Torch

An impressively well-crafted novel by a fellow Portlander Cheryl Strayed. The topic (death and grief) is quite heavy, obviously, but the book never feels like "too much" -- it's never too sentimental or too melodramatic. The characters are complex and real, and while there is plenty of emotion, it always feels authentic. A very good read.

Summer Reading

Remember summer reading lists? Ms. Tritten gave me one after my junior year of high school: 100 Books to Read Before College. I took it very seriously. And although they are now my to-read lists, not someone else's, I have one every summer. So I thought I'd take a cue from Danielle and write a wrap-up of a few books I've read so far this season.

This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust. This is a great read. It’s a quick and relatively light history of the Civil War and Reconstruction years that doesn’t bombard readers with dates, battles and generals (although there are a lot of numbers). Her interpretation of recent research and findings feels original and makes for a rich cultural history of this time in America. And her writing is neither overly-academic nor too simple and watered-down. If you’re like me and haven’t read much about the Civil War, it’s a great place to start.

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert is a lovely and entertaining novel. I had a lot of fun reading this because I didn’t know the details of the plot and had no idea how it would turn out (honestly!). So after the first few chapters I was hooked. Flaubert masterfully (I hear he agonized over every word) made an unlikeable woman and this wretched story easy to sympathize with and fun to read. And speaking of summer reading lists, it may not be on mine but Madame Bovary made someone's top ten.

Native Son by Richard Wright. This is one of those books that I’ve always had and always intended to read, but for one reason or another just never got to. I’d say if you’re in that same boat, read it now! Seriously. Stop reading my sloppy review and go get that dusty paperback off your shelf. And if you have read it, call me. We’ll talk. This book knocked my socks off.

The Time Traveler's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Henry DeTamble is a librarian with "Chrono Displacement" disorder. At random times he suddenly disappears and finds himself in the past or future, usually at a time or place of importance in his life. From his point of view, he first met his wife Clare when he was 28 and she was 20. She had known him her whole life. The book alternates from Henry's point of view to Clare's. Publisher's Weekly described it as an "intriguing science fiction concept, a realistic character study, and a touching love story".

I thought it was fantastic! The characters had a lot of depth and the story was believable, even with the time travel. It was funny, touching, and even tragic. I recommend it! 

The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

The Ballad of the Sad Cafe is a truly amazing novella, a haunting and astonishing story. The characters range from odd to freakish, but the author makes them come alive and their motivations ring true. Loneliness is the main theme here, as it is in much of Carson McCullers' work. So it's sad tale, but well worth reading. Beautiful sentences, a sad and lovely voice.

This book also contains some very fine short stories, including her first, published at age 17, about a young girl in the moment of realizing she will not become a great pianist. I understand that story is somewhat autobiographical, and to that I say, Ms. McCullers, you may not have become a virtuouso pianist, but you are a virtuoso storyteller.

The Book Thief

By far my favorite book this year. The narrator, Death, is among the most fascinating I've ever read. He is grimly witty, reluctantly compassionate, and, in his own words, "haunted by humans." He marvels that "the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant."

It's a book about words, their power to create and destroy, and humans, their stunning cruelty and kindness. But it weaves together so many other themes and motifs that I had to list them in the front pages so I wouldn't forget them all. Zusak writes with language so potent I found myself marking passages on nearly all of its 550 pages. Add to that endearingly human characters--sometimes cruel, but so often breath-takingly kind--and a page-turning plot, and you've got a book you really shouldn't miss.