The Anne of Green Gables books, by Lucy Maud Montgomery. What a lovely place to begin this book discussion! When season two of Anne with an E ended, I decided to re-read the Anne of Green Gables books I grew up with, as well as read the ones I never got to. For whatever reason, when I was younger, I only read the first four books-I never read past Anne of Windy Poplars. I just finished re-reading the first books and I'm now halfway into Anne's House of Dreams. I've really enjoyed immersing myself in these books, for I've always identified myself with Anne and have loved reading about her adventures. The first and third books have always been my favorites, but this time around, I started to gain a new appreciation for book four, which I formerly did not like that much. I have mixed feelings about Anne's House of Dreams, though it was really nice to see her and Gilbert finally get married!
Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen. I love Jane Austen novels, but I have always been too terrified to pick up Mansfield Park. It's the Austen book that no one really seems to talk about much, and the one time I picked it up years ago, I was intimidated by just the first couple of pages! But, I finally got around to reading it, and I loved every moment!!! I now am a firm believer that this novel is a very under-appreciated work by Austen, because the moral story and characters are quite spectacular. Fanny Price is wonderful, and I greatly enjoyed seeing her stand up for her moral convictions repeatedly throughout the story!
All Roads Lead to Austen, by Amy Elizabeth Smith. This fun memoir follows the author as she hosts Jane Austen book clubs in Latin America. I love reading travel memoirs, and I love Jane Austen, so this book excellently combined these two types of books! Smith's stories are very entertaining as she navigates travelling in Latin America and, of course, is met with many unexpected adventures. I was very intrigued by one of her missions, which was to see if Latin American people could relate to and appreciate Austen, when their culture is so massively different from that of nineteenth-century England. Due to some sexual references, I wouldn't recommend this book to a teen, but I still recommend it to adults for a fun, quick, and easy summertime read!
Dad is Fat, by Jim Gaffigan. I read this book in the evenings before bedtime, and it was a splendid way to unwind and relax. Gaffigan is hilarious, and I was laughing so hard that I was crying when I was only a few pages in! For those of you unfamiliar with this man, Jim Gaffigan is a stand-up comedian, husband, and father, who lives with his wife and five children in a two-bedroom New York City apartment. Dad is Fat is mainly a bunch of reflections on their life in NYC, as well as on parenthood. It is lighthearted, honest, and so enjoyable. It's a great read for the busy adult, especially for parents who just need to relax!
Food: A Love Story, by Jim Gaffigan. This is Gaffigan's second book, and I also enjoyed it, but not as much as Dad is Fat. In this book, Gaffigan discusses his love of eating, different restaurants that he's been to, and the importance of food in his life. He also goes through major chain restaurants and makes fun of them, which is pretty amusing. I love food and books about food, and this book made me so hungry! Actually, one evening while I was reading it, I told my husband to look up some of the food that Gaffigan was discussing...and the two of us wound up staying up until after midnight watching videos and viewing pictures of elaborate foods. Anyways, this book is entertaining and lots of fun-just make sure to have snacks on hand ;)
I hope that you enjoyed hearing about my latest reading adventures! As always, if you have any book recommendations, please let me know. I love books, and I especially enjoy reading a wide range of material across several genres. I currently have a whole stack of library books to read, as well as the rest of the Anne books, so I'll probably be talking more about literature here in the near future, too!
I love the Anne series, but I have a special fondness for the last couple, one because "Rainbow Valley" strangely reminds me of my own childhood with a ton of siblings out having adventures in our 'secret valleys' in the woods, and "Rilla of Ingleside"--she has some major character flaws but that's my most re-read book and I just like it.
ReplyDeleteThe "Emily of New Moon" series is another 'comfort' one for me, also by Montgomery. Mark Twain is a much-beloved author, as is Lemony Snicket, and C.S. Lewis. It's mostly the books of childhood that I go back to again and again for a taste of home.
But I also really like reading books that are brand 'new' to me. I've read over 50 so far this year, now that I have access to the apartment library...
Cool-I'm excited to get to those final Anne books! I'm glad that after all these years I'm going to read them :) Thanks for the recommendations-Emily of New Moon sounds simply delightful, and it'd be fun to curl up with those and a cup of tea at some point. I've never picked up Lemony Snicket, when I was a little kid, those looked way too depressing for my taste. Is there any kind of humor or brightness in them?
DeleteOh my goodness, you have an apartment library?!?!?! That sounds amazing!!!!