Madeline’s Comments (group member since Nov 12, 2018)

Madeline’s comments from the Well-Read Twenty Somethings group.

1. The Fellowship of the Ring

Begin your year by beginning your journey through Middle-Earth with part 1 (well technically parts 1 &2 but whatever) of The Lord of the Rings. Whether you are a first time reader, or if you have read it multiple times, reading these books is always a new experience. This book starts by introducing you to the lovable hobbits and brings you quickly into the drama and danger of the story. The Lord of the Rings is the book that really brought me into reading, and I hope it has a lasting impression on you too.

Favorite Quote: “The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.”

2. The Two Towers

Well, you can't read the Fellowship and not read Two Towers. If I had to pick, I would say this one is my favorite of the three books, BUT THANK GOODNESS I DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE TO PICK!

Favorite Quote: “I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.”

3. The Return of the King

Here we come to the end of the story (jk, there is so much more if you really want to go on reading about Middle Earth...SO MUCH MORE). The Return of the King is beautiful and rich, and I dare you not to cry at some point. Tolkien seems to have a hard time ending things, so this book has like 17 different endings, which really makes it all the better because all of them are great and you actually don't want it to end at all.

Favorite Quote: “I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.”

4. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Great name, great book. This is the WWII book of the year, but it is very much unlike any other WWII book I have read. I actually don't want to tell you anything about it, because I think it is better that way.

Favorite Quote: "We clung to our books and to our friends; they remind us that we had another part of us."

5. Mere Christianity

Lewis does a beautiful and simple way of reflecting on the Christian faith, and the core values that bind all Christian faiths together. I don't know if it was intended to be a spiritual book, but Lewis' style kind of makes it one.

Favorite Quote: “Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.”

6. Crime and Punishment

Ok, so I've tried to *suggest* Russian literature for the book lists and every year I did a very negative response, but this year I do not care! I just read Crime and Punishment for the first time and I am already itching to read it again. It's not as long as some other Russian Lit books and it's doesn't delve into quite as many philosophical wormholes, but it does make you think and keeps you entertained the whole time. You will love it. It's fast paced and has one of the best (if not THE BEST) murder scenes I've ever read.

Favorite Line: "all my friends there are drunk, yet they are all honest, and though we do talk a lot of trash, and I do, too, yet we shall talk our way to the truth at last, for we are on the right path."

7. The Awakening of Miss Prim

I have not yet read this one, but everyone I know who has says it is delightful. It follows a young woman who drops everything to go work as a librarian in a small french village...all of which does, in fact, sound delightful.

Popular quote I thought was nice: “This was where she discovered that intelligence, this wonderful gift, grows in silence, not in noise.

8. A Moveable Feast

Here is another one I have not read, but I have yet to be disappointed by Hemingway, so I'm sure this one will be great too. Hemingway has a very clear and concise style, so you know you aren't getting any fluff out of him. His books are typically character driven, with little attention or effort into the plot. However, when he is focusing on the plot, PAY ATTENTION, because if it's included, it's important.

Quote so real I felt it in my bones: “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”

9. A Christmas Carol

Jumping from a very concise writer (see above) to a notoriously lengthly one. Dickens was paid by the word when he was a hired writer, and boy oh boy does it show. Our last book of 2019, however, is one of his rare small books. This Christmas classic has been adapted into every format possible, but it is nice to go back to the original form from time to time.

Favorite Quote: “For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself.”

It's so good! Most WWII books all have the same type of feeling to it, but All the Light seemed a little different than the others. The only thing I wasn't the biggest fan of was the abrupt ending. Seemed harsh, but I guess maybe the author was trying to show how harsh war actually is.

This is the book list for last year, again don't feel intimidated if you are not caught up, but if you want to have a discussion or have any thoughts about any of these books, here is the place to do it!

1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

2. A Gentleman in Moscow

3. Murder on the Orient Express

4. All the Light We Cannot See

5. Death Comes for the Archbishop

6. The Count of Monte Cristo

7. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

8. Frankenstein

9. A Darker Shade of Magic

Bonus: Mr. Dickens and His Carol

I'll post it soon! I'm working on year 3 list right now too! But don't worry, Kate is very behind in the list too! So we're just trucking along at our own pace!

Kate wrote: "Yikes, there are 2 on this list that I still need to read 😬"

GET ON IT!

just kidding, you can catch up after LOTR

1. The Night Circus

a. Following the career of Celia, a magician born with unbelievable talents, and Marco, a self-taught illusionist The Night Circus transports you to Le Cirque des Reves, a magical circus that appears in towns all over the world without warning and only opens at night. Celia and Marco are unknowingly bound to each other in a magical competition enforced by their mentors. The two must prove who is the superior magician and Le Cirque des Reves is their battleground.

b. Favorite Quote:
“There are no more battles between good and evil, no monsters to slay, no maidens in need of rescue. Most maidens are perfectly capable of rescuing themselves in my experience, at least the ones worth something, in any case.”

2. Joan of Arc

a.Obviously it’s about Joan of Arc. People are typically thrown off because Twain wrote it, but hear me out, this book is nothing like anything you have ever read by Mark Twain. It’s long, it’s descriptive, and it’s wonderful. He spent 12 years researching for this book and 7 years writing it—personally, I think anything that took that long to master deserves our attention ;) --it really is a wonderful book. It’s a little longer, and apparently historians don’t like some of Twain’s ideas about Joan, but it is one of my favorite books and she is a rock star!

b. Favorite Quote:
“To believe yourself brave is to be brave; it is the one only essential thing.”

3. The Nightingale

a. What’s a book list without a WWII novel? This is a very different WWII story than most of them. Set in Southern France the story follows two sisters, who could not be more unlike each other, yet they both find themselves caught in the war in ways they could never foresee. I won’t say this is my favorite WWII story, but it was very, very good, and the book captivates you quickly.

b. Favorite Quote: (has nothing to do with the plot, but it speaks to my heart)
“I had forgotten how gently time passes in Paris. As lively as the city is, there’s a stillness to it, a peace that lures you in. In Paris, with a glass of wine in your hand, you can just be.”


4. And Then There Were None

a. I had never read an Agatha Christie book until last summer and now I’ve read 5…I’m obsessed. She really is the Queen of Mystery. And Then There Were None is one of her more popular books, and it’s a stand-alone novel so you don’t have to worry about not knowing her previous characters. It’s about 10 random guests invited to a party on an island and chaos ensues. It’s a fun who-done-it book.

b.Favorite Quote:
“Crime is terribly revealing. Try and vary your methods as you will, your tastes, your habits, your attitude of mind, and your soul is revealed by your actions.”

5. The Martian

a. This book is great and funny. Little sciencey, but if I didn’t get lost in translation, neither will you. He’s stuck on mars, trying to survive…good stuff right there. Plus if you imagine he looks like Matt Damen, it’s an even better story.

b.Favorite Quote:
“I’m pretty much fucked. That’s my considered opinion. Fucked.”

6. 1984

a.Craziness in 330 pages! In a world of total government control and no personal freedom, Winston finds himself experiencing thoughts of his own, which he tries his hardest to hide, however his thoughts start to turn to actions and he begins to discover freedom without government.

b.Favorite Quote:
“War is Peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.”

7. The Power and the Glory

a. Following "the whisky priest" this book brings you back to when priests were persecuted in Mexico. This book shows the raw pain of a priest who is torn between his past sins, and his desire to serve his people even if it means death. This book is tough to get into, because part 1 kind of just throws you in there, but part 2 takes off and everything becomes real.

b. Favorite Quote:
“And when we love our sin then we are damned indeed.”

8. The Queen of the Night

a.I think I have an odd obsession with France…oh well. This book is about an up and coming opera soprano in the “Phantom of the Opera” days of Paris. It’s a compelling book and is beautifully written. There were a few times I had to push myself to keep going, but overall I really enjoyed it.

b.Favorite Quote:
“When the earth opens up under your feet, be like a seed. Fall down; wait for the rain.”

9. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

a. I hesitated putting this one on the list because…well…some crazy shit happens in this book. I mean crazy. However, this book hooked me fast. It’s about a journalist who gets fired for liable and then is immediately hired by a man who wants him to investigate the disappearance of his niece, who disappeared roughly 20 years before. It’s good. I think you’ll like it.

b.Favorite Quote:
“Armageddon was yesterday, today we have a serious problem.”