a quote

i felt like a race horse in a world without racetracks.
-sylvia plath the bell jar

i'm right, you're wrong

My brother Marshall and I have gotten into an argument on at least two separate occasions regarding books written in first person. He read The Hunger Games and said it took him aback a little because he hadn't read a book written in first person before. I thought that was ridiculous because there are plenty of books written in first person- he disagreed and thought it was rare and during our last argument he challenged me to name one other book written in first person. Of course I know that lots of other books are written in first person- but I couldn't think of any on the spot. So behold- a list of well known (and widely read) books that are written in first person. Just for you Marshall (even though you probably will never read this):

Catcher in the Rye
The Great Gatsby
Grapes of Wrath
Jane Eyre
Twilight (and all the others in the series)
Frankenstein
The Outsiders
Wuthering Heights
As I Lay Dying
Great Expectations
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Bell Jar
Virginia Woolfe
A Clockwork Orange
To Kill a Mockingbird (this is my favorite book, and yet under pressure I couldn't remember that Scout is the narrator)

ta-da! I've only read about 2/3 of these- so I'm trusting the internet as my source on the rest. But I just wanted to prove it to the world (aka the three people who read my blog) that I was right- there are plenty of books written in first person.

on to the next

I just finished reading The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I had a professor tell me that I wasn't a true English major until I read it- so in honor of Salinger's passing earlier this year I finally took the plunge. And I have to be honest- I wasn't that impressed- at least not for what a big deal it's supposed to be. It was good- it just wasn't great. Partly I think because I couldn't I couldn't really relate to Holden. I liked the stream-of-consciousness-esq writing style, but Holden is just so cynical. It was kind of depressing. But at least now I can say I've read it and be a true English major.
The next book on my list is Night by Elie Wiesel. I attempted to start it once but I got depressed and sad and couldn't make it past the introduction without crying so I went on to something happier. It's not a big book at all- 120 pages, and typically I could plow through a book that thin, but I have a feeling I might end up dragging this out. I can only take so much.

by popular request

And by popular request I mean one request. This is for you Angela. :)

Sensational Summer Reads:
1. The Giver: Lowry
-I find this book fascinating- it is a very interesting commentary on the future of our society
2. Number the Stars: Lowry
-This was one of my favorite books as a kid- it's a very quick read and I love the perspective
3. The American Scholar: Emerson
-In my senior seminar my professor briefly mentioned this essay and I was reminded of how much I love it. The first time I read it in my intro to American Lit course it blew my mind. Some people think Emerson is too pretentious but I just love him.
4. The Kite Runner: Hosseini
-Not for the faint of heart. I think this book deals with some amazing themes and if ever in a position I would love to teach this book. It gave me some really good insights and enlarged my perspective of the world- especially of the Middle East. There are some rather violent and graphic parts just as a warning but they are vital to the storyline.
5. Because of Winn Dixie: DiCamillo
-This pretty much sums it up. And I quite liked the movie.
6. Fugitive Pieces: Michaels
-I read this book in my Postmodern Lit class and fell in love. This is perhaps the mostly beautifully written book I have read to date. The language and imagery is simply amazing and the story line is deep and moving.
7. Tuesdays with Morrie: Albom
-When I first started reading this book I didn't know it was a true story- when I found out it just made me love it that much more. Morrie is the cutest man with some great insights into life. It's a short and quick read but very valuable.
8. Ella Enchanted: Levine
-A childhood classic. Don't let the movie deter you if you haven't read it yet. It's a fun and easy read.
9. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Series: Brashares
-I saw the movie first and then decided to read the books. Bridgette can annoy me sometimes but overall I really like these books and I think that the best time to read them is summer- since that's when they take place! There are 4 books but I think the first is my favorite.
10. Leaves of Grass: Whitman
-I've been dying to lay outside and read Whitman and soak in the sun and soak in his words simultaneously. He's definitely one of my favorite poets. I think he does a great job touching on what the people of the time value.
11. The Hunger Games Series: Collins
-Very compelling reads- I got the first two books for Christmas and couldn't put them down. I think I read them in two days. Original and interesting. Very plot driven. The third and final book comes out in August and I'm quite excited.

recommendations

I really like recommending books to people- partly because I love when people recommend books to me and give a good explanation for wanting me to read the book, because then I feel compelled to find out why they liked it so much. And so- I am going to give a few book recommendations.
I just finished reading The Book Thief by Mark Zusak. It was so good! It is a little on the longer side (550 pages) but is extremely compelling. It starts off a tad on the slow side but quickly picks up. I loved this review in the NYT. The last paragraph is beautiful and really gives a good summary of some of my feelings about this novel. A few things I love about this book:
1. It's original- I LOVE books that are original and give me a new outlook or perspective.
2. The narrator is Death which I think is brilliant and fascinating.
3. It's set during WWII in Germany (and I'm fascinated by WWII) but gives a new POV than is typical for books about war- especially WWII.
4. Zusak is a great writer and this book has some great literary merit.
5. It's unlike anything I've ever read before- very postmodern- there are illustrations (-ish) and stories within the story, and the time line is a little bit skewed. Read it!