I realize that I’m very judgmental about books. I need to be courted and wooed by a book. I need to feel as if the book was written for me, and only me. Books need to change me, even if the change is slight, in order for me to give it a stamp of approval. I do not discriminate; these parameters apply to both fiction and nonfiction texts. I want to be in a book club, but I’m afraid I’ll be kicked out because I usually negatively critique books. People have said to me, “You should read (insert book title), you’ll probably hate it though.” I no longer find that offensive. I cannot like every book, much like I cannot (and will not) like every musician.
As an English teacher, there have been too many books that have altered my life in significant ways. I hope to create those same moments for my students, just as Ms. Duffner and Ms. Moore created those experiences for me. But having read certain books at various stages in my life, I know that I can foster a love of reading, but the meaning is entirely up to the one reading said book.
Since most of my time is filled with lesson planning, grading papers, and calling home to inform parents of their children’s behaviors, I have little time for reading for pleasure. In the summer, I fly through books. During the school year, it’s a slow crawl. With that being said, I read everywhere and whenever I can. I always carry a book with me. Not for bragging rights (“I’m so smart, look at this giant book!”) but as a reminder to fill my time with something that so greatly matters to me. I read at the gym, every morning before work, during SSR in my lower level English classes, whenever there is a free moment at rehearsal on Thursday nights at Crosspointe, in any waiting room, at the pool, during my planning period, and the list continues. I wish I could create more hours in the day solely for reading.
I can’t write a post about books without listing, and critiquing, a few of my favorite books. Even writing a list of “favorite” books seems absurd since my “favorites” are always changing. Here a few I have enjoyed reading multiple times, have learned from, and will always recommend to others in search of a new book to read.
1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Yes, I have a Gatsby shirt. Yes, I disliked the most recent movie. No, I will not judge you if you hate the book. This novel, by far, is the novel I have read the most. I’ve taught it almost every semester I’ve been a teacher, read it in a few college classes, and read it in high school. That comes to total of at least 13 times, ±3. Each time I read it I learn something, discern something, and fall more and more in love with the characters. I have indulged in the writing, believed in the green light, and wanted to slap Daisy. I can’t imagine going 30 weeks without reading about failing dreams and the promise that the future could hold.
2. Bossypants by Tina Fey. The funny, strong female autobiography books are coming in strong these last few years, but Bossypants is by far the greatest. The first time I read it I stayed up until 4 in the morning sobbing laughing. Obviously, Tina Fey is hysterical. Fey’s writing about her awkward teenage years, her awkward college years, and her awkward adult years helps the reader identify with her, but it also humanizes her. And she sort of gives me hope that my life can be just as great, not despite the awkward, but because of the awkward. Fey is quick and witty in her writing (Duh, have you seen 30 Rock?) but she also writes about some poignant moments in her life.
3. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safan Foer. This novel takes everything I thought I knew about writing and storytelling and flips it upside down, shakes itself around, and then sets it down sideways. Weaving in the reality of 9/11, the fiction story of Oskar, and the ideas of self-preservation and trauma this novel tugs at the heart strings and makes you marvel at Foer’s creativity. Foer pulls in a varying amount of writing techniques and art throughout the novel that force the reader to engage with the novel in an unorthodox way which at first intimidated me (“How should I feel?!”) upon my first reading. Now I see the artistry and the complexity in the novel. Foer is one of my top authors right now.
4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Housseini. Whoa. This novel wrecked me. And then wrecked me again. The novel is set in Afghanistan during the fall of Afghanistan’s monarchy all the way to rise of the Taliban. It centers on a father and son relationship. One of the most compelling concepts of the novel are the themes of guilt and of redemption. Housseini does a remarkable job of writing about Afghanistan’s history, creating characters that are identifiable, and making me touch despair and then bringing in the light. It’s a beautiful novel.
Yes, I judge books and their authors. And I love doing it. Regardless of my judging, I love books. I love reading. I love how books and reading make me feel and think about myself, my life, and this world.
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