Gone With the Wind

I think I tried to read this before. I don’t know what happened. How can I not have read “Gone With the Wind” yet? I started to listen to it, but think I want to read it. When am I going to find the time? Good thing we are getting lots of snow this winter.

Review

What an absolutely miserable story!

I couldn’t imagine myself giving Gone with the Wind 5 stars for the first half of the book. Scarlett is such an unlikeable main character. But I realize she is so unlikeable: 1) because we read all her inner thoughts. Would we like anyone if we truly knew all their dark and terrible thoughts? 2) because as the story progresses you will likely recognize very human characteristics that unfortunately aren’t unique to Scarlett and anyone who can be honest will recognize some of the less than pleasant traits in themself.

A large part of the reason Gone with the Wind is such a miserable story is because it is replete with elements true to life. There generally is no happy ending in life, but one challenge that once resolved is followed by another.

It speaks to the way we hurt ourselves when we fear vulnerability with others and the very human instinct to go after and yearn for that which we can’t have or once we have it realize it was not at all the fantasy we created in our head.

I read a review that Scarlett basically got what she deserved when Rhett rejected her in the end. And here is another element that speaks so strongly to reality. There is no real innocent party in bad relationships. Scarlett certainly had her maddening traits, but Rhett carried them in equal measure. He too refused to confess his love out of fear of the consequences. Yet one more life theme that was woven through the story—the fear of rejection and the desperate need we each have to belong.

We often envision people on a black or white spectrum and see ourselves as the Melanies of the world if we believe we are good. The reality is much closer to Rhett and Scarlett—that each individual carries both high and low quality traits and is a contradiction of good and bad. We are each continually fighting to find the balance between protecting ourselves and caring for others. It is certainly one of the difficult questions of life.

It was ironic, but also realistic that the traits Rhett so loved in Scarlett are the same traits which in the end, led to the demise of their love.

And it begs the question, what is true love and does or should love have an ending point? Certainly we must love others despite their weaknesses, but is there a point at which another force can and even should triumph over love? There are no easy answers to that question and most likely it is one we each have to work out for ourself.

In the end it was hard not to have compassion and empathy for Scarlett as I could identify some of the very same human struggles with which I deal. I kept pulling for her to choose differently and was repeatedly disappointed, something I could again relate to in myself.

The winner for the least inspiring character was hands down! Ashley Wilkes. Scarlett at least had incredible strength to get back up each time she was knocked down.

I was honestly a little shocked that the scandalous story has been so well embraced when it was published quite some time ago. But as the very human elements of the story unfolded, it was easy to see why it has become a legendary story that relates to many on a deep level.

It also has value for the view it provides into history, which cannot be ignored.

A Girl of the Limberlost

Another classic that it is about time I read.

Review

I enjoyed the story.

I found it quite similar to “Where the Crawdads Sing” and can’t help but wonder if it was drawn on for inspiration for that title.

This is a beautiful story about the power of desire, how the greatest learning can come in non-traditional ways and the impact of the natural world when we let it in. This is a great book for young girls to read and find inspiration from.

The Snow Queen

My 13-year-old just read “Hunger Games” for the first time and it got me craving one of those, can’t-put-the-book-down reads. Maybe this will be the one.

Review

I had to trudge through this one. The premise is just fine but the dialogue felt forced and contrived. The characters didn’t resonate with me and I was uninterested in most of them. So many of the names were off-putting. It just wasn’t one I loved.

However, I admire that the author has created so many books and successes for herself and has found an audience that loves her work!

Where the Crawdads Sing

How have I not read this one? My Goodread friends are raving about it. I’m excited.

Review

It’s been a while since I found a book I couldn’t put down. Excellent from beginning to end. I loved the characters, the lessons of humanity, the mystery, and the love story. Delia Owens was masterful at weaving magic and beauty into the marsh. There was even beauty in the mildew which we so often think of as destructive rather than a life force. It made me question how I choose to see the world around me.

The Book of Longings

I’m intrigued. With mixed reviews from friends, I’m interested to see what side I will come out on. Not so novel a concept, that Jesus was married, but gutsy to be the one to tackle it.

Review

Any book that gets me thinking deeper or in a new direction gets an automatic five stars!

I wasn’t always drawn in or compelled to read as some books do for me, but I will think about the ideas it rustled for a long time.

I’ve always had a very linear view of Christ as a Savior and religious leader. My view has primarily focused on the 3 short years from which most of the documentation of his life was taken, but he had a whole life in addition to that time. We really know so little about him and his life.

The idea that he was much more human than I’ve often viewed him only elevates him in my eyes.

That he experienced life as you and I adds so much more dimension and compassion.

I’ve never considered him a rebel because in my mind his rebellious acts made so much sense, but in his day they were very radical and he really was not the pious, compliant follower I somehow still associated him with. It really makes me question the basis on which my choices are made. Is it internal knowing, or compliance with external systems? Sadly for me, if I’m honest, almost always compliance with external systems has guided my steps.

I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the author’s choice of a wife for Jesus, but in the end, I loved the choice. While religious circles often encourage women to give up who they are and live their life in service, I’ve come to believe that equally important is for women to understand their worth, value, and importance of contributing in meaningful ways to the world. I really appreciate how Ana was her own person with hopes and desires. I think we all feel that inner longing but sadly it is often stifled by feeling it’s unimportant or something different is expected of us.

Anyone who is interested in the life of Jesus should read this book as it opens the mind to recognize how little we know of Christ and how many assumptions are made about his nature with little to no evidence, but the summations of religious leaders or texts were written by other men who are also making many assumptions.

In Order to Live

This one isn’t even fiction, but how did it not make my non-fiction list. These are stories I need to read. There’s something in reading about the earth shattering challenges of others, that gives you perspective.

Review

This is a book everyone should read. I feel pretty ignorant and uneducated about the state of things in North Korea. It’s astonishing that such living conditions still exist today.

Yeonmi Park is incredibly courageous to share her story considering both the political fear and the deeply personal experiences.

The Lost Girls of Paris

It seems impossible to get away from WWII fiction. I’ve read a couple of books about Paris women who were spies. Pretty incredible! We’ll see how this one measures up.

Review

An interesting piece of history with some interwoven romance. It kept me entertained. It is heavier on fiction than history, but that’s okay. I enjoyed the characters and it is fascinating learning about aspects of the history of which I was unaware.

The Four Winds

“The Great Alone” took my breath away. It was intense. I felt the emotions viscerally. For that reason, I’m a little hesitant in reading this one, but with so many recommendations, I’ve got to give it a go.

Review

Depressing, defeating, with no especially happy endings, this is a book everyone should read. We often romanticize history, but taking a much rarer approach, the Four Winds brings history to life with the devastating challenges from the past. A period in which it seems people faced impossible challenges.

I cried for sure and, oof, could I relate to adolescents being disgusted with you and thinking you are doing everything wrong as a mother. It was both heartbreaking, inspiring but not in a feel good way, but rather a you-are-capable-of-facing-impossible-challenges sort of way.

With This Pledge

I love a good historical romance and you don’t find as much literature set in the Civil War.

Review

A solid story of the Civil War with some romance intertwined.

The Book of Lost Names

You really can’t go a year without reading a couple of WWII novels. The stories continually amaze me, and being based on a true story draws me in even more.

Review

A good solid WWII novel.

I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more good book by Kristin Harmel when I’m looking for something to read.

The Nabob’s Daughter

Sounds like another good romance story. Can’t beat a fresh, clean romance!

Review

Circe

Not my typical read, but you never know what you will discover when you try something new.

Review

I haven’t honestly read much mythological fiction, but had several friends recommend Circe. It was well-written and I could see why it is loved by many. Parts of it were a bit vile for my taste and I find mythology a bit weird, but if you love mythology, I think you will love this. I did feel a connection with the main character.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

I feel like this is going to be a cozy book. Every now and then you need a book you can just curl up and enjoy. I think that’s what I’m in for.

Review

It was a nostalgic little story. Small-town life in history is interesting and sounds so romantic. The recipes at the end look intriguing.

I had a hard time following all the characters and timelines. I guess I just wanted a mindless read, and this was not that for me.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

I already finished this one and I’m still going back and forth on it. I started listening to it and almost gave up. Then I read some friend’s reviews on Goodreads and thought I’d keep going. I still have mixed feelings. There were some things I loved and some things I didn’t. If you read it, let me know what you think.

Review

My feelings about Addie LaRue are mixed.

I started listening to it and then I stopped. Before I gave up I read some reviews from friends again that said they loved it, which had drawn me here in the first place.

I kept reading.

It got better.

The ending was good.

The thing I most disliked about it was that every relationship mainly focused on her sleeping with someone. She did live forever, but meh. I don’t know.

28 Summers

A little out of my typical genre, I always want a good summer read. This might be it.

Review

I had a friend recommend Elin Hilderbrand. Not really my genre, but you never know for sure if you don’t try it. 28 Summers was the only title available for free from the library–so I gave it a try.

The premise of this book is terrible. It is a romantic fiction that undermines the very idea of loyalty and love. Why would two available people in love not just get married? What a betrayal, not just to your spouse, but also to your children. That’s the beginning of the problem of the storyline for me–granted, this is made clear from the book’s description. Everything was then so over-the-top. I mean, the husband of someone running for president, really?

The names! (eye roll). My attention is never really drawn to names, but Mallory Blessing. They were so contrived and cliche. The “nerd” had a nerdy name… etc.

Okay, so terrible storyline, but I kept reading anyway.

Get to the ending, maybe there is some redemptive quality… nope, looks like she met her word count. Bam! Done. It was the only part I really felt interested in and it was over as soon as it began.

And to top it off, as his mother lay dying the son goes off and flirts with the daughter of his mother’s secret lover because he needs to “take care of himself” right now–as his mother lay dying.

Ugh… The whole book just felt gross and the writing was subpar. But good for her because she is a bestseller and making money with these types of stories and this approach to writing.

There were a few things that were slightly redemptive. Nantucket sounds wonderful, so the descriptions of the island were at least enough to draw you into the location, and some of the food sounded yummy or at least interesting, though Mallory didn’t really come across, except in a sentence or two, as a food connoisseur.

I know some people love this type of story. Clearly, they do. I’m just not one of them.

A Man Called Ove

“Anxious People” was fairly weird, but it stuck with me. I’ve got to read another one by Fredrik Backman.

Review

Fredrik Backman is a master at exploring the inner workings of individuals. If everyone viewed others the way Backman writes about them, it would be a different world. His writings explore the human experience so poignantly. I loved the narrative of Ove and his wife and their imperfect-perfect marriage. I laughed and cried.

 

Well, I think I need to go read! I could add 20 more books in the next ten minutes if I stay here.

 

Click here to see what non-fiction I’m reading this year.