I know my book reviews are fairly fluffy. They're short and trite and don't actually delve into the "meat and potatoes" aspects of the work I'm critiquing. I just want to say, in my defense, that I'm no longer interested in analyzing themes of an author's work, unless they totally jump out at me. (Years and years of thematically driven analytical rewrites of famous literature will do that to a person.) These days, I mostly want to write about liking or not liking a book, how long it took me to get through it, or how long I enjoyed it, for the ones I loved. With an occasional "recommended for" aspect thrown in for good measure.
I have been thinking however, that since my reviews do seem rather superficial, it might be nice to include a list of books I have read and loved, to give my readers something to measure their likes and dislikes against. This might be a way to know whether or not to give any credence to my loving or hating a certain work.
So here it is, in list form, but not necessarily love order, my Top Ten books:
1. East of Eden by John Steinbeck - I read this in high school, before the Oprah phenomenon, and it lead me to all things Steinbeck, something for which I will always be grateful.
2. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde- In my opinion, Oscar Wilde's greatest work. If you're familiar at all with Oscar Wilde, it's probably because of his play The Importance of Being Earnest. For some reason that play seems to be the author's most widely published and studied piece, while Dorian Gray suffers in obscurity. It's such a pity and also a prime example of how mainstream media can overrun some of the best art.
3. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant- I read this book right after having Amelia and I believe that is one of the reason's I loved it so much. It's an historically fictional account of the daughter of Jacob and sister of Joseph. A beautiful book about the struggles of being a woman and a mother; the troubles as well as the joys are timeless.
4. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - I am a lover of all things Ayn Rand, so choosing Atlas Shrugged over The Fountainhead and her lesser known We The Living was difficult. What tipped the scales though, was how clearly this novel illustrated her often emphasized theme of individuality.
5. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - Loved this book, hated when it ended. Read it.
6. Tess of the d'Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy - I read this in my twenties, when I was young and impressionable and totally lost. It amazed me how Hardy could speak to my idea of feminism and freedom from a completely different century. This is a wonderful example of why the classics are classics.
7. A Widow for One Year by John Irving - This was actually the third John Irving novel I'd read; behind A Prayer for Owen Meany and The World According to Garp. I really enjoyed the first two, but fell in love with A Widow for One Year. I now have three Irving books lined up along my "to be read" bookshelf hoping to have found my second Steinbeck.
8. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling - Anyone who knows me personally would know I was just spouting garbage if I didn't put a Harry Potter book on my Top Ten list. I eagerly anticipated every release, often having the books shipped to me and reading them in their entirety the weekend they came out. I'm now reading the series to my son, Asher, and watching the movies after finishing each book. I'm pleased to report that he loves them just as much as I do. The fourth book is my favorite; probably because it's the first one that made me cry.
9. My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok - My best friend from high school recommended this book to me a couple year's ago. She told me to tell people that I named my son after the main character. I didn't, I actually stole the name from her when she and I were both pregnant (she was having a girl - score!). Anyway though, had I read it before Asher was born I would totally have named him after Asher Lev. This Asher is a sweet Hasidic Jewish boy who only wants to be obedient and faithful to the ways of his fathers. Unfortunately, he is a fiercely talented artist who must leave the confines of his community in order to pursue his gift.
10. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris - Another great gift! This one was given to me by my brother-in-law. It is my favorite Sedaris book, although I do prefer getting his stuff on tape because he and Amy are hilarious in the readings and so much more of the personality of the book comes through.
Well there you have it. Ten reasons to heed or not to heed my short, slightly lame, seriously superficial book reviews.
