Joy - Blog

Read.

It's that time of year... You're Christmas vacation is coming up and all you can think about is curling up next to the fireplace with a cup of cocoa or cider, a blanket and a good book. I wanted to share with you some reading recommendations out of my personal library...

CI love this book. David Sedaris is a very strange dude and I can only imagine his bizarre childhood. HOLIDAYS ON ICE is a collection of short stories based around Sedaris' holiday family memories. If you prefer to listen, it actually might be funnier to hear him read these tales in his cartoon-like voice which narrates each story on the audio cd.

THREE WEEKS WITH MY BROTHER is one of my favorites. A departure from Sparks' usual romantic dramas, this is his autobiography, set within a round-the-world trip he took with his brother, Micah. An easy read with a surprising amount of humor, this book will break your heart, put it back together again and inspire you to see the "ordinary" in your own life out of new eyes.

I'm not much of a science person, but this biography absolutely captivated me. This is the story of what is referred to in the medical community as "HeLa" cells (HEnrietta LAcks) and the woman whose body (in its cancerous state) produced them. The important thing about HeLa cells is that they are the first and only "immortal" human cells in existence. No one knows why the cells of her tumor lived on in laboratory settings while all other human cells died, but because of their immortality we have a cure to polio, they were able to go up in the first space missions to see what would happen to cells in zero gravity and many scientific landmarks since then have used her cells, including cloning, gene mapping and in vitro fertilization.

For a more in depth look, read this interview with the author, Rebecca Skloot.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Henrietta-Lacks-Immortal-Cells.html?device=ipad&c=y

I picked this one up, somewhat reluctantly, but I was in the mood for something peaceful and still. I was pleasantly surprised at the heart and simplicity of this tale. It's written from the first-person perspective of a young man growing up on the Nebraska Prairie. It will sweep you away into a simpler time.

If you've read "The Secret Garden" you'll no doubt enjoy A LITTLE PRINCESS. Young Sarah is separated from her father in WWI, staying at an exclusive boarding house for girls and awaiting her father's sworn return. Soon, when word reaches the boarding house Mistress that Sarah's father died in action, Sarah's stay is no longer being paid for, and she is forced to work as a servant in the house. This is a heartwarming tale of friendship and perseverance and brings out the magic in life.

Speaking of Magic... THE MAGICIANS NEPHEW to me, the most underrated of the Chronicles of Narnia. It is the first installment and the precursor to "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe". This is a proper introduction to Narnia, answers questions about how it came to be, the ancient battle between Aslan and the White Witch (originally name Jadis), and who discovered Narnia before the Penvensies. Awesome.

I read OF MICE AND MEN in 10th grade and I loved it. This is another quiet novel, along the same lines as "My Antonia". Steinbeck draws you in and your heart is captured by the friendship between the two male characters who lead the story. Very peaceful read. There's a reason this is a classic.

I happened across GRAZIELLA in an antique book shop. I didn't expect much, but I was in an adventurous mood and thought I'd give it the old college try. I was instantly drawn into LeMartine's poetic-without-being-pretentious writing style... Perhaps it's because he never meant for this work to be published as it is an excerpt from his journal as a young man visiting Italy. It is a tragic love story, but a great and emotional tale of young love and obsession. I love this book.