Paul asks…
Good books for girls coming of age?
I’m 16, almost 17.
I want to read more but I never know what to read.
I hate books about teenage girls. I’ve read a million of them and they’re all exactly the same and stupid.
I’ve read a lot of mysteries but none of them seem to really match up to the classic Nancy Drew books I read when I was 12.
So now I want to read well-written novels about life. It could even be a comedy. It doesn’t matter. Just any good literature that won’t put me to sleep. I guess I feel that you can learn a lot of lessons and morals from reading, but you don’t get those from the books generally written for teenage girls. I’d rather read Judy Blume books than I would another Sarah Dessen or “Twilight” Saga novel.
Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!
ConnieManuel answers:
How about the classics – Little Women, Little Men, Jo’s Boys by Louisa May Alcott? There’s a reason these books are still in print and dearly loved 150 years after they were written? I’m rereading Little Women for the umpteenth time since I was a young teen, and it still is a good book. The details and fashions change, but the essential challenge of being a girl on the verge of womanhood doesn’t.
If you are willing to read a book about a boy instead of a girl (same challenges, different hormones), take a look at The Magicians by Lev Grossman. It is so good I bought a copy so I could reread it when I finished it.
Jodi Picoult is a good writer. I particularly enjoyed Nineteen Minutes and My Sister’s Keeper.
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, based on the Biblical story of Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, is a wonderful coming of age story. There is some graphic violenc, but that’s the Bible for you, what are you to do? It’s another book that stands up well to a reread.
American Geisha, nonfiction, by LIza Dalby, explores her experience as an apprentice geisha. She was raised in Japan, came to American as a teen, earned a degree in anthropology and returned to Japan to do her field work as an apprentice geisha. Her course work was so good, the University of California published it.
The Lovely Bone by Sebold is nowhere near as disturbing as the description of it makes it sound. It is a book full of wonder and discovery.
Geraldine Brooks has written some fine books. Year of Wonders is based on a true story about a village in England. When the plague hits the town in the early 1600s, the villagers decide to stay in the town and isolate themselves rather than scatter and carry the plague to their family and friends. One of the main characters is a young woman who is the maid to the minister and his wife. She grows up a lot during the course of the book, and the basic ethical dilemma of whether it is a good idea to save yourself at the expense of other people is contrasted with the price that is paid by those trying to do the right thing. Brooks is an excellent writer and was a journalist in the Middle East for many years before turning to fiction.
Jane Yolen writes young adult fiction that doesn’t insult one’s intelligence. The Devil’s Arithmetic is about a girl who is whiny and bored at the family Passover Seder, when she is suddenly whisked away and wakes up in the time of the Holocaust. She grows up very quickly.
Debra Dean’s The Madonnas of Leningrad is about an eldery woman with Alzheimer’s disease. The chapters set in the present alternate with chapters set in her youth when she was a docent at The Hermitage during the Nazi siege of Leningrad. Just like The Lovely Bones, it is a very hopeful and comforting book in spite of its superficially depressing subject matter.
Any of the Alexander McCall Smith books set in Africa. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency is the first in the series. Lots of life lessons in those books. I don’t care so much for his books set in Scotland.
Antonia Fraser wrote an excellent biography of Marie Antoinette. She was an illiterate teen, completely unprepared, when she was thrust into the middle of one of the most sophisticated and dangerous courts of Europe. She was truly a martyr and almost saintly by the time of her death.
3 Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson is the true story of how a mountaineering nurse almost made it to the top of Everest in a climb to honor his dead sister. He became separated from his party, nearly died and was rescued by some people in a small village. He wanted to show his gratitude and asked them what they wanted. “Build us a school for our daughters” was there request. Now there are 70+ schools he has helped to build.
These are some of the books I culled from my book journal to recommend to you. There are lots of good books for YA, unfortunately you won’t find them in the YA section of the library.
HTH I have personally read (and reread some of them) every book, and I can assure you that you may like them or dislike them, but they won’t waste your time or insult your intelligence.
Donna asks…
Classic book reccomendations for 8th grader with a somewhat advanced reading level?
It’s just kinda hard for me to tell whether a book will be too difficult or not. I like reading mostly classics only, and to give you an idea of reading level, I just finished Frankenstein and it was just about my level…
Thanks for the feedback so far…So for Don Quixote, I did a bit of research and am curious as to which translation you would recommend….
I have never tried Lois Lowery and maybe this is the time to do it…
And as for LOTR… those books happen to be my favorites. Thank you very much for all the other recommendations…
I thank you, Donna…, for the enthusiastic, thoughtful, and quite lengthy answer! To me, a classic is a book that is renowned by many for it’s style, fluency, and engaging plot. I do seem to enjoy the old classics (18-19th centuries) much better than a lot of the more modern ones. I do like learning about the history and how the authors describe their time, and I also like to see how different the style of writing is from today’s contemporary writings. As for genres, I like some fantasy (lord of the rings), some mystery, but I guess what I really enjoy most is historical fiction. As long as the novel is written well and it has an engaging plot, it doesn’t really matter what genre it is. Generally, the books that many read throughout high school, I am interested in. Thanks for the many book reviews, and I will definitely take a look at some of those books…
ConnieManuel answers:
I’d like to know more about what you like. What about classics do you like? Getting immersed in a different time in history and learning about how authors described their eras? Learning something about how language has changed over the centuries? What is a “classic” in your mind? What books have you enjoyed? Any particular genre that you prefer?
Without knowing the answers to the above questions, I’ll just throw out some books that I enjoyed as a youth (and later).
Try Victor Hugo’s LesMiserables. It’s a real page turner. It starts with the story of a man in Paris, Jean Val Jean, who steals a loaf of bread to avoid starving. He gets caught, but escapes. Inspector Javert (a cop) spends basically the rest of his days going after Val Jean, sort of like the cop who has the unsolved case and can’t let it go, even tho it’s just about a loaf of bread!
The story goes on to describe how Val Jean succeeds in hiding his identity and becoming an upstanding citizen who’s generous and kind, and yet as far as Javert is concerned, Val Jean is nothing but a criminal.
It takes place during the French revolution and makes real the horrors of poverty and the lengths to which good people will go to provide for their loved ones.
I’ve always been an avid reader and was ahead of my age as a kid in the books I read. I happed to read LesMiserables when I was about 17, so not too much older than you.
Another book I enjoyed was Uncle Tom’s Cabin. I’d always wondered why in the African American community, being a black person who was considered an “Uncle Tom” was a bad thing. So I decided to read the book to find out. By reading the book, you’ll also learn what it means for someone to be described as “Simon Legree.”
Another good one is Faulkner’s “As I lay Dying.” It’s a small book. At first, I found it a little hard to read because Faulkner writes in a southern dialect. It took a little effort to get used to that to understand what he was saying. But the story is interesting in a train wreck sort of way. Each chapter is from the point of view of a different character. As you read, you start to wonder if it’s possible for the characters to make a choice worse than the last, only to find out in the next chapter that, yes, it just gets worse. Interesting story.
How about Moll Flanders? It was written in, I think, the 1700s, so it takes a little getting used to the language, but it’s pretty dang interesting. It’s about a woman who marries several times (all fairly bad matches), and is a criminal in her own right. It’s supposed to be a morality tale (what not to do), but what I found most interesting was that at the time, the book was considered beyond scandalous, and yet seemed pretty tame to my 21st century mind. I have a copy (garage sale, 50 cents) with an interesting forward describing the history of the book. I’d be happy to send it to you (with your parents’ permission, of course).
Not exactly a “classic” I suppose, but I read a great book many years ago called “The Dove.” It’s the true story of a teenager (I think he was 15 or 16 when the book starts) in the 1960s who traveled around the world, alone, in a sail boat. He was from Hawaii. Ultimately, National Geographic sponsored him. It took several years for him to finish the trip and along the way he met his future wife. I believe he wrote a sequal some years later that described his life with his wife and child(ren). They basically live “off the grid” in some rural place (Wyoming? Montana?) and the second book describes that aspect of his life. I don’t recall the guy’s name, but I saw him do a lecture about 20 years ago or so. His story and life was really interesting.
Current books that’s I’ve found really interesting include “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” and “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.” Both are mysteries of a sort, where in each, teens with socializing disabilities (autism-like conditions) try to solve mysteries / unanswered questions. They’re both page turners. I think you’d like them. Altho the stories happen to be written from the perspective of teen boys, they’re really not written for a juvenile audience.
Others: Last of the Mohicans; Moby Dick.
I’d love to hear back on whether you like any of these books. I’ve always been a reader, so I may have more suggestions for you, especially if I get a better understanding of the types of books you’ve enjoyed.
Helen asks…
Whats the best book you have ever read?
The one im reading right now is the best book ive ever had the privilege of reading.
The power of intention by dr wayne dyer.Absolutely amazing book.
ConnieManuel answers:
The Power of Intention is a self-help / self-improvement book. In this genre’ I like several of the timeless classics.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
This is one of the very first books on human relations. It is also one of the hokiest and most derided titles of any book ever written. Don’t be fooled by it. If you want to be a better person, improve your human relation skills and make people like you, you can’t beat it. There is a reason this book has sold close to 40 million copies since it was first published in the 1930s. Its message and lessons are timeless.
One of the most important lessons you will learn from this book is,”You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”
http://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251310074&sr=1-1
Others:
Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
This book ranks #64 on the right side list at:
http://www.randomhouse.com/modernlibrary/100bestnonfiction.html
Then you have a couple of other classics:
The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale
And
As a Man Thinketh – by James Allen
A more recent classic:
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
You can buy books cheaply at Abe Books:
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=Dale+Carnegie&sts=t&tn=how+to+win+friends+and+influence+people&x=48&y=19
NOVELS?
The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald (This is the best book I have ever read)
An American Tragedy – Theodore Dreiser
Catch-22 – Joseph Heller
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Moby Dick – Herman Melville
The Devil in the White City – Erik Larson (although the story about a serial killer at Chicago’s 1893 Columbian Exposition is true, Larson sprinkles in his conjecture as fact along the way)
Click the following link for three subjective lists of the 100 all-time best novels:
http://www.randomhouse.com/modernlibrary/100bestnovels.html
http://www.randomhouse.com/modernlibrary/100rivallist.html
Keep in mind that these lists are subjective, meaning the lists are nothing more than the opinions of a select group of literary pundits, not the opinion of the masses. You can work your way through the lists and yes, you may find a book or two that is pure drudgery, i.e., you can’t please everyone all of the time. If this is the case, get another book and move on.
Susan asks…
I want to learn more about the Wiccan religion, what would be a good book to start with?
i grew up as a Catholic & that doesnt work for me
ConnieManuel answers:
For those that answer the bible: yeah right, like the bible has stuff about wicca in it.
1) Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner
By Scott Cunningham. This is the book most Wiccans have read first, and for good reason. Scott Cunningham is one of the most respected Wiccan writers, and this book is a prime example. Not only does it explain the practical basics (tools, Sabbats, circle casting), he also explores the deeper spirituality that many witchcraft books lack. Not sure where to start? Start here!
2) Spiral Dance
By Starhawk. This book is an absolute classic. The tone is clearly feminist and Goddess worship is the central theme, but there is still a solid foundation of basic Wiccan principles. Each chapter contains exercises or examples of rituals that you can do as you are learning each concept.
3) In the Circle: Crafting the Witches’ Path
By Elen Hawke. This book hasn’t been around as long as some of the other classics, but it’s a gem nonetheless. The author uses personal examples from her own life and coven to illustrate rituals and Sabbat celebrations. This book has more of a spiritual component than most, but still explains the basics.
4) The Witches Bible
By Janet & Stewart Farrar. This book is a serious work, and may be a little too ‘heavy’ for some beginners, but still contains valuable information. It’s geared towards covens rather than solitaries, too. Consider it a reference book. (Note: this book isn’t a bible in the Christian sense. It does not contain any scripture nor is it considered to be the official ‘rulebook’ for all Wiccans)
5) To Ride a Silver Broomstick
By Silver Ravenwolf. This book was written with a younger audience in mind, and covers Wicca in a light and somewhat superficial manner. Further reading will be necessary to really understand all that Wicca is, but this can still be a helpful first book.
6) Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft
By Raymond Buckland. This book is sometimes called “Uncle Bucky’s Big Blue Book”. Even though we tease it, it’s still a fine and helpful book for the beginner. It’s arranged like a workbook, with quizzes and exercises throughout.
7) True Magick: A Beginner’s Guide
By Amber K. Though this little book may seem too simplistic, but it really does have a good collection of information. It’s also quite inexpensive, so a good choice for those on a budget.
8) A Witch Alone
By Marian Green. This book is less about Wicca and more about the practice of witchcraft, for the solitary. There is less hands-on or practical information compared to the other books, but it does explore the spiritual side of magick to an excellent degree.
Ignore the ignorant that say it’s not a religion. There are hundreds of religions that are not Judeao-Christian and Wicca is one of them.
Sandy asks…
Good book for a present?
I got a 20 year old girl for secret Santa who claims she loves reading. Any suggestions of books that are not the regular classics? (She already has Twilight)
Uh..sorry guys… forgot to mention that a rule of the Secret Santa was no gift cards or chocolate
ConnieManuel answers:
If she liked Twilight here are the titles of some similar books (hopefully you know enough about her to be able to choose something from this list…)
Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz
The Blue Bloods are the popular clique at their New York high school. What they don’t know is that their lineage is part of a powerful race of vampires naturally endowed with strength, beauty, and charisma. Although using traditional themes of vampire fantasy and gothic sensibility de la Cruz puts an entirely new spin on the genre.
The Good Ghoul’s Guide to Getting Even by Julie Kenner
Elizabeth Frasier’s junior year of high school was going just fine. But thanks to a bunch of vampire jocks, she ends up undead, and with a thirst that a thousand Diet Cokes can’t quench. Now she’s out for blood–and revenge. This book is one of those new breed of fun, fearless (and more fun than fearful) vampire hunting vampires young adult novels that makes great reading.
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
This book is an interesting combination of fantasy and history with a touch of horror. Sixteen-year-old Gemma is living in nineteenth-century India with her family she is troubled by visions and witnesses her mother’s death. Sent to school in London, she learns to control her visions and also learns about “The Order” a powerful group of women whose power has passed down through time and controls the realms.
The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding
Set in an alternate Victorian London where Thaniel is a wych-hunter trying to rid the streets of terrible creatures. He comes across Alaizabel who is possessed. He must discover the cause and find a way to save her and everyone around them.
The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld
As an ancient evil stirs beneath the streets of New York City, infecting rats and people like a plague, five quirky teens come together to form a “New Sound” band whose music seems to have paranormal power.
Look for Me by Moonlight by Mary Downing Hahn
While staying at the remote and reputedly haunted Maine inn run by her father and pregnant stepmother, sixteen-year-old Cynda feels increasingly isolated from her father’s new family and finds solace in the attentions of a charming but mysterious guest.
The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause
A mysterious teenage boy harboring a dark secret helps Zoe come to terms with her mother’s terminal illness.
Sweetblood by Pete Hautman
After a lifetime of being a model student, sixteen-year-old Lucy Szabo is suddenly in trouble at school, at home, with the “proto-vampires” she has met online and in person, and most of all with her uncontrolled diabetes.
Tantalize by Cyntia Leitich Smith
Werewolves, vampires, and human hybrids all work up an appetite in this delicious debut novel of dark fantasy, young love, and culinary secrets.
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
When seventeen-year-old Ginny receives a packet of mysterious envelopes from her favorite aunt, she leaves New Jersey to criss-cross Europe on a sort of scavenger hunt that transforms her life.
Before I die by Jenny Downham
While other 16-year-olds are thinking about getting their driver’s license or who will ask them to the school dance, terminally ill Tessa is busy making a list of 10 things she wants to do before she dies .”I want to live before I die,” she says, rushing to pack in the things on her to-do list, including sex, drugs, breaking the law, driving, bringing her parents back together, and fame (sort of). .” As Tessa begins to tackle her list, she learns a great deal about those around her and even more about who she is and what she wants from the life she has left. The issue of dealing with a serious illness and how it affects everyone involved, from family and friends to visiting nurses
Blue Is For Nightmares by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Sixteen-year-old hereditary witch Stacey Brown has nightmares of her roommate being murdered and hopes that her magick will be enough to protect Drea–unlike the last person whose death Stacey dreamed.
The Good Ghoul’s Guide to Getting Even by Julie Kenner
Elizabeth Frasier’s junior year of high school was going just fine. But thanks to a bunch of vampire jocks, she ends up undead, and with a thirst that a thousand Diet Cokes can’t quench. Now she’s out for blood–and revenge. This book is one of those new breed of fun, fearless (and more fun than fearful) vampire hunting vampires young adult novels that makes great reading.
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Sixteen-year-old Miles’ first year at Culver Creek Preparatory School in Alabama includes good friends and great pranks, but is defined by the search for answers about life and death after a fatal car crash.
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Tally is fifteen years old and living in a seemingly perfect world of the future. Until people are sixteen they are called “Uglies” and enjoy a certain amount of freedom to play and be children but when they turn sixteen they
Chris asks…
how can i learn about psychology?
i want to know/learn a bit more about the way people think/react, just about people’s minds in general
like my friend tries to “be cool” by talking the same as the most popular people in our school and i’d like to know about why he think like that. thats just an example. its kinda like conformity
ConnieManuel answers:
Read and observe. Nothing gets better than personal experience. Here is a list of books to get you started:
50 Psychology Classics: Who We Are, What We Do; Insight and Inspiration from 50 Key Books by Tom Butler-Bowdon
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
The Principles of Psychology by William James
Understanding Human Nature: The Psychology of Personality by Alfred Adler
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
Also, search up herd mentality for your friend’s behavior.
Enjoy.
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