this book shows them beautifully.
…imagine freely…
notable young adult novels
ella enchanted gail carson levine
this feisty reimagining of cinderella remains today one of my favorite stories. ella is no wilting maiden in this one, but she misses her mother and isn’t sure of her place in the world.
the book thief markus zusak
this book will haunt you for the rest of your life. one of the most impressive literary feats I’ve ever read, this chronicles world war two from the point of view of death as he brushes past the book thief on several occasions.
the disreputable history of frankie landau banks e. lockhart
this novel felt extraordinary to me because it was so funny and incisive and yet so familiar—how do teenage girls empower themselves as women and still have boyfriends and social lives? and, oh yeah, how does one girl topple a secret society?
The catcher in the rye jd salinger
this was an almost genre-less novel at the time, and helped start america thinking about the difference between ya and adult fiction. it’s about a disillusioned youth searching for his place.
a great and terrible beauty libba bray
This book is about four girls at a finishing school that discover a magical world outside their own, but what makes the book truly magical is that their contemporaneous issues feel so real, from struggling with family to trying to determine a way to assess your self worth. and the magic part is way fun too.
inkheart cornelia funke
this is a gorgeous book about a father who can—but refuses to—talk storybook characters to life by reading them aloud. It’s been translated from german, so I don’t know if its due to the translator or if there is a natural richness to the language, but its incredibly well written.
city of bones cassandra clare
jace, the main male protagonist/love interest, is uber hot. The story about demon-fighting angels is pretty cool too, but mainly jace is hot.
the golden compass philip pullman
the first installment in an incredible, mind blowing trilogy, the golden compass follows lyra through an alternate oxford, england, where everyone’s soul is attached to them in the form of a animal and there are incredibly dark forces at work.
howl’s moving castle diana wynne jones
a fairytale with a tongue in cheek attitude where nothing is ever as it seems. howl is a wizard that eats young girl’s hearts and sophie is a forgotten older sister that gets cursed into an old woman. fun, magical romp.
all american girl meg cabot
meg cabot is one of my favorite authors, and this book clearly shows why—she’s unapologetically fun, incredibly endearing, and insanely relatable. when you read the book it sounds like a conversation you’ve had inside your head—just infinitely cooler and more interesting.
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