Confessions of a Reader

"If she was proud of me, I was so proud of her that I carried my head high as I emerged from the dark cedars and shut the Cutters' gate softly behind me. Her warm, sweet face, her kind arms, and the true heart in her; she was, oh, she was still my Antonia!"  The thoughts of Jim Burden, a character in My Antonia by Willa Cather




I have a confession to make. I confess that I read My Antonia two times. Before I checked it from the library, I checked my card catalog to see if I had read it before. I didn't find a card, so I checked out the book and finished it in a week. But when I wrote up the card for the book to signify that I had completed, I did find the card from my first reading of the book. I read the book in 2006 and 2015 - so many years apart that I didn't recognize the story. It's a wonderful story of a boy who was sent to Black Hawk, Nebraska to live with his grandparents after the death of his parents. As he learned a new way of life, he met a Bohemian immigrant girl and her family. Jim's family and Antonia's family lived on adjoining farms, so the two children became friends. Jim helped Antonia and her little sister learn English, and they soon were able to communicate freely as they ran through the fields, played games, and did chores.

I confess that I enjoy stories like My Antonia that depict a lifestyle in which the simple things of life are celebrated. In today's society we have so many THINGS, that we neglect to find joy in the smile of a baby, a beautiful sunset, or a trip to town in the back of a wagon. There are other books that evoke these emotions for me as well. For example, Orphan Train, All the Light We Cannot See, Great Expectations, Edgar Sawtelle, The Prize Winner of Defiance County, and many others remind me that joy cannot be bought, it is found.

I confess that I read a lot of historical novels and books about historical figures.  I enjoy reading about things in the past, but I'm not sure why that is so. I think it's because I've come to appreciate peoples' journeys as I slowly make sense of some of the things in the present. Another reason that I enjoy books with historical settings or about historical people is that there are so many interesting stories in the past. When I read books like those by Frank McCourt (Angela's Ashes, 'Tis, and Teacher Man), I began to realize how difficult life was for the immigrants who came to America through Ellis Island. I didn't learn that in traditional classes, and it's a very important part of who we are as a nation. I appreciate My Antonia as a historical novel because it allows me to appreciate the many, many trailblazers who helped to settle our great nation. They were risk-takers and innovative people, people who were made out of true grit. Our nation is great because of these people.

I confess that I enjoy books that are beautifully written. As you can see in the quote from My Antonia above, Willa Cather has a gift for saying what she wants to say. Her story flows beautifully and her language allows me to see the story in vivid colors and emotions. Cather writes elegantly and beautifully, and the movie in my mind as I read is very clear and aptly received. She definitely has the gift.

I confess that I enjoy the classics. I have enjoyed My Antonia, The Catcher and the Rye, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Huckleberry Finn, Robinson Crusoe, Charlotte's Web, The Grapes of Wrath, The Old Man and the Sea, and may others. I try to read at least two classics each year because I think that they are called "classics" for a reason and I don't want to miss out on the fun. But I believe that there are many newer books that will become classics in due time. A book doesn't have to be old in order to be a classic - it just has to have unique characters who have struggles as all people do. A classic must also be beautifully written, of course. Recently we've been watching a PBS version of Wuthering Heights from the library and we've enjoyed it a lot. It's one of those classics that I never had the opportunity to read, so I saw the movie version.

Now I'd like to share the next ten books in my card catalog. These are books that I've read since 1984.

1. You Don't Look Sick by Joy H Selak and Steven Overman
2. The Brother of Jesus by Hershel Shanks & Ben Witherington
3. Beauty Fades, Dumb is Forever by Judge Judy Sheindlin
4. The Best Laid Plans by Sidney Sheldon
5. A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd
6. Basic Adult Sunday School Work by Larry Shotwell
7. Light on Snow by Anita Shreve
8. Sea Glass by Anita Sheeve
9. The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve
10. The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve

Have a fantastic weekend. Your thoughts about today's post are greatly appreciated.

-Melissa Hill
Book Blogger
www.onegoodbookblog.blogspot.com
used bookseller: MCH Seller