What I'm Reading - May - June 2021

[Sheila]

Ruth, it is fiction

[Ken]

Ruth wrote: "Sheila wrote: "An epistolary novel about bearing your soul and taking those second chances that come along later in life but still early enugh for you to do something with them. [author:Anne Youngs..."

What is one of your favorites, Ruth? I haven't read an epistolary novel since... oh, I don't know. Antediluvian times, maybe, because I like saying "antediluvian" from a dry spot.

[Mary]

Ken, one I’ve read in the last year or so and loved was THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER. It’s in diary format.

[Mary]

Betty Smith’s A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, narrated by Kate Burton. I have not read this book although I’ve seen the movie. When I read Woodson’s book, ANOTHER BROOKLYN, it made me think about this one and I wondered how the two compared. They are both coming of age stories about girls growing up in Brooklyn. The stories take place a century apart; the main characters are poor - immigrant Irish at the beginning of the 20th century and black at the beginning of the 21st century; the process of maturing, discovering boys and their own sexuality, and navigating the risks in their environment are prominent features of the plots. Striving to do better and achieve dreams for the future are common motivations. Pain and loss are important aspects of the stories. I enjoyed reading these 2 books and comparing them.

[Mary Anne]

I'm sorry to interrupt, but we're moving this discussion over to our July - August thread.

[Ken]

Mary wrote: "Ken, one I’ve read in the last year or so and loved was THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER. It’s in diary format."

Ah, I forgot that one. I actually read it, Mary, because, in my middle school English teacher days, I read a ton of YA. Since retirement, I've returned to other genres more often, but there's no denying that YA has come a long way.