Time to Read Tuesday - The Giver

Posting this tonight because it CANNOT wait - and it's Tuesday anyway.

I just finished The Giver by Lois Lowry. And it was PERFECTION.

179 pages of AMAZINGNESS.

We chose this book for my book club because there is a moving coming out this year of this story. DO NOT RESEARCH THE MOVIE unless you have read the book, or you will be in Spoiler City. Instead, the back of the book is sufficient:

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. 
When Jonas turns twelve he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now it's time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

I was drawn to this book the same way I was for The Hunger Games or the Divergent books. There's something about the "what if" of Dystopia that gets my attention, but then the "how did they get to that point?" that holds me for the rest of the book.  I loved this book for the way the Community was revealed to the reader. Things that are common place for them become major talking points for The Giver and Jonas.   There are also parts of the Community that really don't seem bad at all - mandatory volunteer hours for the students so they can figure out their aptitude, for example - until you consider what is required (or excluded) to keep the system working.

This book was my unexpected delight of the summer. What books have become your unexpected treasures?

Time to Read Tuesday - Wuthering Heights

Time to Read Tuesday

Yup, still two days instead of one day behind. Oh well.  The delay this time was finishing my current summer book, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (published 1847).

Big, hardcover wordy book.  I look shmart.

It is almost impossible to summarize this book, since it was over 200 pages of "Why is everyone putting up with this guy?"  or "Wait, who's the narrator again?"  This may also be because I haven't had to write a book summary since 2002.  Regardless, I loved it so I will try.

No seriously, someone tell me how to rotate my photos in Blogger and I'll give you a cookie. 

The book opens from the point of view of Mr. Lockwood in 1801. He is the renter at Thrushcross Grange, and wants to know more about the mysterious owner living at Wuthering Heights, Mr. Heathcliff. The majority of the book is then told through the housekeeper Nelly's eyes, as she gives an account of Mr. Heathcliff and how he turned upside-down the lives of the two families that occupied both properties.  What follows is a dramatic tale of obsession and revenge that spans two generations.

I could not put this book down, as the action and character development kept me guessing.  I was annoyed and intrigued at the same time, wondering how the characters would find contentment and happiness in the end. I also loved reading about the wild landscape of the moors that lie between the two homes.

I picked this book because back when I was reading Twilight, Bella makes several references to her relationship with Edward being like that of Catherine and Heathcliff.  If she means that Edward was super controlling and manipulative, then yes. If she meant that she was passionate and beautiful and energetic as Catherine, then that is a giant no. While Catherine and Bella both had to choose between two suitors, it is a great disservice to Catherine to equate Bella's awkward shyness with Catherine's vibrant magnetism. But, you know, hooray for Bella recommending good literature. (Also, someone else has blogged about this HERE.)

Confession:  I had to use SparkNotes to keep track of all the details in the action. The switching of lovers and marriages and the family tree made me wish I was slightly smarter, but I'm chalking it up to summer brain.  SparkNotes pointed out the use of pairs and opposites as symbolism throughout (two properties, two families, two generations), which helped center the action better for me as the reader.

I would highly recommend this book if you want something to stretch your brain, while giving you the same passion of a romance novel. And if you like literature about 1800 England. And interwoven family trees. Good times.

Who is your favorite Wuthering Heights character and why?  Let me know!