2007-10-06T10:23:00.001-04:00

Let's Talk Books

Here are some books that have given me more than entertainment. These are books that have stayed with me, and in some cases, have changed my view of things. I'd love to hear about books that you have read that have done this for you.

Arundel by Kenneth Roberts -- This probably isn't for everyone. I just love Maine history and spend quite a lot of time on and along the Kennebec River in the summertime. This is a novelization of Benedict Arnold's journey up the Kennebec and through the Maine woods to Quebec during the Revolution.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck -- The characters in this book are some of the strongest book characters I have encountered, especially the evil ones.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy -- I read this recently and can't stop thinking about it. This book is about a father and son who survive a nuclear disaster. They take to "The Road" with only a shopping cart of supplies to escape the harsh winter. The book forces you to ask yourself these questions: Is life worth living without other people to share it with? Could I kill someone to protect myself or my child? Will there be a nuclear disaster in my lifetime?

Thornbirds by Colleen McCullough -- I'm not exactly sure why this book has stayed with me. It is the story of a woman in love with a priest who she has known since childhood. She is tortured by the fact that he does not love her as much as he loves God. This is one of the few books that I feel was captured beautifully and accurately in film. The Australian setting adds to the book and the film's appeal.

My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult -- How must it feel to be genetically altered so that you can give your sister who has leukemia transplants, transfusions? Picoult has an amazing talent for twisting her endings!

The Child Called It series by David Pelzer -- The tragic but true story of David Pelzer's childhood and his suffrage of physical and emotional abuse by his mother. This was horribly depressing and one that I wish I could forget.

Winslow High School Library...Home of the Readers