Pride and Prejudice- Austen (Book #12)

Wonderful and perfect each and every time. I've read Austen's other works but this is my favorite book by far. I particularly liked Penguin's new cover for the book. Very cool. I know you should not judge a book by its cover but when a cover is this cool it does make you look twice. In any case, this is a perfect love story that is awesome on every read, and I can't wait to now watch the BBC miniseries!!

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn- Smith (Book #64)

This is a classic tale of young Francie growing up in Brooklyn at the turn of the century. This book follows her life as she grows up in poverty. Her mother is a janitor, her father Johnny works sporadically as a singing waiter, and her Aunt Sissy has ten dead babies and goes through husbands like spring coats. This is a book focused on character development. It is a coming of age tale as we see Francie first feel amazed and enchanted by her life, and then as she grows older, we see her disillusionment and her doubts for her future. I enjoyed this book very much, the writing is gentle and beautiful and I fell in love with Francie. The author did a great job making each character feel real and true to life.

The Catcher in the Rye- Salinger (Book #23)

I believe Mystic recommended this book to me and I have to say I enjoyed it very much though I am amazed at its popularity. I can see a young person, a teenager, relating to this novel and its theme of alienation and feeling misunderstood. There is one part in the book, where he wakes up to his English teacher petting his head in the middle of the night, and he says this has happened to him at least twenty times in his life, that made me feel the true power and skill of Salinger's writing. It was an interesting book and I'm glad I read it.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Fitzgerald (Book #3)

This is a short story now a major motion picture that I read via daily lit. I would not normally consider a short story as a "book" but this particular book (TCCBB) was actually sold separately like a book instead of within a volume of short stories, so a book it is, and I shall count it as such. The movie from what I see of its trailers seems very serious and haunting. The book was more light and slightly funny. The book I dont think was ever meant to be taken literally, its basically a story about a man who was born old and died and infant. He lived his life in reverse. Its a story worthy of a few re-reads to get more out of it each time, and with its short length that probably won't be a problem.

The Awakening- Chopin (Book #2)

I read this book when I was 18 and I remember some of the themes sticking with me, when I saw that it was offered for a daily reading on dailylit I subscribed to get daily e-mails with excerpts. Unfortunately (or not) dailylit lets you get the next installment immediately after reading the one e-mailed to you, so I finished the 65 parts of the book in three days.

The wife and mother of this book, a young woman of 28 decides to begin living her life without people telling her what to do. This is a good book about a woman coming to a spiritual awakening. It was written and published in an era of American history where women did not have the rights they do now. They wrote under nom de plume's and their sole role was a mother and wife. This book sought to break the mold for women, to show a woman choosing to shed what was conventional, and pursue her heart. I hope later to read up on the contextual history of that time and how it relates to her novel.

A quote I particularly liked: She thought of Leonce and the children. They were a part of her life. But they need not have thought that they could possess her, body and soul.

I love that quote because so often women are expected, even today, to give themselves completely, and often they are left broken and desolate as though they themselves are not true people. I know someone whose mother abandoned them much like this mother did, and that mother had a similar husband and similar circumstances in this day and age... her story is fictional but what she says in some ways still rings true for some people in some societies, today.

Northanger Abbey- Jane Austen

This was my first books on tape experience and I must say I loved it. I love to read books and so having a good book occupying my thoughts as rush hour traffic inches its way forward helps the travels become so much more bearable.

Catherine is the heroine of this tale. The story follows her travel to Bath with her god parents the Allens. At first she feels lonely and unaccompanied by friends but overtime she meets various people and potential suitors. One particular suitor and his lovely sister take to her as much as she takes to them and she is then at the conclusion of her time at Bath invited to join them at their home in Northanger Abbey where the tension of the story truly unfolds.

This was a really funy Austen book where she pokes fun at the society of the day and the gothic novels which were prominent in that day and age. I love how she steps out at times and pokes fun at her dramatic gestures and prose in the book but I also loved that though in many ways satire the story actually had heart as well.

There is a scene in this book where I really remember Atonement and it gives Atonement a whole different perspective to me. Catherine loves Gothic novels with huge dramatic overtones and exxagerated conclusions. Due to her books and the fantasies, at Northanger Abbey her overactive imagination conjures up dramatic troubling inference after another based on things that normal people would not read into as she had. There is a scene where she finally addresses her suspicions to Henry Tillney who quickly sets her mind right and explains that all her thoughts were mere conjecture of the worst kind. She realizes that her thought processes were wrong and how harmful such thinking could be, to assume the worst could have led to the worst of consequences if anyone had chosen to listen to Catherine at her highest imaginings.

I've heard some people find this book not their favorite Austen book but personally, I think its one of my favorites, its so incredibly light, so sweet, and so tongue in cheek I can't help but want a copy of my very own.