Top Ten Books about Friendship

 

This week's Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks for Ten Books about Friendship.

 

1) Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett – The well-known author’s nonfiction memoir about her friendship with Lucy Grealy will break your heart.

 

2) The Likeness by Tana French – A trippy look at a strange group of friends, their connection and what they’re willing to do to protect it.

 

3) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky by – A shy high school freshman finds hope and strength in the unexpected friendships he forms.

 

4) Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry – Two cowboys, Call and Gus, have a formed a friendship that survives decades of working together in the west.

 

5) The Little Prince by Antonie De Saint-Exupery – A children’s tale with an adult message. The Little Prince teaches readers about the value of friendship and how it changes us.

 

6) A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving – Johnny and Owen’s unlikely friendship changes the course of both of their lives forever.

 

7) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck – Migrant workers, George and Lennie, have been traveling together for years. The books’ tragic story asks readers what lengths they would take to protect their best friend.

 

8) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott – It’s the story of four sisters, but it’s also about the touching friendship between Jo and Laurie and the difficult line between romantic love and devotion to your best friend.

 

9) The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares – Four friends face the struggles of first love, grief, parents remarrying, and more in this coming-of-age story. It’s their friendship that holds them together through it all.

 

10) Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy – Through the eyes of Benny we see both the benefits of true friends, like Eve, and the harm of false ones.

Most Influential Books

Jillian at Random Ramblings posted about ten most influential books in her life and she encouraged others to do the same with one rule... you can’t explain your choices. I tend to over explain my choices for lists, so this was an intriguing idea. Then Brona listed her books and Adam listed his and I knew I had to join in the fun.


Jillian said "I love a lot of books. However, I've learned that the favorites list and the most influential list are two completely different things." As I started making my own list I realized the same thing. The most influential book I read by one author might not even be my favorite by them.
 

So here’s my list…
1) Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
 

2) Hamlet by William Shakespeare
 

3) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
 

4) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
 

5) Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
 

6) The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
 

7) Matilda by Roald Dahl  
 

8) Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
 

9) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
 

10) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott  

Photo by moi.

Top Ten Books That Will Make You Cry

This week's Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks for the Top Ten Books That Will Make You Cry.

1) The Book Thief - I ugly cry every time I read this.
2) The Time Traveler's Wife - Beautiful romance, impossible obstacle
3) Song of Achilles - The Trojan War never felt so personal.
4) Anne of Green Gables - One word: Matthew
5) The Sparrow - Tragedy on an epic level
6) Still Alice - If you know anyone who has had Alzheimer's this one will get you.
7) Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close - 9/11 heartbreaker
8) The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Just about my worst nightmare, but also incredibly inspiring story of the human spirit.
9) Jude, the Obscure - Leave it to Hardy to redfine tragedy.
10) Little Women - Do you guys remember Joey's reaction on Friends? Exactly.

September Classic Club Meme Question

Rereading a favorite classic at different stages of your life gives you different insights with each reading. Is there one classic you’ve read several times that also tells a story about you?

I’ve reread Little Women multiple times now. I’m endlessly fascinated by how the same book becomes new with each new stage of life. When I first read it I remember so much about the girls plays outside and having picnics. I remember Amy falling thorough the ice and the plays they put on for the Pickwick Club.

When I read it in college I loved Jo’s adventures in New York. I remember Amy’s travel’s in Europe with envy. Then re-reading it this year I finally noticed Meg’s struggle to adjust to married life and the depth of the relationship between Jo and the professor. Marmee’s role really stood out to me this time as well. Her gentle guidance and encouragement shapes her daughter’s lives.

I love how each time I return to a favorite book I discover something new. I’ve done this with all of Austen’s work and To Kill a Mockingbird and others, but this one has particularly felt like a different novel to me each time I read it. I think that says quite a bit about my identifying with different stages of life and choosing to focus on those when I read.

 

Join in the fun here. 

Top Ten Most Memorable Secondary Characters

This week's Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks for the Top Ten Most Memorable Secondary Characters. I love this question! 

1) Marian from The Woman in White – She is such a fantastic character and I always wished she had gotten a slightly different ending.

2) Dumbledore from Harry Potter – Wise, powerful, hilarious, one of my favorite characters ever.

3) Miss Havisham from Great Expectations – What a character! She makes an intense first impression and she’s impossible to forget.

4) Fermin from The Shadow of the Wind – Loyal and crass, Fermin is a bit of a mystery until we get to know him better in The Prisoner of Heaven.

5) Melly and Rhett in Gone with the Wind – It’s Scarlett’s story, but those two are by far my favorite characters in the book. One is a scandalous man who says what he thinks; the other is a great lady with a quiet strength. I love them both.

6) Matthew from Anne of Green Gables – He is such a softy. He loves Anne like his own daughter and he is always on her side.

7) Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird – He is a wonderful father and a humble man. Seeing him through Scout’s eyes makes him even more admirable.

8) Charlotte from Pride and Prejudice – She ends up with Mr. Collins, it’s a horrible fate. But at the same time she decides to marry him because she wants her own home and to no longer be a burden on others. She is a good friend and she is a strong woman. It took a couple rereads to appreciate her, but once I “got” her I loved her story.

9) Marvin from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – He’s a depressed robot and he is hilarious.

10) Laurie from Little Women – He is Jo’s best friend, partner-in-crime and confidant. You can’t help but love him dearly.

April Classic Club Meme Question

“Who is hands-down the best literary hero, in your opinion? Likewise, who is the best heroine?”

My two choices for literary hero are Atticus Finch and Gandalf. The first is the lawyer from the beloved novel To Kill a Mockingbird. He is a man of quiet strength. Not only is Atticus willing to stand up for those without a voice, he is also a wonderful father and the best shot in town! He defends Tom Robbins when no one else will take his case. He accepts bartered farm goods when his neighbors can’t pay for his services. He teaches his children that being kind to others is a way of life. You maintain that kindness even in the face of adversity. From a poor school boy to an elderly opium addict, he supports the people around him with unconditional respect and generosity. He is the ultimate hero.

Gandalf, the wizard from The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, is hero in a more traditional sense. He is mysterious and powerful. He always appears when he is most needed. He is wise and kind, but he is also incredibly brave and willing to sacrifice himself for others.

The first of the two that tie for the spot of literary heroine is Hermione Granger. That girl is so strong and clever; Ron and Harry never would have made it to the seventh book without her! She helped them through the obstacles protecting the Sorcerer’s Stone in the first book, discovered the secret of the basilisk in the second book. In the third book she gets a time turner and what does she use it for through out the book… LEARNING! The fourth book, she continuously works to help Harry figure out his clues for the Tri-Wizard tournament, the fifth has her fighting Death Eaters along-side of her friends and encouraging Harry to start Dumbledore’s Army. In the seventh book she packs all of their belongings into a tiny clutch that she carries with them to the wedding. She’s always prepared! She is willing to leave her parents and give up her safety to travel with Harry and Ron in the wilderness and try to find horcruxes. She is brave and brilliant. She never dumbs herself down to fit in and her constant encouragement keeps Ron and Harry on track.

Now for a more traditional Classics choice, Marmee March is a minor character in Little Women, but her influence is seen throughout the book in the decisions her daughters make. She raises the four girls by herself for years while her husband is fighting in the Civil War. His bad financial decisions left them poor, but Marmee makes due and teaches her girls that wealth is not nearly as important as kindness. Even when they have barely anything Marmee still gives her time to those who are less fortunate than themselves. Marmee also encourages her daughters to follow their own dreams. When Meg wants to marry, Marmee only tells her to wait a few years so that they have time to mature first. She lets Jo travel to New York by herself to live in a boarding house and pursue her writing career. Marmee knows that Jo struggles with her temper and to help her cope with that she explains her own fiery temperament to Jo so she could understand she wasn’t alone.

Join in the fun here. 

Top Ten Favorite Romances

This week's Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks for my Top Ten Favorite Romances. There will be some SPOILERS if you haven’t read these books.

1) Anne and Captain Wentworth in Persuasion – Their love withstands years of separation and rekindles in the most beautiful way.

2) Anne and Gilbert in the Anne of Green Gables series – I love that we get to see their whole relationship, from courtship through marriage and children throughout the series.

3) Henry and Clare in The Time Traveler’s Wife – Spanning almost Clare’s entire life, these two had a romance that defied fate.

4) Jo and Professor Bhaer in Little Women – I know most people rooted for Laurie and Jo, but re-reading this as an adult made me fall in love with Bhaer along with Jo. They were perfectly suited for each other and they both thought they would probably never find love.

5) Thursday and Landon in the Thursday Next series – What would you do if the man you loved was completely erased from existence? Thursday has to deal with this, yet the books are still hilarious.

6) Levin and Kitty in Anna Karenina – Sure, Anna’s romance is more dramatic, but Levin and Kitty were always my favorite. Their relationship was not an easy one. They both had to mature before they could be together. Their relationship shows that real love is hard work, but worth every second of it!

7) Lucy and George in A Room with a View – The ultimate question in a good romance; do you marry the sensible guy or do you throw caution to the wind and follow your heart? This book has one of the best examples of this kind of romance that I’ve ever read. Plus, they meet in Florence, which is just a lovely bonus.

8) Marco and Celia in The Night Circus – A ridiculously difficult obstacle to overcome, magic in the air, what more could you want?

9) Arwen and Aragorn in Lord of the Rings – A romance that was relegated to the Appendix for the most part, but undoubtedly swoon-worthy. To be together Arwen must give up eternal life, but she knows that a short lifetime with him is better than an eternity without him.

10) Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester – Of course they made my list! Their love is undeniable, yet Jane still walks away because she won’t compromise her belief system for any man. Then comes one of literature’s most irresistible lines … “Reader, I married him.”

Image from here. 

Little Women

Little Women

by Louisa May Alcott

★★★★★

From the very first sentences of Little Women we know the four daughters in the March family: the eldest, Meg, tomboy Jo, gentle Beth and vain Amy. Soon we meet their kind mother, Marmee and from those first moments the reader is part of the family.

Set during the Civil War the March family is left with no men in their household when their father is sent off to war. The remaining house full of women is left to manage on their own.

I first read this when I was in grade school and I was thrilled to discover the character of Jo. She was a stubborn tomboy who longed to be an author and on the very first page she's described as "Jo, who was a bookworm." It was me in every way. Jo was the antidote to every sugary sweet character tossed my way in other books. She wasn't a lady, but she was strong and loving and she was willing to sacrifice anything for the good of her family.

Re-reading Little Women as an adult was an even richer experience. I returned to these beloved characters with fresh eyes. Amy and Laurie’s blossoming romance, born of their gradual maturity, was even more poignant. Meg’s trials as a new wife and parent were much more relevant now. I love watching Meg learn how to be a wife and mother; trying to trust her husband as a parent and discovering that there are much greater joys in the world than having nice things.

The other characters, neighbor Laurie, selfish Aunt March, sweet Hannah, etc. are engraved in my mind forever. I longed to be there, in their world, acting out the Pickwick Portfolio with them in the attic. I loved Mr. Brooke’s character so much more this time around. I’d forgotten how sweet he is while wooing Meg. In the movie it happens so quickly, but in the book it’s all quiet yearning and even a lovely story of a knight’s search, a thinly veiled look at Mr. Brooke’s true feelings for her.

On Jo’s romantic relationships; so many people wish she’d end up with Laurie, but as I re-read the book it made complete sense to me why they didn’t end up together. I love what Marmee says to Jo about it, that they would never work because they are too much alike. They both adore their freedom; they have stubborn natures and fiery temperaments. They aren’t suited for marriage and you can’t force romantic love where it doesn’t exist. Laurie was always a brother to Jo and she couldn’t see him as anything else.

Professor Bhaer, on the other hand, is the calm and gentle balance to Jo’s brash nature. He understands her and supports her writing. He challenges her to be the best she can be, but he does it in a kind way that never makes her defensive. He is poor, but he still manages to give her an entire library between the covers of a single book, his complete collection of Shakespeare. They get to know each other through their actions and they see each other’s true characters. She watches him with the children in the boarding house and she can’t help but love him, even though she doesn’t recognize it as romantic love at first.

Alcott wrote about intimate family dynamics in a time when little was known about women's interaction in the privacy of their own homes. The book was published in 1869, shortly after the end of the war. She created a family full of women with very different personalities, who must struggle through some horrible trials, but survive because their love for each other holds them together. It's a beautiful story that everyone should read.

One of my favorite things about this book is that they’re never forced into a specific life style. Marmee encourages every single one of them to pursue the things they love; Amy with her art, Jo with her writing, which takes her all the way to New York by herself, Beth is never told to go find a husband, etc. She lets Meg marry John even though he’s poor. She asks only that they wait a few years until Meg is older. She wants them to excel in the field of their choice and to always show kindness to those around them. It’s such a wise way to raise your children, showing you trust their decisions while at the same time gently guiding their natures.

BOTTOM LINE: Read it as soon as you can! It’s relevant in every stage of life, offering fresh advice depending on your personality type or current trials. I will be re-reading this one every decade for as long as I live.

“There are many Beths in the world, shy and quiet, sitting in corners till needed, and living for others so cheerfully that no one sees the sacrifices till the little cricket on the heart stops chirping, and the sweet, sunshiny presence vanishes, leaving silence and shadow behind.”

“And so, at last they came to the library, where she clapped her hands and prance, as she always did when especially delighted. It was lined with books, and there were pictures and statues, and distracting little cabinets full of coins and curiosities, and Sleepy Hollow chairs, and queer tables, and bronzes, and best of all, a great open fireplace with quaint tiles all round it.”

“Young ladies in America love independence as much as their ancestors did, and are admired and respected for supporting themselves.”