Alright kids, it's time to talk books. Over the years I have had many different books, and I hope to have the chance to tell you about all of them*. This week, as I am researching for my senior seminar piece, I have had the opportunity to re-read two of my favorite books. One of which is I'll Give You the Sun, which I will review in detail later. But, there is this part early on where one of the main characters, Jude, is asked if there is any art piece that she has to build, is there this idea that is in her that's about to erupt and needs to be released. Of course there is, and this begins her journey in the story. Well, I just had one of those moments reading one of my current favorite books, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart while trying really hard to not listen in to the discussion on my left about creating a dance performance, and the conversation on my left about putting a website and instagram link on something. I knew I had to write a blogpost, which I consider my "website," and this book is so ferociously amazing as I re-read it that I put it down and ran to my car. I left my purse and phone on the table, trusting the man planning the dance performance, Eli, because I trust him and once wrote a monologue about the time he drunkenly won a huge basket of meat.
So, here I am, wanting to tell you to read, and then re-read We Were Liars (WWL). I try to hand sell this book all the time, because, as I said to one customer looking for a gift for a distance cousin, "I don't know why anyone wouldn't like this book."
Fact: If you are looking for your next favorite book check to see if your favorite author has any recommendations. WWL and The Art of Fielding were both recommendations from John Green.
To any non-Penguin Random House associated employer looking at my blog, I pinkie promise I read other publishers, and I can provide a list of wonderful books from you from which I have read, but right now this post is a little Penguin Random House saturated.
To any Penguin Random House employers reading my blog: Girl, I love what you do.
To any who are thinking of hiring me: Please do.
OH MY GOD! WWL. So, this is a book that pulled me in because I wasn't impressed by the description John Green gave me, but jeezum crow that opening page. With the poetic mantra that is repeated: "Welcome to the beautiful Sinclair family...We are Sinclairs. / No one is needy. / No one is wrong." A similar mantra is first found in the next couple of pages, "Be normal, now, she said. Right now, she said. Because you are. Because you can be. Don't cause a scene, she told me. Breath and sit up. I did what she asked." I am a real sucker for poetic format in books, whether magnificent metaphors and images (John Green, Jandy Nelson, Erin Morgenstern, etc.) or this clear as day poems with enjambment and a disregard for capitalization as right here in this moment! I also love characters that I adamantly hate.
Reading this the first time I was intrigued. I love stories about rich people who are just so terrible at approaching problems and feelings that it causes a million different problems and makes me want to rip my hair out. Those are the best. If I have to slam a book shut out of frustration, you know it's good. So, yeah, this kind of talk is expected. Of course Candace, our main character, is told to act like her dad didn't just leave them, of course Granny didn't die. Everything is fine. We are Sincalirs.
But the second time... Oh Lord-y! These pack a much heavier punch.
You see, this book has a magnificent plot twist, as we can expect as we follow Candace on her journey to remember what happened two summers ago that led to her floating in the ocean, practically naked.
Here is what I am learning: Every book with a plot twist should be re-read. So you can catch the tiny little hints that the author gives. Words that meant nothing the first read mean everything the second read. I love puns. I think they're funny. But I also love puns in dramatic sense. The way a word "ashes" mean nothing the first time around, but break your soul the second time you read. That was the word that got me to this point. So, you should probably read to find out why this book made me sob ugly tears (like in The Book Thief) for the last couple of chapters.
I will also say I probably have a bias to this book. I enjoyed it so much because I related to it. Not because my family went on vacations to their private island with individual double or triple story houses. But, because I love my cousins so much. They're really cool people. Much like the Sinclairs there are a chunk of us that were born within the same year and a half, some only differing in age by two weeks, or two days. At family events we cluster together, no matter how much we grow up, and think about our youth as well as discussing our futures.
We may have never gone to Beechwood Island, but we did go on a trip yearly to the same house on Psalm Island, South Caroline. We loved that blue house, and the short walk to the beach, and the dramatic rooftop porch. That week of summer was always magical. I'd talk about it all school year, telling stories of "my cousin Savannah/Danny/Jordan/Mitchell" and everything we did that summer.
So, when the big reveal comes and Candace remembers what happened two summers ago, I sobbed. I sobbed and sobbed.
GUYS, IT'S SUCH A GOOD BOOK. AND I CAN'T TELL YOU WHY I SOBBED AND I JUST NEED SOMEONE TO KNOW SO WE CAN DISCUSS IT. SO. PLZ READ.
Book reviews to expect, so you should probably read up:
1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thompson
2. Simon v the Homo Sapien Agenda by Becky Albertalli
3. The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
4. The Midnight Circus by Erin Morgenstern
5. Bossypants by Tina Fey
6. Code Name Verity / Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
7. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
8. Basically, check out my Goodreads and read everything there.
No comments:
Post a Comment