Sunday, January 8, 2012

Favorites of 2011

Hi all. We have let this blog slide, but I am trying to resurrect it because I really do love books, and I've read some fantastic ones this year. Here are some of my favorites:

The Trees by Conrad Richter

This is a beautiful book! I read about Conrad Richter in a book by David McCullough. He, McCullough, loves Conrad Richter. Since I am a big McCullough fan, I thought I would like Richter, too. And I certainly liked this book. It is beautifully written and it's very interesting in that Richter uses a vernacular that is very accurate to the time and place of the book.... as the very first settlers were expanding "west" and crossing out of Pennsylvania. (I think that's right.)

A Christmas Carol by Dickens

Dickens is a favorite. I read this one every year at the holidays and it doesn't get old.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

By the author of Seabiscuit, this book was just amazing. It is about a man who survives the horrors of being stranded on a liferaft for many days and then being in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during WWII. It is disturbing, but also beautiful. I learned a lot about the human spirit and the horrors of the war in the Pacific Theater. I highly recommend it.

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

This book has new things to teach every time I read it! My favorite quotes this time:

"Laughter is sunshine; it chases winter from the human face."

"...having books did not prevent him from reading, being a botanist did not prevent him from being a gardener."

"It is nothing to die; it is frightful not to live."

No comments:

Post a Comment