I made a library trip this month and came away with a stack o' books, and I had a few book purchases as well, so I'll be splitting up this past month's reads into two parts. February had a few Children's Fiction choices, a couple of autobiographies, and a self-help book in the mix - along with a few others. Onward!
The Road to Wigan Pier - George Orwell
"But unfortunately you do not solve the class problem by making friends with tramps. At most you get rid of some of your own class-prejudices by doing so."
Orwell is one of my favorite authors, so this year I'm trying to read his works that I'd never gotten ahold of previously. The first half or so of The Road to Wigan Pier details the living conditions of the poor/working class coal miners in England based on Orwell's experience staying among them (somewhat reminiscent of Down and Out in Paris and London). In the second half, Orwell makes a case for Socialism, drawing from his lived and observed experiences and addressing the concerns people have against Socialism. It's a book addressed to Socialists as much as it is for the public consumption. Orwell also takes the time to explain things like class distinction in Great Britain - something very useful for this American reader. Even if you're not terribly up to speed with politics or you strongly disagree with the conclusions, this book is an interesting read, especially if you're interested in history or learning more about Orwell himself.
Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances - Neil Gaiman
"We are all wearing masks. This is what makes us interesting."
This is Gaiman's third short-story fiction collection, and despite the title, I found the contents of this book the least potentially-problematic of the three (from my reading last year of Smoke & Mirrors and my page-through of Fragile Things). If you've never read a Gaiman short story collection before, I'd probably start with this one. It has the requisite Gaiman blend of horror, fantasy, ghost stories, mystery, and the macabre, but doesn't delve as deeply into taboo or possibly-objectionable (depending on the reader) content as some of his other works. As a bonus for Doctor Who fans, this collection includes an Eleventh Doctor episode-esque story.
Exodus - Debora Feldman
"How had I never realized that there might be Jewish communities all over the world whose practices and perspectives had nothing in common with my own, yet were just as connected to our shared heritage as any other?"
I read Feldman's first autobiographical book, Unorthodox, a few years ago. Exodus continues her story of life after leaving her Hasidic sect of Judaism, but with a somewhat looser and confusing timeline. While I appreciated some aspects of her journey of self-discovery, I felt that I couldn't relate very well - and in the end, I was left with more questions than answers (namely, how did she afford her various overseas trips? Who was looking after her son while she was traveling?). While I found Feldman's first book a subversive and worthwhile read, I personally thought Exodus was fairly unsatisfying.
The Wonderful O - James Thurber
"Books can be burned," croaked Black. "They have a way of rising from the ashes," said Andreus.
While I've long been a fan of Thurber's short stories (the most famous of which is probably The Secret Life of Walter Mitty), I was unaware of his children's books until this year. Part fairytale and chock-full of words and wordplay and rhymes, The Wonderful O is a unique sort of children's story. I found it fun, though the emphasis on words and letters got a bit tedious for me.
There Is No Good Card for This - Emily McDowell & Kelsey Crowe
"Reaching out and fumbling is often far better than not reaching out at all."
Knowing how to help or appropriately respond to friends, family, and/or acquaintances who are dealing with tragedy is hard. While not an exhaustive reference on the subject, There Is No Good Card for This is a good starting point. The book uses elements like illustrations, example conversations, and broken-down sections for easy readability. While it focuses (understandably) on certain specific major difficult life-events in its examples (namely death in the family, cancer/serious illness, and miscarriage), its advice is widely applicable. One of the overall takeaway messages: give yourself credit - we're all doing the best we can. I'd widely recommend this book as applicable for just about anybody, since all of us are or will be touched by tragedy in one sense or another in life.
(continued in Part 2)
Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances - Neil Gaiman
"We are all wearing masks. This is what makes us interesting."
This is Gaiman's third short-story fiction collection, and despite the title, I found the contents of this book the least potentially-problematic of the three (from my reading last year of Smoke & Mirrors and my page-through of Fragile Things). If you've never read a Gaiman short story collection before, I'd probably start with this one. It has the requisite Gaiman blend of horror, fantasy, ghost stories, mystery, and the macabre, but doesn't delve as deeply into taboo or possibly-objectionable (depending on the reader) content as some of his other works. As a bonus for Doctor Who fans, this collection includes an Eleventh Doctor episode-esque story.
Exodus - Debora Feldman
"How had I never realized that there might be Jewish communities all over the world whose practices and perspectives had nothing in common with my own, yet were just as connected to our shared heritage as any other?"
I read Feldman's first autobiographical book, Unorthodox, a few years ago. Exodus continues her story of life after leaving her Hasidic sect of Judaism, but with a somewhat looser and confusing timeline. While I appreciated some aspects of her journey of self-discovery, I felt that I couldn't relate very well - and in the end, I was left with more questions than answers (namely, how did she afford her various overseas trips? Who was looking after her son while she was traveling?). While I found Feldman's first book a subversive and worthwhile read, I personally thought Exodus was fairly unsatisfying.
The Wonderful O - James Thurber
"Books can be burned," croaked Black. "They have a way of rising from the ashes," said Andreus.
While I've long been a fan of Thurber's short stories (the most famous of which is probably The Secret Life of Walter Mitty), I was unaware of his children's books until this year. Part fairytale and chock-full of words and wordplay and rhymes, The Wonderful O is a unique sort of children's story. I found it fun, though the emphasis on words and letters got a bit tedious for me.
There Is No Good Card for This - Emily McDowell & Kelsey Crowe
"Reaching out and fumbling is often far better than not reaching out at all."
Knowing how to help or appropriately respond to friends, family, and/or acquaintances who are dealing with tragedy is hard. While not an exhaustive reference on the subject, There Is No Good Card for This is a good starting point. The book uses elements like illustrations, example conversations, and broken-down sections for easy readability. While it focuses (understandably) on certain specific major difficult life-events in its examples (namely death in the family, cancer/serious illness, and miscarriage), its advice is widely applicable. One of the overall takeaway messages: give yourself credit - we're all doing the best we can. I'd widely recommend this book as applicable for just about anybody, since all of us are or will be touched by tragedy in one sense or another in life.
(continued in Part 2)
No comments:
Post a Comment