This weekend has been relaxing and enjoyable with lots of thrifting, knitting, and maybe a little Call of Duty. Seriously, I haven't had so much fun playing video games since Super Mario Brothers. I plan to have two more knit projects listed on Etsy by the end of the week. I guess I'm in the Valentines mood, they're both red!
And now for the reading list-- These are a few of my personal favorites. I tend to find an author I enjoy and read everything they've written. So in those cases, I've chosen my favorite from the canon. So without further ado:
1) East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
This is definitely a long slow read, but it's my opinion that the character development is unparalleled. After reading through generations of a family, I feel that I know the characters as well as people I've met. One character, Catherine/Kate, stands out in my mind as epitomizing evil unlike anyone I've ever known or read about. It's worth the time investment, trust me :)
2) Fay (Larry Brown)
This is a good story by a lesser-known author than Steinbeck. The brilliance is in the accurate and authentic portrayal of Southern, blue-collar life. He takes great pride in historical accuracy and pays great attention to detail. I'll admit I tend to favor Southern Authors, having spent most of my formative years here and being influenced by various professors who are passionate scholars of Southern work.
3) Suttree (Cormac McCarthy)
McCarthy is one of my favorite authors, and it was difficult to choose which work of his to include. I chose this one because I wrote a lengthy paper on it my senior year of college and feel somewhat attached after spending hours scouring for analysis, reviews, etc. McCarthy's stories are great, but there are so many reasons on top of that to read his works. His vocabulary is exquisite- I never read his works without a dictionary. Further, his characters are detestable yet endearing than any others I've ever encountered. They are, almost without exception, the derelicts of society and incidents of incest, cannibalism, and necrophilia are to be expected. Still, a worthy read across the board. All especially interesting when you have some background knowledge of Celtic culture.
4) The Collected Poems of Frank O'Hara (Frank O'Hara)
This is the only book of poetry included on my list. He is a member of the New York School of poets. He is known for poetry that sounds conversational and off-the-cuff, yet is truly fantastic.
5) The Sun Also Rises (Ernest Hemingway)
You may be familiar with the "iceberg theory" on Hemingway, meaning that 90% of the story is below the surface. It's a quick and easy read, but if you slow down and read with an analytical eye you can really appreciate the subtleties that make Hemingway great. My rule of thumb is that if you suspect something in a Hemingway novel, you're probably right. Perhaps the reason this is my favorite is because I love the character Brett. She's a bit of a role model... or maybe it's better to say I live vicariously through her by reading it. Galavanting through Europe, spending all day in cafes and nights at parties... I can imagine a much worse life!
6) A Confederacy of Dunces (John Kennedy O'Toole)
This book is quite a comedy. The protagonist is larger than life and unfathomably outrageous. The vocabulary is wonderfully rich, but that's just the beginning. This book takes place in New Orleans, which plays such a big role it's practically a character unto itself. A little background knowledge on the book makes it all the more interesting: The author was an over-educated recluse who committed suicide when publishers rejected the manuscript for this book. After his death, his mother worked non-stop to get the book published and it eventually won a Pulitzer. This really brings the book to life and lets the reader sympathize with the otherwise lamentable main character because he is clearly quite auto-biographical.
7) Freakonomics (Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner)
A very interesting read that will make sense to you even if you're not economically savvy. So much of economics is theory, this analyzes how things actually play out. It's written for laymen, so don't be intimidated. Chapters are called things like "Why Drug dealers Live with their Moms". It'll answer lots of questions you never had before!
8) Slaughterhouse Five (Kurt Vonnegut)
I'm not much of a science fiction reader, but Vonnegut is an exception. I've read several of his works, and will read every additional one I can get my hands on. His style is so conversational, his ideas outside the box. It's an easy yet intellectual read- what more could you ask for?
Now go hit the library!!! As for me, I'll be knitting :)
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