This was my list for the so called Book Bucket Challenge on Facebook. I
don't know if the challenge will get people to think if they have been reading or
not and bring them back to the fold. All I know is that it makes for a
very good starting point when you are stuck thinking what you should
read next, you can go look at all your friends' lists . My list did tend to be a very female oriented list, either female protagonists who are very strong or written by women.
I have never cried over a book. But this book had me thinking otherwise. It is a story of many layers. There are many gray areas too in this book. It is a coming of age story of a young girl, the survival instincts of a mother, the protective older brother and the man they are all fear and respect- the head of the household. At first glance, it is the story of suffering and the triumph of spirit. It tugs at your heart strings. It scares you with the monsters that lurk behind the seemingly innocent facades and respectable personalities of everyday men. But it also tells the story of support and love from unlikely sources and that you are capable of surviving much more than you expect.
Anne of Green Gables is an inspiration and a companion to many girls growing up. I liked Anne because she was not too much of a goody two shoes like Pollyanna. She was an adaptable child who made the best of situations she was thrown into using her imagination. Her practical streak however does come through as she grows older. It is a journey typically taken by all of us moving from childhood to adolescence. Anne's story is bittersweet- rejoicing over tiny triumphs, fussing over tiny schoolroom disagreements and coming to terms with the greater losses in life. She learns important life lessons and grows up to be a fine young woman. So there's hope for all of us. No matter how falliable we are.
Room was a book that either people loved or hated. I read more Emma Donaghue after this, but nothing affected me the way this book did. It was a scary, scary book. A less likely scenario than Purple Hibiscus but very relevant to the ever present dangers of abduction and harassment that women face everyday. I think it was a beautifully written book, just because it handled this issue very sensitively and treaded the fine line between turning away readers in fear and disgust and instead evoking their empathy and sympathy. It is the story of a boy and his mother trapped in a nightmare of a stranger's perversion all through the eyes of the five year old.
Daddy Long Legs is a delightful episolatory novel. I am a big big fan of this style. I am a nut for letters. I can never write those perfect balanced letters- with news and funny tid bits and holding the reader's interest until the very last P.P.S. But I do love the fact that people can write such letters. Daddy Long Legs doesn't have too much drama, just some misunderstandings and a whole lot of long newsy letters from an orphan to her benefactor. It is a great feel good book. I like the sequel to this book as well- Dear Enemy has a lot more verve to it because of the main character, but I will stay true to my first love.
Jane Austen's very last novel, but my absolute favorite. Every time I read it, I grow to like it more. Pride and Prejudice, I love as my very first Jane Austen. But Persuasion is a book that really stayed with me. Most of Jane's heroines had failings. They were immature, dramatic, prejudiced and so on. What would you think of a heroine whose failing was maturity and understanding? I thought it was an interesting proposition- a heroine who lost her chance at happiness because she considered too much, analyzed too much and tried to do what would benefit everyone the most. It is a very mature work from Austen and strikes closer to reality than any of her other books. There is doubt and there is love and it all depends on how Anne Elliot makes it work.
Story of runaways who accidentally or not so accidentally stumble onto a secret history. Unlikely pair of white child and the slave who helps her, aside from a story of the search for identity and happiness, there is a huge political background and all the attendant consequences in this story. It is a very situational story and difficult to relate to, but it is also a story which is difficult to forget. Most importantly, it reminds us that sometimes the truth is best left untold.
Rebecca- Most chilling thrilling novel ever. Daphne Du Maurier had me hooked and on the edge of my seat with this book. Even though I know the story and the ending, I have my heart in my mouth every single time I read this book. I didn't like the heroine at all- she's one dimensional. But I realize that it is sort of the point to make Rebecca all the more a contrast. Mrs. Danvers is so totally the character for Halloween dress up. She's creepy and concerned and nursing secret plans of revenge all at the same time. Manderley Estate is pretty much a character in this book as well, leading to many turning points in the story.
Julie & Julia gave me the kickstart into reading about food. It is one of the first books of the genre I read. I do realize that a lot of is fiction posing as non fiction and people were offended that Julie had misrepresented her life.But really which of us doesn't exaggerate when we tell a story or make our life look prettier than it is. This book led to a fascination with Julia Child. I went on to read - "My Life in France" by Julia Child and "As always Julia"- the letters between Julia and Avis de Voto. It was fun to go look at Julia's kitchen at the FOOD exhibition in the Smithsonian American History Museum after reading all about it in her books.
Finally, a book, that is actually funny and a light read in my book list. Not a mindless book, with limited drama and cutting humour, it is an interesting contemporary series. Written in a very tongue in cheek fashion, it can chase all your blues away. Right from the little boy who lives down the hall, the neighbourhood dog, eccentric middle aged people and the clueless heroine, all of these are people who we would meet everday and that makes these books all the more enduring.
Gone Girl- Best Bestseller I have read in recent times. I tend to veer away from Booker Prize winners and Recommended Best Sellers in general. Booker Winners are not my style, I feel they are too highbrow for me and I really don't understand them. Recommended Best Sellers occur at the other end of the spectrum, they are generally over hyped. But this was a super cool puzzle, a twisted treasure hunt of sorts. Extreme Justice served cold. Must read novel of the previous year.
In other food related news, I finished reading the book, As Always Julia. It's a tome of a book, that I happily bought for a buck in the discount shelves outside the Strand Book Store in New York. It is a compilation of letters between Avis De Voto and Julia Child. It feels like when you are reading this book, that you are going through the whole experience of publishing Mastering the Art of French Cooking with them. It's a great book also to understand the then political and social environment albeit from a Democratic point of view. Also both of them were excellent at French and tended to lapse into it in the written form quite often. So it was good practice to read and understand French as well.
