Let's get right back to it.
BEST "MADE ME THINK" STORY
Winner - The Shack, William P. Young. This book is pretty well-known, especially in religious circles. I've talked to a lot of people who have read and it and the reviews are very mixed. It shows God and the Holy Trinity from an entirely new perspective and I think it was a little too much for traditionalists. For me, it was an incredibly comforting idea. No one ever thinks of God in a female form, but in his infinite power, he most certainly could. This book made me re-examine how I learn from tragedy in my own life and how my relationship with God is affected by it. Every time I read it, I pick up a little something else from it.
1st Runner-Up - Life of Pi, Yann Martel. This book blew my mind and that's all there is to it. It's the story of a young Indian boy who is in a shipwreck and he floats across the Atlantic on a life raft with a bunch of zoo animals who all die off until all he has left is a Bengal tiger for company. I realize that sounds strange, but the dynamic between the boy and this tiger is fascinating, and at the end of the book, you're left with your mouth agape, tears in your eyes, and that heavy feeling in your chest because nothing was quite what it seemed. Not enough people have read this book.
2nd Runner-Up - White Noise, Don DeLillo. I had to read this book for an honors class the summer before I started college, and I will say that it is not for the casual reader. This is a book where you have to stop and think about what you've read, really reflect on it, to get the full essence of the author's message. A chemical explosion, a new drug for the fear of death, and a complicated relationship between a man and his wife. What I really loved about this book was the writing. You'd be reading a dialogue, and then out of nowhere, there'd be a sentence like "The radio is on upstairs." DeLillo is very attentive to even the most mundane aspects of the environment.
BEST HIGH FANTASY
Winner - The Lord of the Rings trilogy, JRR Tolkien. Who didn't see this one coming, right? Tolkien is the last word in high fantasy for a reason. I am very happy to say that I have just recently begun reading the third book in the trilogy, so I'm almost done. (Not decided yet if I'm going to tackle The Hobbit and The Silmarillion yet.) And of course, I'm a bit of a nerd for the movies. But, anyway, here's what I love about these in particular. High fantasy involves the creation of a new world, essentially, and Tolkien was endlessly thorough. Sometimes when I'm reading these books, I come across a person or a place that they don't talk much about, and I get curious. I do a little research, and I can easily find the full history. He literally created an entirely new world, and he fully designed it and mapped out its fate from beginning to end, sparing no details. It's mesmerizing.
1st Runner-Up - Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll. Everyone knows the story of Alice from the various movie adaptations, but about two years ago, I took the time to actually read the books, and they were absolutely fabulous! I love that they are written for children but the complexity resonates so well with adults. It is completely logic-less, which is both frustrating and refreshing as an adult reader. I feel like this is one of those books that, had I read it when I was 8, I would understand it about as well as I do now.
2nd Runner-Up - The Dark Tower Series, Stephen King. Okay, so I've only read 2/7 of these books, and it is true that I struggle with King's writing, but I have every intention of finishing, (3rd book is on the Kindle now) and when I break it down to the core plotline, I really like where it's going so far. I hurt myself with this one because my dad has already finished all 7, and he told me how they end (I asked). But, I think King would say that these books are about the journey, not the destination, and it was a lifelong effort on his part, so I have a lot of respect for the writing.
**Note for this section. I am considering adding George R R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire to my reading list. I don't know a whole lot about it, but HBO has a new show out called "Game of Thrones" which is based on the 1st book in the series, and I've been watching it. I definitely recommend it, if this kind of stuff is your thing. I compare it to LOTR except a bit more medieval feeling, and a lot more earthbound.
More to come soon...
BEST "MADE ME THINK" STORY
Winner - The Shack, William P. Young. This book is pretty well-known, especially in religious circles. I've talked to a lot of people who have read and it and the reviews are very mixed. It shows God and the Holy Trinity from an entirely new perspective and I think it was a little too much for traditionalists. For me, it was an incredibly comforting idea. No one ever thinks of God in a female form, but in his infinite power, he most certainly could. This book made me re-examine how I learn from tragedy in my own life and how my relationship with God is affected by it. Every time I read it, I pick up a little something else from it.
1st Runner-Up - Life of Pi, Yann Martel. This book blew my mind and that's all there is to it. It's the story of a young Indian boy who is in a shipwreck and he floats across the Atlantic on a life raft with a bunch of zoo animals who all die off until all he has left is a Bengal tiger for company. I realize that sounds strange, but the dynamic between the boy and this tiger is fascinating, and at the end of the book, you're left with your mouth agape, tears in your eyes, and that heavy feeling in your chest because nothing was quite what it seemed. Not enough people have read this book.
2nd Runner-Up - White Noise, Don DeLillo. I had to read this book for an honors class the summer before I started college, and I will say that it is not for the casual reader. This is a book where you have to stop and think about what you've read, really reflect on it, to get the full essence of the author's message. A chemical explosion, a new drug for the fear of death, and a complicated relationship between a man and his wife. What I really loved about this book was the writing. You'd be reading a dialogue, and then out of nowhere, there'd be a sentence like "The radio is on upstairs." DeLillo is very attentive to even the most mundane aspects of the environment.
BEST HIGH FANTASY
Winner - The Lord of the Rings trilogy, JRR Tolkien. Who didn't see this one coming, right? Tolkien is the last word in high fantasy for a reason. I am very happy to say that I have just recently begun reading the third book in the trilogy, so I'm almost done. (Not decided yet if I'm going to tackle The Hobbit and The Silmarillion yet.) And of course, I'm a bit of a nerd for the movies. But, anyway, here's what I love about these in particular. High fantasy involves the creation of a new world, essentially, and Tolkien was endlessly thorough. Sometimes when I'm reading these books, I come across a person or a place that they don't talk much about, and I get curious. I do a little research, and I can easily find the full history. He literally created an entirely new world, and he fully designed it and mapped out its fate from beginning to end, sparing no details. It's mesmerizing.
1st Runner-Up - Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll. Everyone knows the story of Alice from the various movie adaptations, but about two years ago, I took the time to actually read the books, and they were absolutely fabulous! I love that they are written for children but the complexity resonates so well with adults. It is completely logic-less, which is both frustrating and refreshing as an adult reader. I feel like this is one of those books that, had I read it when I was 8, I would understand it about as well as I do now.
2nd Runner-Up - The Dark Tower Series, Stephen King. Okay, so I've only read 2/7 of these books, and it is true that I struggle with King's writing, but I have every intention of finishing, (3rd book is on the Kindle now) and when I break it down to the core plotline, I really like where it's going so far. I hurt myself with this one because my dad has already finished all 7, and he told me how they end (I asked). But, I think King would say that these books are about the journey, not the destination, and it was a lifelong effort on his part, so I have a lot of respect for the writing.
**Note for this section. I am considering adding George R R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire to my reading list. I don't know a whole lot about it, but HBO has a new show out called "Game of Thrones" which is based on the 1st book in the series, and I've been watching it. I definitely recommend it, if this kind of stuff is your thing. I compare it to LOTR except a bit more medieval feeling, and a lot more earthbound.
More to come soon...
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