Books Find Us

I believe books find us. The books that we need work their ways into our lives because they contain a message we need right now; sometimes to our great surprise. Evidence of this lies in the fragments that cling to us long after the books themselves have drifted away. I’ve been inspired by Ten Miles Past Normal to, “Live Large”.

For some time I have wanted to run an ongoing contest in our library inspired by Oprah's Books That Made a Difference column mixed with a mystery reader. Here's the plan. Invite, teachers in the building to select their Fabulous Five reads. Five books they loved, or made a difference, or everyone absolutely must read. Give it a catchy title like Who’s Fabulous? Here are Five hints. The books would be featured in a book and bulletin board display, with captions and comments about why they are amazing reads. Everyone, staff and students are invited to guess. Prizes of course would be awarded to the winner (whomever guesses correctly) and (of course) for the teacher for graciously participating. 

In preparation for when Oprah invites me, or while I wait, here are my Fabulous Five for your consideration.


I've already mentioned the first of my Fab Five: I Am the Messenger. Zusak has a beautiful way with words and is fast becoming a favorite author of mine. If you have already read I Am the Messenger,  try Getting the Girl.  If you've wanted a girl who always seems just out of reach, you'll appreciate Cameron's struggle. If you've always yearned for a boy who truly gets what your thinking and loves you on the inside for all of what you are, you will appreciate Cameron's struggle. If you just love a short summer read with characters that struggle with their relationships, you'll enjoy this one.  Or, try The Book Thief. Don't be intimidated by its size. It reads faster than you think. Besides, how can you resist a book about World War II narrated by Death who sees everything in swirling shades of color to communicate mood and atmosphere?

Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal  Summer is one of the few books I've read more than once. There is something about the characters, the setting and the blending of all the pieces together that always feels comforting to me. This is a book for all those readers who love to be spellbound by characters in impossible situations who somehow make it through. How do the lives of a loner park ranger tracking wolves, a farmer's widow, and an elderly organic apple farmer intertwine? Give Prodigal Summer a try to find out. Less like the tensions of Poisonwood Bible, Prodigal Summer reads more like Kingsolver's the Bean Trees.

I, like lots of other people, got really interested in the food my family eats: where it comes from, who produces it, the value it holds and loses before it gets to my family. One of the books that truly encouraged me along my road to knowing and growing vegetables was Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Co-written with her husband (who teaches environmental studies) and her daughter (who contributes recipes) it is a year in the life of food, a manifesto about the value of knowing where your food comes from and an encouragement to grow your own.  An interesting alternative is Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food.

If you have ever thought, even one time, about writing: a story, a poem, a novel, anything. Read On Writing by Stephen King. More than a how to book, it is an encouragement, a view inside the process of this writer. "The rest of it --and perhaps the best of it-- is a permission slip: you can, you should, and if you're brave enough to start, you will. Writing is magic, as much the water  of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink." Fascinating stuff for lovers of King's books, and young writers getting started.

I stumbled onto Winter's Bone somewhere back in January when the movie version was being nominated for Academy Awards. I was hypnotized by the writing. I had read a review that recommended reading it twice: once for the story and once for the language. I agree. Woodrell's writing stunned me. I kept stopping to savor sentences. " Long, dark and lovely she had been, in those days before her mind broke and the parts scattered and she let them go." "The curtain closed so subtly Ree questioned whether it had truly been open or had she wished it open and sold the wish to her eyes." Ree is a heroine sure to strike a chord with young readers because of her age, her need to care for her younger brothers, and her absolute single-minded determination and refusal to give up in the face of all brutality. It is the story of 16 year old Ree as she hunts across the wilds of the Ozark mountains to find her father. He has skipped bail risking the family home as collateral. Since Ree's search will take her through the underworld of crystal meth production and the hidden secrets of long distant families, parts are brutal and require a mature reader. But like the sharp, brilliant edge of broken glass catching sunlight on sparkling fresh snow, Winter's Bone  will capture your attention. For the right readers, it will never let go. 

Since, technically, I didn't discuss I Am the Messenger, I am going to add one more: Kindred  by Octavia Butler. Read when I was teaching American History, this struck a chord with me because it answered the "what if" question we always ask of ourselves when we look back at historical events. What would I have done, had I been there? Dana is a strong, courageous African American woman in 1976 when the Civil Rights Movement is changing the landscape of America. On her 26th birthday she is drawn back in time for the first of many rescue missions. She finds herself drawn back to the antebellum South where she is a slave owned by Rufus. Rufus is drowning. Dana finds herself saving his life and discovers she is a slave owned by Rufus. Over the course of the book Dana finds herself drawn back and forth in time. Always returning at points when Rufus requires saving. If you have an interest in history and have ever wondered, what would I have done? This is a fantastic choice.

 

So, there you have them. My Fab Five +1. Of all the things you've read, recently or ever, what would you include? What are your Fab Five?