I read this book last summer for the first time and loved it to death. I have no idea why I really love it so much, because I've read a lot of other classics and, quite frankly, hated them. But something about Jane just gets me, and I'm soo excited to read it again.
After that, however, I might be at a bit of a loss. We have lots of books around here, but I want to read books that I've already heard are great. So, dear readers, here's the question: what books do you love? What would you read every summer if you really enjoyed reading and had all the time in the world? (Because that is essentially the situation here.) Please advise.
Thanks!
catcher in the rye.
ReplyDeleteor anything by JD Salinger.
ooh. or Anthem. love it.
i've also found some contemporaries i love.
Super Sad True Love Story
It's kind of a Funny Story.
then there are the fun ones.
Enthusiasm
Scrambled Eggs at Midnight
Dream Factory
but i have a question for you. I've been considering Jane Eyre for some time. But i want to ask, is it anything like Jane Austen's writings? because those surely put me to sleep.
fire and the covenant. (gerald lund.)
ReplyDeletework and glory. (gerald lund.)
gables faces east. (anita stansfield.)
summer of my german soldier. (bette greene.)
and if we hadn't just read it i would say their eyes were watching god.
Mara, Daughter of the Nile
ReplyDeleteAlso, you might like Snowflower and the Secret Fan (I think that's what it's called - ask mom for clarification).
I've been recommended The Name of the Rose by Unberto Eco (by my favorite teacher at the Y - the music one I told you about). It's a favorite of his although I haven't read it yet. Apparently it's a real page-turner.
If you're looking for purely entertainment, I suggest the Angels and Demons set. Super great, especially when followed by the movies.
You could also reread Mr. Popper's Penguins and then go see the movie. Will and I are planning on doing that for some lighthearted fun.
Ok, I think this comment is sufficiently long so if you need more, we can chat :)
You've already got a pretty good list, so I leave you with one. My favorite. The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner.
ReplyDeleteI've heard that the Golden Compass series are good by Philip Pullman.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy John Grisham books, they are a lot about lawyers and things according to the laws.
And although it was a book I read for school I enjoyed reading A Separate Peace by John Knowles.
I think it kind of depends on what you looking for in terms of what kind of books you want to read. Hopefully you'll fond one that you like.
Dear Ruth,
ReplyDeleteJane Austen once put me straight to sleep as well. I have only read one by her, but I didn't enjoy it much. However, I really do love Jane Eyre. It's much more of an individual story (rather than having a million characters), and it's written in first person, which I adore. It takes a bit to get going, but I don't find it boring like I do with Jane A. :)
Ummm so I know you already have alot of suggestions, but in case you were looking for something more toward that harry potter genre I would suggest the Pendragon Series. I am rereading them right now and I love them. Haha or Serpent tide :) its a little cheesy though.
ReplyDeletei'm adding the count of monte cristo to the list i gave you. the movie has always been a favorite of mine, which helped me understand the book, but even if you haven't seen the book, read the movie. i love it.
ReplyDeleteThe Anointed. They made a movie out of it with Khiera Knightly (I think). Not sure if the movie was any good (didn't see it), but the book was fantastic.
ReplyDeleteAnything by Amy Tan is fantabulous. I believe her most popular book is The Joy Luck Club. Most of her books have to do with Americans of Chinese heritage discovering/exploring their ancestry and the stories and lives that inform their own.
I don't normally read novels (I read mostly scholarship/commentary stuff), but I really enjoy those. Jane Eyre is also very good. I'm sure you've read it, because hello, Charles Dickens, but if you haven't: Great Expectations.
Dang it, I messed that up. It's not called The Anointed. The Anointed is good, but I don't think you'd like it. It's about a Christian, a Jew, and a Muslim practicing Kabbalah during the Spanish Inquisition.
ReplyDeleteI was talking about Atonement.
I'm just going to flood you, so here goes: Johnny Got His Gun by Trumbo is my favorite novel, but it's SO sad. It has to do with a severely injured soldier.
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt.
All Quiet on the Western Front.
Hunger of Memory: the education of Richard Rodriguez. This isn't a novel, and I don't know if you'd like it, but it's about a Mexican American's experience with affirmative action and the ways it has helped him/destroyed his sense of culture.
Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed by Philip Hallie. It's about a Protestant French village which risked much to house Jews during the Holocaust.
Okay, that is all.