I've not posted in awhile. My hands are full with watching a 3 year old 7 days a week. I'm sure many of you can relate.
What I'd like to offer is Liam's Grandma's Summer Reading List. And I'll be honest, some of these are very old books, but well worth the read. In fact, most of them are older books because, hell, I barely have time to get dressed in the morning these days, let alone read!
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. This book is my favorite book of all time. I have read it several times over the years; my sister gave me a leather-bound copy one year for Christmas because she knew how much I love it; and I have read it in French. The haunting love story of the rogue, Heathcliff, and the lady, Catherine, grabs me everytime, regardless of the fact that I know the sad, painful ending. But that ending - let me tell you - it keeps you thinking for days after closing the book.
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. This is a fabulous read because it is historical fiction. It follows the lives of two sisters during World War I and what happens to each of them. The story brings about so many emotions and that's what I look for in a good book.
Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. A very old one, but an incredible story involving love, innocence lost, rape, chastisement, happiness and sadness. Beautiful Tess really got the raw end of everything in this story but it is a real story of victory over sadness, redemption in some ways and even a bit of revenge. Thomas Hardy is a craftsman in weaving this story down many paths and I absolutely love it.
The Magus by John Fowles. Speaking of weaving a story down many paths, WOW, this is another book I have read a few times. John Fowles is a master in this psychosexual thriller. I could not put the book down. I will say that he ticked me off at the end and once you read it, you'll understand. I originally first read this many years ago as part of a book club. This is a great book for such a thing because it brings out so many emotions, thoughts, ideas. It is a tale well-spun and leaves you thinking, scratching your head and shocked.
Whoredom in Kimmage: The Private Lives of Irish Women by Rosemary Mahoney. This is non-fiction and another one that I couldn't put down. It's about modern day Irish women and what they face in their own country. It's about those still holding onto the legends of the past and those who want to push through to be the modern woman of today. While the book is NOT supposed to be a humorous one, there are parts in the book where I was screaming out loud with laughter because the group of people that the author often would go to the pubs with reminded me of my own Irish family and made me wonder if all Irish people are just a tad whacked.
If this list does nothing for you, let me know. I'll do some reviews of other books. Are there any that you would recommend for summer reading? If so, please share.
Until next time (and God only knows when that will be)....Liam's Grandma.
