How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read

Quote from the book I was telling you all about at the book club--by Pierre Bayard:

The paradox of reading is that the path toward ourselves passes through books, but that this must remain a passage. It is a traversal of books that a good reader engages in-a reader who knows that every book is the bearer of part of himself and can give him access to it, if only he has the wisdom not to end his journey there.

(pg. 178)

VBPL Recommends

For those of you who may not know: Katie, Lennis and I are contributing book reviews/recommendations on a group blog along with other VB library staff. Feel free to subscribe for great recommendations every week!

The site is VBPL Recommends.

Or if you what to see what the three of us have reviewed individually, here are Katie, Lennis and my reviews.

Happy reading.

I just came across this quote and thought I'd share...

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be digested and chewed. -- Francis Bacon

Here's hoping you're doing a lot of chewing!

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

After our discussion of How I Live Now, I was reminded of another young adult book I read last October called Unwind. Unwind also puts teens in extraordinary circumstances where they are required to grow up quickly and take care of themselves.

The story takes place after a war between Pro-Life and Pro-Choice has ended, and a compromise has been decided on where abortion is illegal, but parents can decide to "unwind" their children between the ages of 13 and 17. The process of unwinding involves donating all of the teens' body parts to those who need them. For various reasons, Connor, Risa, and Lev are on the run from the officers who enforce the unwinding process.

There is also an added twist with the practice of "storking." This involves leaving a baby on someone's doorstep. If the family doesn't catch you leaving the baby, they have to take it in as their own.

The story is at times exciting and heartbreaking. I was impressed with Shusterman's ability to write a story about such a controversial topic without pushing his own opinion on the reader. I could not tell from reading the novel whether he was Pro-Life or Pro-Choice.

Unwind is one of the best young adult novels I've ever read, and I can't say enough good things about it. I couldn't put it down.

Coraline

Please remind me to read more of Neil Gaiman. Strike that. Remind me to listen to Neil Gaiman tell one of his entrancing tales. Yes his talents are many. Not only does he create a new world to explore but he makes it come alive by giving voice to all the characters that people his world.

Meet Coraline. No its not Caroline although the man who lives upstairs can't help mispronounce it. She lives with her parents and in an Alice in Wonderland turn of events finds a passageway to an alternate universe through a door in the living room. This is when it gets good. Meet the Other Mother and the Other Father who welcome Coraline and urge her to stay with them. There is something very strange however about these Other parents. Maybe it is their black button eyes. Maybe it is the strange sense Coraline gets by their insistent offerings.

Gaiman, yes, I need to read more of his stuff. Read his journal if you've got the time. Kick back and relax a bit...

Short Stories

Since the book club meeting I've had the time to think about some other short story collections I have read in the past year or so. I believe I mentioned the stories set in Texas. The title of the collection is Corpus Christi by Bret Anthony Johnston. Honestly I don't remember much about the stories except that I enjoyed them. He is a young writer and doesn't have any other books out.

The other writer who I definitely recommend is Grace Paley. I read Enormous Changes at the Last Moment and loved both the writing and the feeling behind the words. After reading up on her life Paley always felt like someone I would like to sit and have a cup of tea with. I would have to try hard and not ask her where the story ends and her life begins.

And just while I was writing this I remembered Flannery O'Connor. She writies some powerful short stories. Strange, memorable characters with cloudy intentions dominate the stories I have read of hers. A Good Man is Hard to Find is one of my favorites.

Anyone have any recommendations, short stories or otherwise?

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Knowing that slavery was a prevalent theme in this book both attracted and repelled me. I think it is good to look at that time period in U.S. history but I knew that some of the scenes might be more violent than I would like. The violence was there but the book is written in such a way as to help someone understand the mentality of the slave and the slaveholder. And of course this is sci-fi so you get it from the perspective of someone from today. A fascinating, highly recommended read!