We finished reading Lord of the Flies (1954), number 49 on the BBC book list, by William Golding. I read it to my 11-year-old daughter, who has been recovering from a tonsillectomy and an adenoidectomy this week. I've read it before, but I had forgotten most of it. Oh my. I feel a loss of... Continue Reading →
I’ve probably seen the movie version of A Town Like Alice at least ten times. It was one of those movies my mom would put on during a rainy Saturday afternoon, like Anne of Green Gables or the six-hour version of Pride and Prejudice. She liked to watch these shows, and we liked watching them... Continue Reading →
I had no idea what to expect when I picked up The Shadow of the Wind (2001), number 56 on the BBC book list, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I mentioned to my sister that I had started reading it, and she had an enthusiastic response. I realized then that I was in for a treat... Continue Reading →
This post was originally published on January 12, 2012. Reading Dickens pleases my husband. He has no idea that the first line of A Tale of Two Cities is, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” yet I could detect his pleasure at seeing me sprawled out on the couch... Continue Reading →
Sixteen-year-old Frank is the protagonist of The Wasp Factory (1984) by Iain Banks, and his identity is nebulous because, as we learn early on, he was castrated as a child. The family dog attacked him as a toddler, and his father kept a jar with the tiny genitals to show his son the tragedy that... Continue Reading →
My favorite part of Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd (1874), number 47 on the BBC book list, is when the maltster at the local pub tells Gabriel Oak that despite the grittiness of the bacon they are about to eat, he can try not to chew too closely and therefore enjoy the meat... Continue Reading →
How do I explain Tess of the D’Urbervilles (1891) by Thomas Hardy and number 12 on the BBC book list? It is one of those awful (in a lovely way) novels that I see myself in. I think any woman can relate. And unfortunately, the #YesAllWomen campaign on Twitter a few weeks ago attests to... Continue Reading →
To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) by Harper Lee might just be the perfect book. It is number 5 on the BBC book list, and it won the Pulitzer Prize. As I reread it for this post, I gaped at how perfect it is. It is essentially many stories told through the eyes of Scout, or... Continue Reading →
I read Anna Karenina (1873–1877) by Leo Tolstoy several years ago. It is number 31 on the BBC book list. I spent many glorious afternoons sprawled on the couch with this large book resting on my stomach while my children napped and sunlight streamed through the windows. Nap time was reading time for me. But... Continue Reading →
I finally got through Birdsong (1993) by Sebastian Faulks and number 17 on the BBC book list. It took me nearly a full semester to get through it, partly because I was busy with reading and writing for my Ph.D. work, and partly because the novel seemed to lag in certain places, and I had... Continue Reading →
The Bookshelf of Emily J. 