You Pinspire Me
I was once what you’d call an Avid Reader. In elementary school, my mom would limit me to reading one book per day. I was captain of the Battle of the Books team for our school for two years (we won first place, both years, of course!) – would you believe that’s the only team that I was on during my school years? In high school, there were many a night that I read the book straight through the end – which often came at 4:30am. In university, I knew that if I picked up a book, I wouldn’t go to class, so I took a break from books that weren’t required reading (however, since I was an English Honours Major, don’t go thinking that I wasn’t actually reading any novels!!). The period after I got married and before I had kids was a sweet spot – I didn’t have homework, I had some nights at home alone, I didn’t have to take care of anyone – so I picked up my books and read to my heart’s content once more.
And then… the kids came. I was not one of those talented nursers who could nurse the baby with one arm and hold a book with the other, so I watched TV instead. A LOT of TV. As my babies grew bigger, they were perfectly content if I was busy working in the kitchen, but as soon as I attempted to sit down, put my feet up & read a book, they’d need me like they hadn’t needed anything before. So I didn’t read. And then I started babysitting other kids, and I started blogging, so there were a number of chores that I just didn’t get to during the day and they had to be done in the evening. When the work was finally done, all I wanted to do was to collapse on the couch and watch my latest Netflix obsession.
Lately, though, I’ve been trying to make time to read more. I’ve been taking the kids to the library once a week after H’s class at the rec centre, and I’ve been getting out one book for myself every week. Some weeks I return the previous week’s book unread, some weeks I read two books. I’m still in the light fluff, the Chick Lit, because when I pick up the *cough* real *cough* literature, I just want to sit and read and ignore the world (which, as you can imagine, doesn’t go over very well with my kids!).
Here are some of my favourite books that I’ve read throughout the years:
Les Miserables by Thomas Hardy
I mean the full unabridged version. Reading this one is not for the faint of heart: I read this one the summer after grade 12 and it took me, a pretty speedy reader, 3 weeks of reading about 4 hours per day. However. It is an incredible read of grace and tragedy and the human condition – I have never had a story pierce straight to my heart like this one did. If you plan on going to see the musical some day (if you haven’t already), invest some time in reading this book first.
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
I picked up my copy of this book in a little bookshop in Anstruther on the coast of the North Sea in Scotland. While Atwood is not known for her brevity, it didn’t take me long on the train winding through the Highlands to get through this one. I’m a huge fan of Historical Fiction, and a huge fan of Atwood, so this Giller Prize-winner had me hook, line, & sinker. This is the story of the 1843 murders of Thomas Kinnear and his house keeper Nancy Montgomery, of which two of the servants, Grace Marks & James McDermott, were convicted.
The Book of Negros (in the USA, it’s called Someone Knows My Name) by Lawrence Hill
If you haven’t at least heard of this book, you’ve been living in a cave for the last 7 years. I’ve read this book twice and listened to an audio version of the book 3 times. This story follows Aminata Diallo from her abduction in West Africa through her journey across the ocean, years in slavery, to the heart breaking trials and journeys that she makes to find her homeland. Aminata is a character who truly comes to life in this piece of historic fiction, and my life is better for having met her.
The Custodian of Paradise & The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston
I told you that historical fiction is my thing, right? You may have also guessed, by now, that I’m into Canadian fiction, as Atwood, Hill, & Johnston are all Canadian authors. Two for the price of one in this recommendation – both of these books tell the about a similar series of events around the first Premier of Newfoundland, Joey Smallwood, and his dream of Confederation with Canada, but one book focuses on Joey Smallwood, the other focuses on a close friend of Joey’s, Sheilagh Fielding. These books made me fall madly in love with the east coast before I ever even set foot there – and I wasn’t disappointed when I first visited St John’s. I loved trying to figure out which areas of town were focused on in the books.
Agnes & the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer
Alright. This one doesn’t so much fit into the ‘literature’ category, but it’s one of my favourites that I’ve read in the last few years during my ‘light reading’ phase. I picked it as a book for our Wine & Cheesy Book Club, and it was exactly the right kind of book for that. Light, HILARIOUS, mysterious, just a fantastic read for a lazy day. Frying pans, mobsters, mistaken identities – who could ask for more? Tell you what – while you’re reading this book, make a list of who you’d cast in each roll if you made a movie of it – because this film is just dying for a Hollywood interpretation!
I’d love to know – what are some of your favourite books, the ones that you keep coming back to or that have never left your mind?
Jenn vanOosten
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I used to read all the time too. Then the kids the kids came along and I just didn’t have the time or the energy to devote to a book. I have a stack of books in my room that are sitting and waiting for me.
I also love reading. During my childbearing and childrearing years (pre-school and early elementary) I had no time to read as my situation was almost identical to yours. But I have more time for it now, and I give myself permission and set time aside to read. I am a slow reader but thoroughly enjoy it. I have only read one of the books on your list, but I may see if our local library can get a few of them on inter-library loan. I am also part of a book club, a thoroughly enjoyable night out for me!