We start our SSR program this week, which means you need to have a book with you in class, every day, starting Wednesday, August 26th (today). Since some of you are having a hard time hunting down books, I am going to list my all time top five favorite books that you're guaranteed to love. They are, in no particular order:
1.) Geek Love by Katherine Dunn. This book is hard to explain without overselling it. The main character is the only surviving member of a fictional family of circus freaks who traveled across the country in the late 70s and early 80s. It hops between our main character's life as the most 'normal' and therefore 'useless' member of her family, and the present where she is stalking her neighbor, a pretty girl who may or may not have a tail. Cults, amputees, a turtle-boy and more eyebrow raising tragedy than you can imagine crowds this book cover to cover.
2.) the Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Yeah, I know, its a movie now, and, no I haven't seen it, and I never will. I also know that it looks and sounds a bit "girly" and maybe it is, but this is one of the most interesting and cool books I've ever read. The time travel takes a few pages to completely understand, but once you get going the book doesn't fail to make you laugh and cry. Yes, I actually cried while reading it. If you don't, you're dead inside.
3.) Watership Down by Richard Adams. If you wanted to learn as much as possible and only ever read one book in your life, this is it. This story covers every conceivable topic: love, religion, intolerance, the evils of capitalism, the value of having true friends, courage, faith, violence and so much more, but it does it all with bunnies. Yes, these bunnies will teach you more about life than any other land-based rodent I've ever read about (sorry, Mickey).
4.) Lamb: the Gospel According to Biff by Christopher Moore. Easily the funniest book I've ever read, if you have an open mind when it comes to blasphemy. This book tells the story of the life of Jesus from the point of view of his goof-ball, womanizing, drunk of a best friend, the unspoken of 14th apostle, Biff. Biff treats Jesus the way anyone who really knows
us too well would, by constantly undercutting his achievements and mercilessly teasing his best friend for every miracle, big and small.
5.) All Families are Psychotic by Douglas Coupland. This book is great because in the end, it isn't the book you thought it was in the beginning. The story starts with a broken and distant family gathering in Florida for the firs time in years to support the family straight-shooter as she is becoming the first woman NASA has ever sent to Mars. As each member of the central family's story unfolds, we learn that sometimes the most damaged people are the ones who appear to be the most perfect, while the most broken of us are actually far more innocent than we ever give them credit for.
Well, those are my suggestions, if you need more help, please ask, I love talking books! Good luck and don't forget: BRING READING BOOKS ON WEDNESDAY!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment