Something to Say

"Readers are drawn to passionate people. They feed off the blogger's intensity. When I first started I adopted an all-business, "just the facts" approach to my posts  ...Slowly I realized that readers wanted to see how I felt about a subject. ...My passion gave them permission to engage with me on an emotional level. I now believe that passion is the "secret sauce" for powerful blogging."
-Stanford Smith, Born to Blog



Today I have something to say. I don't know if I was "born to blog," but I know that I am passionate about reading, books, history, traveling, and family. I thought about blogging about books long before I actually did. I'm not sure why I waited so long, because I've been longing to share my thoughts on this subject. Am I passionate about reading and books? Why do I care about this topic? Does it make any difference in the world? I have some answers to these questions today. I've never been a part of a book club. I've never been invited to join a club, although I've had friends who were in one. I've never been invited, and it may be because these groups are "tight-knit" the way best friends can be. Perhaps adding a new person would put a crease in a group that has been established for many years. I'm sure I could join a book club on my own, after all, there are "meet-up" groups for just about any interest,  but for some reason I've never done that. Writing about books here allows ME to choose the books and I get to decide when I communicate my ideas. I can write during the day when I'm not working at my part-time job as an E.S.L. teacher in an elementary school. I guess you could say that I'm my own boss, and as such I can say anything that I want to. I'm not passionate about many things, but if you ask me what I think about a book that I've read, I'm willing and eager to tell you. The sad thing is that I often encounter people who never read anything except their email and texts, but I respect their choice. Email and the internet are, after all, made up of words, and power and inspiration lie in words. So why do I really care about this topic? Well, I think it's because I like to think. Books lead me to think. I don't just read a book for its words - I think about what is happening and why. I don't have to agree with the book in order to appreciate it. A book causes me to look behind the characters in the novel or the historical characters in non-fiction. I wonder what makes them act the way they do. What are their motives, and how do they affect those around them? Through books I often come to understand the complexity of human nature and I become more accepting of others. I know I'm passionate about reading, and I almost always have something to say.

My favorite books list may change occasionally, but I'd like to share some of my very favorite novels. I also have another list in my mind of my favorite non-fiction books. These include inspirational stories biographies such as My Life in Green, The Boys in the Boat, Born to Run, and How My Mom Raised Ten Kids on 25 Words or Less. But back to my favorite novels list...my top ten as of today are, in no particular order:

The Poisonwood Bible
Uncle Tom's Cabin
A Prayer for Owen Meany
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
To Kill a Mockingbird
Cutting For Stone
The Grapes of Wrath
War Brides
Great Expectations
Paris: A Novel



Maybe you're wondering why I chose these books. Well, to make the list they have to have most of the elements of a great novel. They must have a great story that is both interesting and intriguing. A novel must have thoughtful organization. It must have strong rising action and falling action. It must be long enough to follow the main characters through many events and turning points in their lives. It must have language that causes readers to think. Words must be carefully chosen and appropriate for the story and characters. A good novel must have something to say that matters. For example, Cutting For Stone has something to say about unconditional love that is shown to twin brothers who were born to a nun in Asia. Similarly, Uncle Tom's Cabin has something to say about unconditional love that comes from unlikely people, but it also says a lot about hatred. It's on my list because it is full of metaphors and inspiring characters who could have actually lived during the time of slavery. Also, the writing style of Harriet Beecher Stowe is unprecedented.

I've read several hundred books since I've kept a record (1984). In each post I include the next ten books that I've read:

Miles to Go by Richard Evans
Decision Making and the Bible by Edward Everding & Dana Wilbanks
Will the Real Me Please Stand Up by Lee Ezell
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
This Republic of Suffering by Drew Faust
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Abraham by Bruce Feiler
Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding
The List by Martin Fletcher
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Have a great weekend, and I hope your team wins the super bowl.

-Melissa