Introducing: Pages

Posted on | August 24, 2009 | 12 Comments

Pals. I’m an avid fan of reading and I love recommending books! I’m introducing a new feature all about books. Welcome to pages, friends! I am constantly reading new things and plan to share the highlights (and perhaps some of the low lights with you) right here. But my first post will consist of  my six favorite books to recommend to anyone who will listen. If you haven’t read any of these, you should do yourself a favor and get right on that. I’ve even included Amazon links for your convenience.

The Glass Castle: A Memoir

A heartbreaking memoir of a girl who grew up with the craziest parents ever. This story is a testament to how resilient kids can be, because there are some pretty horrible moments. But she writes about her upbringing beautifully and she is never asking for pity. Her story is one you will not believe.

Special Topics in Calamity Physics

A college freshman tells the insane story of her senior year in a new town with her ecclectic and scholarly father. It is a commitment of sorts at 528 frickin’ pages and to be fair the beginning is a bit slow. But once you’re into it, you will find yourself way into it. I was deeply depressed to see it end. (Also – bonus point for a lovely book cover).

Water for Elephants: A Novel

A wild, wonderful tale of a young man whose parents die tragically during the Great Depression. With no money to continue to pay for veterinary school, he joins a traveling circus to work with the animals. It’s a romantic page tuner, and one of the coolest most original stories I’ve ever read.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: A Novel

Oh man, this is a good one. A smart and unique 9 year old whose father dies in the World Trade Center collapse. His father leaves behind a mysterious key and the young boy goes on a quest all over New York City to find the lock that the key will fit. It’s heart wrenching and tragic but also funny and beautiful. You will absolutely fall in love with the little boy.

The Dive From Clausen’s Pier: A Novel

At a Memorial Day picnic, Carrie’s fiance dives into shallow water and paralyzes himself. Carrie, who was not happy in the relationship leading up the accident, now must figure out how to find happiness. She feels pressure to remain by her fiance’s side but she also long to leave her hometown and strike out on her own. The characters are complex and I found the story to be incredibly relatable.

The Road (Oprah’s Book Club)

While it is a haunting, dark and vivid portrayal of a post-apocalyptic world, it is also an enduring story of a father’s love for his son. It is frightening and powerful, the kind of book you stay up reading until 3am. Reading this was an incredibly intense experience for me.  The characters, the story, the imagery and the writing style all stayed with me for a long time. You have to read this!

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