Kate’s Picks
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
If you haven’t already read it in your high school English class and you’re crazy about the 1920’s, pick this one up! This book combines the epitome of the “Roaring 20’s” with the loneliness that comes with high social stature and a tragic, yet frustrating love affair; all through the eyes of a man who can’t decide whether he pities these people, or wants to become one of them. An American classic, this book will stay with you forever.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
Have you ever wondered what happens when you die? According to Mitch Albom, you meet five people who have died before you who tell you the secrets of your life. When an amusement park maintenance man named Eddie dies in an attempt to save a little girl from being crushed by an amusement park ride, he is sent to heaven and meets these people, some of which he’d never met during his life. From the Philippines during World War II to a diner in the middle of a wintry mountain scene, Eddie learns the lesson that, “world is full of stories, but the stories are all one.” You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll love it.
Night by Elie Wiesel
Not many in the world today can say they survived the Holocaust, but Elie Wiesel, now a professor at Boston University, writes ominously about his imprisonment at the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkeneau. His terrible journey from the ghettoes to a barrack in Buna will bring tears to your eyes. Wiesel opens his heart to the reader, telling of his difficulties with his family, with the SS, and even with his religion. This book will fill you with appreciation for those who survived, but leave you wishing it was fiction.
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
I know what you’re thinking, Kate’s a sucker for American classics, but what can I say? They’re classics for a reason. Set in Russia in the 1800’s, Dostoyevsky sets the stage for the first ever murder mystery that questions the existence of God and toys with morality and nihilism. A common, rather low class student named Raskolnikov murders a local pawnbroker in hopes that it will do the neighborhood some good, but soon he begins to wonder if that was his true intention. And if so, will it be God who decides his fate, or will it be himself?
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
If you don’t like symbolism, then stop reading now, but if you thrive on it as I do, read Invisible Man! This book will change the way you think about some of our nation’s most important issues with a refreshing and fascinating style. The story follows a young African American man who gets caught up in the turmoil of both northern and southern racist politics. In the end he comes to a conclusion that will shock you, but will leave you wondering as well.
V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd
Folks, this isn’t just any graphic novel, this is the graphic novel. Now I’m not much for reading graphic novels, but this one is fantastic. The story follows a postwar London, England, where a crude type of totalitarianism rules. One man stands for what could be considered both justice and anarchy by reminding the city’s dictators of their past crimes. I don’t care how old you are, the intricacy of this story will blow your mind. I am Kate Wallace and I approve this message: “A work of sterling clarity and intelligence, V for Vendetta is everything comics weren’t supposed to be.”
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
In the 1660s a man named Vermeer painted a picture of a servant girl wearing a single pearl earring, a painting that has become almost as infamous as Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Who is this servant girl? Why did Vermeer paint her and why is she wearing a pearl earring? All of these questions and more are answered as Chevalier twists a tale about a girl named Griet who comes to work at Vermeer’s house as he is in tremendous need for inspiration. What unfolds becomes both a nightmare and a romance for Griet as Vermeer’s painting of her changes and flourishes.
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
All soldiers carry the mandatory items during war, but it’s their personal items that O’Brien tells about. A narrative of the soldiers of the Vietnam War, The Things They Carried illustrates the stories the certain items hold, from a picture of a girl named Martha to a can of Dr. Scholl’s foot powder. O’Brien brilliantly delves into the mind of a soldier during a war full of death, destruction, and disappointment, while capturing the essence of their most important treasures. “They carried malaria tablets, love letters, 28-pound mine detectors, dope, illustrated Bibles, each other.”
CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Your kids have heard the story of the three little pigs, as have generations other children, but have they heard the story from the wolf’s point of view? In this twist on the classic children’s tale, Alexander T. Wolf tells his side of the story, which all started with trying to find a cup of sugar for his “dear old granny’s birthday cake.” It proves once and for all that the wolf was framed and the pigs acted like . . . well . . . pigs.
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Annemarie Johansen, a nine-year-old girl from Copenhagen, Denmark, has lived in fear of the Nazis for a long time. It is not until her Jewish friend Ellen and her family is in danger that Annemarie realizes quite how treacherous they are. Annemarie learns to be brave as her family and Ellen’s are forced to escape to Sweden to avoid capture. This story will open a child’s eyes to the Holocaust, while showing them that love and faith can remain intact in even the direst of situations.
