Good Reads

To alleviate my guilt for neglecting my domestic duties, I will be providing a public service today.  Instead of doing laundry, I have been reading.  Here are some good books for the hard to buy for Christmas:

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins:  Well written, action packed, engaging story with a strong female character who has no special powers but has survived and taken care of her sister and mother in a dystopic government.  Her actions in the government sponsored "games" to control the people set the stage for a people's uprising which will be addressed in book 2, Catching Fire.  I liked Catching Fire better than Hunger Games but I liked both quite a bit.  A little on the addicting side. Caution:  It's a trilogy.  Last book will be published in September.

Moloka'i:  Historical fiction written about the leprosy colony on the island of (tada!) Moloka'i.  The main character is Rachel, beginning at age 5.  Through her eyes, the reader experiences life on the island as a leper. The time period is carefully contructed as key historical events unfold.  The most striking element of this book is that the people did not go to the island to die (although many did), but to live. They had communities, stores, bars, baseball leagues, surfing.  They loved, married, died, worked, and played. Knowing essentially nothing about leprosy, now called Hansen's Disease, I really enjoyed learning.  The story is well written and paints a well rounded picture of life at that time.

Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom:  I was hesitant to read this book because Morrie dies in the end, of course. It is a memoir by the author about reconnecting with an old college professor who has ALS or Lou Gerig's Disease.  Albom goes to Morrie's on Tuesdays for the last 14 weeks of his life.  Although  Morrie is dying and Albom spends some time describing his deterioration, the book is about living and connecting to each other.  This is either an easy read or a life changing book.  Lessons are concise and nothing is belabored.  I loved this book.  I think I will read it every year.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett:  Historical Fiction set in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s.  The story includes a peripheral view of the civil rights activism occurring at the time, including the protest march for James Meredith and the death of Medger Evers.  Martin Luther King, Jr. is brought up in conversation but the story is about a lot of little people making little changes and taking chances.  My dad, who marched in the James Meredith protest since he was going to Ole Miss and later returned to Mississippi to organize Head Start pre-school in the black areas and was a Civil Rights Worker loved the book and called it an accurate portrayal of life in the south.

Promises to Keep by Dean Hughes is for a very select group of readers who found the author's historical fiction series on WWII, got swallowed up in the different theaters of the war in the Thomas children, and felt unsettled when the fifth and the last book of the series was finished.  Because life goes on and doesn't end with a hunky dory "happily ever after."  But then, these die-hard readers found the next installment that included children of the Thomas children coming of age in the 1960s, struggling with Vietnam, civil rights, hippie era, peace corp., marrying an abusive husband and seeking help in a society that doesn't condone that kind of action.  Another five books extensively researched (although I loved the first five more) and still, life continued on.  What happened to Gene after coming home from Vietnam and he couldn't get himself together?  What will Diane do now that she is a single parent in a man's world?

Enter book book 11 (although it can be read separately, unlike the others).  It's 1985. 15 years have passed and life has continued on.  This book is more focused on the relationship between single mother/ teenage daughter but other hanging threads are tied up, although not with a nice red bow.  Life still goes on.  I feel satisfied with the story now.  I won't read any more if he publishes more on this family.  I couldn't stand to see my imaginary friends get old and die.

Wow.  That last sentence is a sad, sad commentary on my social life. Although it may have something to do with the first sentence of this post.  Maybe I just need clean underwear.

What good books have you read or want to read?