52 Books in a year - Week Six - Esperanza Rising

This book was another recomendation from my wonderful friend Janine - she sent me a few books to read and I have rather enjoyed what she has sent so far, only one more to go! Anyway, Janine often reads young adult fiction which i have some to enjoy very much, it is a way to enjoy a story without the time commitment and i often find i think more about these books than much adult fiction. My other favorite part is to see how the story parallels adult stories that are similar - see my next post about my book club book from June for a complete explanation.

This young adult fiction tale was about a young girl named Esperanza who is very wealthy and lives in Mexico. Very early on her father dies and they lose everything and are forced to come to America to work as peasants. While this is clearly a fictional tale of what this life must have been like, it was a great book for discussing with young adults what this life was like and how common it was and still is today. It brings up issues or race, class, and a side of poverty we often don't think of. Overall, I would recommend this book for all to read, especially young girls who need something that is a bit more challenging than much of what is out there.

52 Books in a year - Week five - Nineteen Minutes

So, I have this bad habit of reading a lot of, well, not challenging stories. I always seem to pick up just an easy to read novel, especially during the school year when I have so much other (ahem) wonderful reading to accomplish. After reading a dozen research papers, the last thing I can do is sit and read a complicated story. This year I seem to be a bit stuck on Judy Piccoult novels, which have proven to be very enjoyable. Here are my thoughts on Nineteen Minutes, which centers around a school shooting.

While I am clearly a Piccoult fan, this book was by far my favorite. While her books are written in the same fashion and become a bit on the predictable side (multiple stories in one, a huge twist at the end, etc) I am often intrigued by stories that surround school shootings. This work of fiction did a great job of dealing with the pain and healing process a community must go through in order to deal with a tragedy of this magnitude. If looking for an easy read but a topic that is worth reading through, I highly recommend.

52 books in a year - Week four - The kite runner

This book was a recommendation from my friend, Janine in a wonderful box of books she sent to me. I am hoping to get through all of them very soon, but made this my first selection. While this was a book that I had often thought of reading, it was nice to have it placed in front of me to actually get me to read it.

The Kite Runner, first of all, was not at all what I had expected. While I knew the story would cover many tragedies of the Afghan people, I was not quite prepared for the detail and pure devastation that was discussed. I had to put this book down and pick it back up so many times just to allow myself to think through what was happening. The basic idea is the story of two boys growing up before the war, one privileged and one not. The story touches on tradition, family, and the struggles of being in a war torn country. The only disappointment was that the story ended, while beautifully, I needed to know more - the reader was left to believe the story just finished on a bright note, which, after what had just been experienced, wasn't all that bad.

52 books in a year - Week three- The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

For our March Book Club, we read a delightful book - The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Here are my thoughts.

Great book - written as letters back and forth to all of the characters involved, this story was delightful, the best work I can think of to explain. The story reflected the nature of humans and a bit about the curiosity we all have. Written from letters from many different people and perspectives, this story would make for a great summer beach read. Catching the humor is key, most is subtle and very witty.