Category: Reading Challenge
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Normally I have a really hard time with history books because they focus a lot on things I don’t really care that much about: male power struggles over land and resources. I don’t deny that such things are worthy of study–I just don’t want to be the one who does it. I’m far more interested…
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This retelling of the classic fairy tale Snow White is dark, twisted, and entirely enjoyable. The story is rich and complex and the writing is sophisticated, but still light enough to be read casually. The characters aren’t exactly likable, though there are notable exceptions, but they’re completely fascinating. Let’s just say there’s a lot going…
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This book should have been really depressing as it’s about a young, vibrant woman who goes blind. But it doesn’t feel that way, it feels more like a fairy tale (but it’s really based on the true story of the woman who inspired the first typewriter). It caught my eye in the library because it…
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This book has it all: an unconventional structure, a plot line that moves across countries, interesting characters (even the ones in the background), and great writing. If you’ve never read Adichie, you’re missing out. She has an almost poetic aptitude for describing the immigrant and, indeed, the human experience, but her writing is also very…
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There are books that touch your heart, but there are also people who touch your heart. I read this book because I heard really great things about it. I thought the book would be powerful and leave me with feelings of gratitude and a call to action on behalf of the rights of women (both…
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I thought it was time to talk about (and therefore read) some nonfiction. I’ve got them piling up on my shelf because I always promise myself I’m only going to take x amount of books out at the library at one time, and I always exceed that by a multiple of at least three. I…
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I think it goes without saying that I love books and any place with books, or talks about books, or sells books… All leading me to say that I love my library. Libraries of all kinds are amazing wonderful creatures that deserve to be preserved. In Corvallis, we’re lucky to have an awesome library. The…
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I pride myself on being able to choose good reading material, especially when the reader in question is me. I give fairly good recommendations, and I normally enjoy everything I read (or I don’t make it past the first page). Sometimes though, there’s a book that makes an even bigger impression. If I’m lucky, I…
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I think it’s very interesting when authors write about their own families, as I’ve mentioned before (when discussing Andrea di Robilant. Michele Zackheim was researching this history, thinking she was going to write non-fiction about her distant cousins, but she was swept into the story and characters and wrote something completely different. As you may…
Allison Burris 