Heart Warming Fiction
Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom
I read Tuesdays with Morrie when I was in High school and even though that was a long time ago I can still remember thinking how impressed I was with the freshness of the book. Mitch Albom writes a lot of inspirational material and this book really pushes you to look for what is important in life, which was meaningful to me at the time since I was at the doorstep of life about ready to step off.
I read Tuesdays with Morrie when I was in High school and even though that was a long time ago I can still remember thinking how impressed I was with the freshness of the book. Mitch Albom writes a lot of inspirational material and this book really pushes you to look for what is important in life, which was meaningful to me at the time since I was at the doorstep of life about ready to step off.
If you have never read Marilynne Robinson before please understand that she is not a typical writer. She focuses greatly on her characters and doesn't write to entertain as much as she writes to help people understand people. If I had to describe her writing in one word I might choose humanism. She develops her characters as if she were telling the story of their lives from personal experience. Home is actually one part of a set of books she has written about the same community. Gilead and Lila are the other two that go with it. These books talk a lot about family life, and how simple family life can be complicated because of the individuality of its members. It's easy to relate to some of the characters to yourself and that's what makes the book so attractive.
Adventure
The Moor's Account - Laila Lalami
First of all, the history in this book is amazing! It's about a Spanish expedition to Florida that goes terribly wrong. They run into so many problems on their quest for gold and many of the group dies. In the end, the only remaining survivors are 3 Spaniards and a Moor. After such gruesome trials and changes of attitude towards cultures the Spaniards in their final report of the trip to their Catholic leader leave out certain details of the trip. But the Moor decides that his own account deserves to be known, hence The Moor's Account. Laila Lalami really understands Muslim culture and how it suffers from great scrutiny among other cultures. She captures humanistic trends to demoralize certain peoples and captures the reader in a search the Moor has for his identity. Lalami has written extensively about cultural topics and you can read her essays or her awesome blog here.
The Orphan Master's Son - Adam Johnson
Get ready for a thinker. If you like an interesting challenge you'll love this book. I may be a little slow when it comes to understanding plot lines so it may just be me, but this can be a little complicated, especially if you forget that it is based off of North Korean culture. Johnson portrays the search for identity in a world where identity is decided for you.
All the Light You Cannot See - Anthony DoerrThis book sheds light on a world that has been previously overlooked by World War II authors. The story of two children trapped in a conflict driven by grown-ups captures the reader in their tales of fantasy and hope. It's not quite a tear jerker but don't be surprised if you find yourself holding back a drop or two.
Children's Fiction
When a Monster Calls - Patrick NessThis book is more than just a children's story. It hits on a subject that reaches deeper than simple adventure and fantasy. By setting up a way to explain depression and internal battles Patrick Ness has written a book that should be on everyone's "must-read" list. The imagery of the monster within the book makes the book worth reading alone. And you can even take some time to watch the movie that just came out! It's really a great book to get kids interested in reading.