To Read or Not to Read

Yes, it's true; I admit it. I actually like to read! Although, I haven't read a really good book in quite some time now, mainly because I've been so consumed with textbooks lately. If you're looking for a good book to read, Oprah seems to be a reputable source to rely on. One year, she dubbed Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina as the best book choice of the year. After that show aired, I went out and bought a copy (I'm such a sucker! But it's not my fault! Oprah's a good advertiser :P). Now, I haven't exactly gotten the chance to read it yet (Don't frown upon me! That book is THICK) , but I hear it's an awesome book. Below are Oprah's top 9 suggestions for books to read this summer:

1) White Oleander by Janet Fitch

"White Oleander is an unforgettable story of mothers and daughters, burgeoning sexuality, the redemptive powers of art, and the unstoppable force of the emergent self. Written with exquisite beauty and grace, this is a compelling debut by an author poised to join the ranks of today's most gifted novelists. "

2) The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

"The Poisonwood Bible tells the story of an evangelical Baptist minister who takes his wife, four daughters and his mission from a small town in Georgia to the Belgian Congo in 1959. It is a move that will have unspeakable tragic consequences for the Price family as they confront the unstoppable forces of nature, hubris, and history."

3) I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb

"Born in the waning moments of 1949 and the opening minutes of 1950, the twins Dominick and Thomas are physical mirror images who grow into separate yet connected entities. From childhood, Dominick, fights for both separation and wholeness—and ultimately self-protection—in a house of fear and mystery. To save himself, Dominick must confront not only the pain of his past but the dark secrets he has locked deep within himself and the sins of his ancestors—a quest that will lead him beyond the confines of his blue-collar New England town to the volcanic foothills of Sicily's Mount Etna."

4) Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts

"Where the Heart Is puts a human face on the look-alike trailer parks and malls of America's small towns. It will make you believe in the strength of friendship, the goodness of down-to-earth people, and the healing power of love. And it will make you laugh and cry...every step of the way."

5) She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb

"She's Come Undone is a deeply affecting, often hilarious novel that centers around one of the most extraordinary characters in recent American fiction: wisecracking, ever-vulnerable Dolores Price, whose life we follow through her fortieth year. When we first meet Dolores in 1956, she is four years old, innocently unaware that the delivery of a television set will launch her tumultuous personal odyssey. "

6) Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald

"Moving from Cape Breton Island to the bleak landscape of World War I and the emerging jazz scene in New York City, this epic tale tells the story of four unforgettable sisters. This is a story of inescapable family bonds, of terrible secrets, of miracles, murder, passion and forbidden love."

7) We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates

"The Mulvaneys are blessed by all that makes life sweet—a hardworking father, a loving mother, three fine sons and a bright, pretty daughter. They are confident in their love for each other and their position in the rural community of Mt. Ephraim, New York. But something happens on Valentine's Day, 1976: an incident that is hushed up in the town and never spoken of in the Mulvaney home. "

8) Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail by Malika Oufkir

"Stolen Lives is a shocking true story of resilience in the face of extreme deprivation and of the courage and humor with which one family faced their tormented fate."

9) Cane River by Lalita Tademy

"This is history never before told. Lalita Tademy brings to life four vivid and remarkable generations of African-American women from her family's past, beginning in slavery, sweeping through the Civil War, and into the pre-Civil Rights South."


And for those of you who haven't checked out the Douglas book sale in the concourse at the New Westminster campus, I strongly urge you to go! They have some awesome books at reasonable prices. Might as well start stocking up now, I know I will!

http://www.oprah.com/obc/summer/obc_summer_main.jhtml