read || entry two

These last couple of months, I've read yet another round of truly fabulous books. I loved getting the chance to share my opinions and recommendations with you in my last (which was also, ironically, my first) post about books, so, I thought I'd do it again! Here it is; a few reads as of late:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë: I read this book for Aanna Greer's book club and it was, in a word, phenomenal. There was literally nothing that I didn't love about it. The plot was both dark and heart-warming, an ultimately-triumphant tale with an eerie subplot. Brontë's writing style was beautiful and personal; in fact, the entire book was like a letter written to the reader, which made me feel so much more engaged. But ultimately, Jane Eyre herself is one of the most admirable and lovely heroines ever. She has amazing integrity and character, and throughout the entire story she never loses sight of the will of God and what He wanted for her. I want to be more like her. (Also, the love interest, [Edward Rochester] is a total dreamboat.)

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer: This story was CRAZY. A young adult donates his $24,000 college-fund, cuts off all ties with his family, absolutely wrecks his car, and takes to the road in a 2-year-journey that ultimately results in his untimely demise in the wilderness of Alaska. The most insane part? It's all 100% true. Krakauer meticulously researched this kid's life and travels and compiled them into one unbelievable story. I highly recommend this work. (WARNING: if you have even the slightest inkling of wanderlust whenever you pick up this book, it will be wildly provoked until you simply HAVE to get out into nature and go on an adventure.)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: For those of you who've read this before, was I the only one who was surprised by the sheer eloquence of Frankenstein's monster? TV and movies today portray him as a bloodthirsty, slow-walking zombie-Hulk reincarnate. But in all actuality, the monster was smart. Like, really smart. He learned French in a matter of weeks. He had feelings and wanted real, deep relationships with humans. By the end of the book, I found myself much more endeared to the monster than to Dr. Frankenstein himself. In fact, I kind of despised Viktor Frankenstein (I mean, how can you not hate a character who thought it was a good idea to sew dismembered body parts together and see how it turned out?) Anyone looking for a tale filled with Victorian gore, gothic settings, and 'villains' in emotional turmoil should look no further than 'Frankenstein'. 

A Day in the Life of a Minimalist by Joshua Fields Millburn: This book is a collection of 50 essays by self-proclaimed minimalist Joshua Fields Millburn. While not everyone may be so quick to embrace his lifestyle of simplicity, his thoughts on life and "collecting meaningful experiences, not things" is quite inspiring. I dare you to try NOT to get rid of a few things after giving this a read. 

What about you? Have you read anything good lately? Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think of them? 

read || entry one

I love reading. I read quite a bit. Living in the middle of nowhere, there's little else to do.

But I don't mind.

I've finished a couple of books over the last month or so and I thought I might share my opinion on them with you.

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis: Other than The Chronicles of Narnia, this was my first encounter with Lewis. And really, from the childhood stories, you don't get to fully see how brilliant Lewis' mind is. He thinks so logically, and it's refreshing to see Christianity examined from such a logical standpoint. The last couple of pages had some of the best quotes on individuality and personality that I've ever read, which was extremely meaningful to me, being a teenager in my "formative" years. I know that so many people have already read this book, but if you haven't, I definitely recommend it.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith: To quote my dear friend Sophie, this book is seriously underrated. Underrated because of the fact that no one has heard of it, and it deserves to be a classic of much larger proportions. The story is a poignant interpretation of what life in New York was like for 1st and 2nd-generation immigrants in the early 20th century. Not to mention, it features (in my opinion) one of the best literary characters in the history of forever, Johnny Nolan.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan: This series was good. Like Harry-Potter good. While the first two books were less-than-satisfactory, by The Titan's Curse I was absolutely hooked. What is it about children's book series' that make them so wonderful? Riordan created fantastic, likeable characters and a super awesome world for them to live in.

So what about you? What have you been reading lately? Anything you recommend? I love book recommendations, and I'd love to get some from you!