Best Books of January

My New Year’s resolution was to start using my Goodreads account for more than just stealing summaries and pictures of book covers.  I’m trying to review the majority of the books that I read this year.  Here are my three favorite books that I read (or reread) in January.  The summaries and covers are from Goodreads.  The reviews are mine.

 

 

Different Seasons by Stephen King

A collection of four novellas by the bestselling master, three of which became the basis for the hit films "Stand by Me," "The Shawshank Redemption," and "Apt Pupil." So varied in tone that "you have to compare King to Twain, Poe-with a generous dash of Philip Roth and Will Rogers thrown in." -Los Angeles Times.

Review:  This book contains four of King's most famous novellas: "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption," "Apt Pupil," "The Body," and "The Breathing Method." Most people are familiar with these stories because all but "The Breathing Method" became movies. My favorite story was "Apt Pupil." The tension was amazing. I flew through it. I had to find out what happened next. My second favorite story was "The Body" because the young characters are more realistic than the young characters in many other books. I also love the movie "Stand By Me," which was based on "The Body." My least favorite story was "The Breathing Method." It felt like it took a long time to get going, but the end was great (and bloody). Overall, I think that some of King's best writing is in these novellas.

 

 

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Jess Aarons' greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in his grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new girl boldly crosses over to the boys' side and outruns everyone.

That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable. Together they create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits.

Review:  This was one of the books that changed my life as a child. I just reread it as an adult for a grad school essay, and I still love it. It's probably one of my favorite books of all time. It's an entertaining story with relatable characters for children, but it also has a lot for adult readers to think about. The book explores the issues surrounding poverty vs wealth and innovation/change vs tradition. The book shows how some parents relate differently to female children and male children. It shows the difficulties of male/female friendship in elementary school. It confronts issues about gender and how society believes that boys and girls should behave. Best of all, it shows that imagination is important, fears can be conquered, and belief in yourself is essential.

 

 

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

The Blind Assassin opens with these simple, resonant words: "Ten days after the war ended, my sister Laura drove a car off a bridge." They are spoken by Iris, whose terse account of her sister's death in 1945 is followed by an inquest report proclaiming the death accidental. But just as the reader expects to settle into Laura’s story, Atwood introduces a novel-within-a-novel. Entitled The Blind Assassin, it is a science fiction story told by two unnamed lovers who meet in dingy backstreet rooms. When we return to Iris, it is through a 1947 newspaper article announcing the discovery of a sailboat carrying the dead body of her husband, a distinguished industrialist. Brilliantly weaving together such seemingly disparate elements, Atwood creates a world of astonishing vision and unforgettable impact.

Review:  Ten days after the end of World War II, Iris's sister, Laura, drove Iris's car off a bridge.  Now, fifty years later, Iris is telling the story of what really happened to Laura.  

I don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading this book.  I've read almost all of Margaret Atwood's books, and this one is now one of my favorites.  This book totally deserves its Booker Prize.  Only a massively talented author could write a book with a structure this intricate.  Margaret Atwood also develops characters better than any other author I've ever read.  This book is long (643 pages), but it felt as if the plot moved faster than the plots in some of Atwood's other books.  I really enjoyed it.

 

~*~

All The Things = 12 books.

I’m currently reading Expecting Armageddon: Essential Readings in Failed Prophecy edited by Jon R. Stone.