Books, books, books

I have been on a reading frenzy lately, made myself into a lean-mean-reading-machine. For now, at least. Who knows how long this will last. I figured I could use this blog to document the books I've read so I can maybe remember them 2 days from now.

1.) This Much I Know Is True-Wally Lamb
This was an Oprah book selection once upon the time. I was dubious at the start, the cover has a picture of a baby's fetus, I thought it was some weird mom book my mom had given me. But I was pleasantly surprised. The book follows the story of two twins, Thomas and Dominick. Thomas is schizophrenic, Dominick isn't. The plot is told from the perspective from the sometimes twisted, dark but well-intentioned Dominick. It is a story about the family who, like most families, is dysfunctional. At first you can't see the kindness in the abusive, crass father, but like people, you learn to see the sympathy in his heart.

I liked this book because it was not only a fast read, but it made me learn more about relationships, something you can always learn about. That's what reading does, it takes you into worlds you wouldn't otherwise get to go into. I thought it was interesting to see the difficult balance Dominick struggled to strike throughout. He loved and wanted to help his brother who was in and out of mental hospitals but at what point are you helping to improve your brothers life, or helping out of guilt? Overall, I'd give the book a B+.

2.) Angela's Ashes-Frank McCourt
I have started this book probably three times but never finished it. This time I was determined, and it was well worth it. Angela's Ashes is considered a classic, read by millions. It is the biography of American author, Frank McCourt and his difficult childhood in famine-ridden Ireland. Another story of a dysfunctional family. His father drinks his wages, his mother has to go through the death of three children. Frank goes through the typical rites of passages, but the writing makes them funny, more meangiful, even monumental. Angela's Ashes made me think about my thoughts to write my own memoir. I haven't gone through the kind of hunger, the kind of tragedy, or had the kind of life that Frank McCourt had, but that doesn't mean I don't have the ability to write a memoir people would want to read. IT wasn't the situations McCourt went through, albeit improtant, but it ws the way he wrote them. One thing I enjoyed about this book was his phonetic way of writing. He would transfer the Irish accent into the pages, making them come alive. Overall, I would give this book an A.

One of my favorite quotes-it comes from Frank's headmaster.
"You have to study and learn so that you can make up your own mind about history and everything else but you can’t make up an empty mind. Stock your mind, stock your mind. It is your house of treasure and no one in the world can interfere with it."

3.) She's Come Undone-Wally Lamb
This is the book I am currently reading. It is by the same author as This much I know is true. It is written from a girl named Dolores' perspective. It is like Lamb's other book, where it follows a twisted and disturbed main character and their journey for self-actualization. Lamb's strength is in character development. Although Dolores continues to make the wrong decisions, you want her to succeed, figure out life. You wonder when life knocks down these people so many times, what makes them want to get up? I'll update when I finish.