Book Swap: Nathan's Thoughts On "Gone With The Wind"

What I Liked

I felt like Scarlett is a woman before her time, as she’s extremely independent and strong-willed, and unlike the women surrounding her, she’s not afraid to go after what she wants—something that seems to be a social no-no. When Scarlett applies herself, she can do anything she wants, as she’s clearly intelligent and has the drive to succeed. What she doesn’t care about, she completely ignores. As a character, it’s hard to not like Scarlett, because I found it fun to read along as she plows the various challenges life presents her. Her character’s flaw of not caring about things that don’t interest her (politics, the war, making friends with other women, and considering what other people think about her actions) further add to her challenges, as they all seem to be key ways of life in the South). Through her faults, we learn about the South’s general perception of events and provide a good reason as to why Scarlett is able to succeed in times when everyone around her is falling apart. I also really liked how Margret Mitchell was able to create a story where the South comes alive. She paints a picture of a wonderful place where everyone is happy, including many of the slaves, because they are part of an idolized society where the world is nothing but parties and having fun. And despite how terrible the idea of slavery is, I found myself thinking that the South was a wonderful place that ended up being ruined by the Yankees, and all because Mitchell does such a good job of making everything in the South appear as a noble pursuit filled with honor and a sense of justice. To be able to take an ideal that’s so wrong and make it seem to be right is truly impressive writing.

What I Didn’t Like

The one thing I didn’t like about Mitchell’s writing was how she would randomly switch character perspectives. One moment Scarlett would be having some type of inner dialogue, and then, someone else would begin talking—but you don’t know who it is until a paragraph later. The writing style provides a kind of flow as it goes along, but as I’m used to Sci-Fi and Fantasy styles (where there are many characters and everyone is typically identified before they start speaking), I find that change to be confusing. Maybe it was the overall length of the story (though this is shorter than many of the Fantasy books I read), but the story also seemed to bog down after Scarlett marries Rhett. I found myself wondering how two people who were so in love appear to drift apart so quickly. It’s as if the moment Scarlett puts Ashley in charge of the mill, Rhett gives up on them as a couple. After he’s waited so long, it seemed out of character to me, but that’s just my opinion.

A Different Perspective

Gone With The Wind is a certainly a book that’s “out of my wheelhouse,” in terms of genre, but I certainly enjoyed it. I don’t have any problem with reading fiction, but when I read, I prefer to take myself to somewhere that I can imagine something I’ve never seen or thought of before. With some fiction, I find that reading about the normal lives of people don’t provide the type of mental release I’m looking for reading. With Gone With The Wind, I was able to imagine the beauty of the South and follow along with the “adventures” of Scarlet, which made the book tremendously enjoyable.

A Book Swap

In the dating world, not everyone gets what it is like to really, really, really love reading. So obviously, one of the first things I absolutely loved about Nathan was that he, like me, was (and still is) an avid reader. However, what we read is completely different. He reads, not exclusively but mostly, science fiction and fantasy. I read, well, basically everything BUT science fiction and fantasy.

Even though we don't read the same books, we can still talk about the books we're reading with each other in a general sense. But wouldn't it be more fun if each of us had more of a context of what the other was talking about? That's what we thought, too, and that's how we came up with a book swap: I would read a book chosen by Nathan and he would read one chosen by me. Here are the books we chose for each other and why we chose them. This week, we'll also both be sharing our thoughts on the book we read.

Whitney

Book Choice For Nathan: Gone With The Wind, by Margaret Mitchell

Why did I pick Gone With The Wind?
 I love Gone With The Wind. I can still remember reading it for the first time, and being in awe that I, like all of the characters in the book, was starting to hate the North. (Of course, not ACTUALLY, but that is the power of Margaret Mitchell's writing.) I also know that Nathan likes action and well-developed characters, and Gone With The Wind has both. It's also one of those "classics" that I think everyone should read, as it really sets the tone for the historical fiction genre.

Nathan

Book Choice For Whitney: Dune, by Frank Herbert

Why did I pick Dune?
First off, Dune is my favorite book of all-time, so I think it should be on almost anyone’s to-read list, if they haven’t read it already. Secondly, Frank Herbert is my favorite writer, and although not all of his works are masterpieces, in terms of plot, his ability to provide me with a sense of a character’s feelings and imagine how a scene looks is unparalleled with other Sci-Fi and Fantasy writers, in my opinion. Typically, Herbert is able to do so in only a few paragraphs, so the plot (which is a central to most Sci-Fi and Fantasy works) isn’t derailed by endless descriptions of landscapes and characters. In Dune, Herbert is able to combine the plot of a political thriller with a brilliant science fiction storyline that works in action, drama, and subtle mystery.

Dystopian Novels: Delirium

The Book: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Why I Checked It Out: I had read (and loved) Lauren Oliver’s first novel, Before I Fall. Delirium was in the nook books under five dollars one night when I was looking for a book to read, so I bought it.

The Plot: What would the world be like if love was a disease? A world where if you fell in love, or became infected, you would be ostracized, committed, or even killed? That is the kind of world our main character, Lena, lives in. She is even more susceptible to the disease because her mother had it, so she looks forward to the day when she can be cured and live life with the match that is chosen for her. But her life doesn’t go as she expect it to after she meets Alex.

What I Liked: First of all, I think this is a fantastic concept. But not only is the story interesting, the characters, particularly Lena are so well-written. I like that Lena doesn’t start out as being a “rebellious” character, but instead becomes one due to circumstances beyond her control. I like that she has a hard time making choices, and it doesn’t seem like her path is going a certain way. And I like the interaction that the other characters have with her throughout the book, as well.

What I Didn’t Like: The ending was a cliffhanger! I don’t like that I have to wait to know what happens, because the ending was that good. There is a sequel coming out soon.

Do I Recommend It? Yes. It seems like a teen/young adult read, but it’s more substantial that even “grown-ups” will be able to relate to it.

Related Reading:
Before I Fall, Lauren Oliver

Dystopian Novels: The Hunger Games

The Book: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Why I Checked It Out: I jumped on The Hunger Games bandwagon right after it started getting a little more popular, before the third book came out. I loved it right away, and made Nathan read it, too. It reminds me of the short story, “The Lottery” and The Giver.

The Plot: In a future world, two teenagers from each of the 12 districts of a former North America, must compete in the annual Hunger Games, a televised, to-the-death competition. Katniss volunteers to fight in place of her younger sister Prim, and the book follows her experience in the arena.

What I Liked: I think the characters in the book are all very real and well-developed. They are not perfect, they are not stereotypical, and sometimes they are even questionable. But they are relatable, and it was easy for me to imagine them.

What I Didn’t Like: It can be kind of gruesome if you’re like me and have a low tolerance for death and violence. However, I don’t think the book would be the same without it, and I certainly appreciate that it is well-written enough to make me feel that way.

Do I Recommend It? Highly. And if you do decide to read it, be sure to finish before March when the movie comes out.

Related Reading:
Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins

Dystopian Novels: The Giver

I have been doing a lot of reading lately, particularly while traveling over the holidays. This is not surprising; however, the genre of books I have chosen is: dystopian fiction. It’s not necessarily a step outside my comfort zone, as I enjoy reading a variety of genres, but I don’t often find so many books in the same genre that I choose to read at the same time. And I appreciate how dystopian fiction makes me think and leaves me with what I like to call a book hangover, where I can’t stop thinking about it for days after reading the last page.  So this week, I’ll be talking about some recent picks and some of my favorite dystopian novels.

The Book: The Giver, by Lois Lowry

Why I Checked It Out: The Giver was the first dystopian novel I ever read, though that was a long time before I knew the term and how it applied to the genre.

The Plot: It is the story of a boy who lives in a society where each person fulfills a certain role. I suppose this is not so different from our world now, but in Jonas’ world, people are all the same. Families are made by matching husbands and wives, and one boy and one girl are assigned to parents to create family units. He is chosen to be the next “Receiver of Memory,” a job that he learns from the Giver. He receives the memories of life before: pain, love, joy, violence, etc.)

What I Liked: I can still remember the way I felt after reading The Giver. It still sticks with me to this day when I think about the plot and the ending; even though I can’t remember every specific plot detail, I remember the emotional impact the book had on me. Do I consider it to be one of my favorite childhood books? Not necessarily. But instead it was a book that still makes me think years and years later.

What I Didn’t Like: I know when I was younger, I had a hard time understanding the ambiguous ending, but now, I can understand it a lot more. I learned today that Lois Lowry actually wrote two more companion novels recently, so I will have to check those out.

Do I Recommend It? Yes, and it’s not just for children.

Related Reading: To be revealed throughout the week . . .

Library Love: Everything Else

It might seem like I read a lot of chick lit, and I'm fine with that, because I do, and I love it. But today we'll look at some books that I've read that fall into the "anything but chick lit" category, including some non-fiction I've grabbed--mostly biographies.

Fiction Still Alice. Genova, Lisa. 
My name is Mary Sutter. Oliveira, Robin. 
First grave on the right. Jones, Darynda. 
The 19th wife. Ebershoff, David
The art of racing in the rain. Stein, Garth. 
The Paris wife. McLain, Paula. 

Non-Fiction Jeannie out of the bottle. Eden, Barbara.
The Diana chronicles. Brown, Tina. 
Deceptively delicious. Seinfeld, Jessica. 
Prairie tale.  Gilbert, Melissa

Library Love: I Want To Live In The South Books

I recently discovered a new favorite genre of books, and I call them, I want to live in the south books. They have several different things in common: female characters, family secrets, history, a southern setting, and occassionally a bit of magic or some ghosts. Also, they are generally by one of two authors: Karen White and Sarah Addison Allen.

Of the two Sarah Addison Allen books, I am most likely to reccomend The Peach Keeper, though I checked out another one by her today that sounds pretty good. And of the Karen Whites (some of which are not on here, I must add--the library must have not tracked them), my favorite was Falling Home, followed closely by The Lost Hours. Her "house" series is also good, which starts with The House On Tradd Street. Can you tell I'm a bit in love?

The peach keeper. Allen, Sarah Addison.
The beach trees. White, Karen. 
The girl who chased the moon. Allen, Sarah Addison. 
Learning to breathe. White, Karen. 
The memory of water. White, Karen. 
The lost hours. White, Karen.

Library Love: YA Books

A neglected blog during the week means Friday treats with extra posting! I still have several categories left in my I Love The Library week (as well as a book to pick up at the library!) so we'll get started bright and early this morning!

I still love to read Young Adult books, and I've found some good ones at the library recently, so I would recommend all of these titles.

Bumped. McCafferty, Megan. 
The summer I turned pretty. Han, Jenny. 
It's not summer without you Han, Jenny. 
Everything I needed to know about being a girl I learned from Judy Blume. O'Connell, Jennifer

Library Love: Chick Lit

There is something about summer that makes me want to read beach/pool reads, and so most of the books you see below have been checked out this summer. Some of them are more serious than others, while others look at the powerful career route that I'm not quite sure I would have ever survived had I head down that path. I would say the top pick for me is Kindred Spirits by Sarah Strohmeyer, but you all know my love for her books based on some other posts.

Kindred spirits. Strohmeyer, Sarah. 
Little pink slips. Koslow, Sally 
Last night at Chateau Marmont. Weisberger. Lauren
Immediate family. Goudge, Eileen. 
The divorce party. Dave, Laura. 
Wedding season. Fforde, Katie.  
Boy meets girl. Cabot, Meg.   
I think I love you. Pearson, Allison
Girls in trucks. Crouch, Katie. 
Men and dogs. Crouch, Katie.  
Love : a user's guide. Naylor, Clare
The second assistant : Naylor, Clare.
The first assistant : Naylor, Clare

What Do We Read?

Last week, Nathan sent me this survey that shows what people like to read and also determined that Stephen King is the most popular author. Most people read fiction, mostly mysteries. I have actually never read any Stephen King, so I will have to add that to the “to-read” pile.

My reading life probably most consists of fiction. To pull from their categories, I would say I mostly read literature and chick lit and also add historical fiction. I am currently loving Sarah Strohmeyer, if anyone is looking for a light read with still substantial messages.

What about you? What do you mostly read?