Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Fall Reading Challenge Update - The Glass Castle


I finished the first book of my Fall Reading Challenge - The Glass Castle.  The Glass Castle is a memoir by Jeannette Walls that takes the reader through her tough and rocky upbringing.  Some of the stories that Walls tells are so outrageous that you almost can't believe they are real; that people actually live the way that her family did.  The family dynamic is so dysfunctional yet Walls tells her story with humor and grace.  Jeannette's mother is an artist, and her father the town drunk.  She and her brother and sisters are left to fend for themselves throughout their childhood, and the resilience that the children show is inspiring.  Reading this book definitely made me look back on my childhood with gratitude.  I actually chose this book for my book club read this month since it's my turn to host, so I'm looking forward to hearing the other girls' thoughts on the book next week when we have our discussion.

My Fall Reading Challenge List
The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls
Sag Harbor, Colson Whitehead
Running with Scissors, Augusten Burroughs
Julie and Julia, Julie Powell
The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch
The Postmistress, Sarah Blake
The Christmas Box, Richard Paul Evans (waiting until December on this one)

Six more to go before December 20th to meet my goal.  I think I'm going to read The Postmistress by Sarah Blake next.  This is one that I got through the Barnes and Noble First Look Book Club, which is a program where you get copies of books before they are released (for free!).  Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead, which is also on my list, is a B&N First Look book as well.  Any suggestions on good books that you've read lately that I should put on my to-be-read list?

1 comment:

  1. I bet the book club discussion will be great for this book! Isn't it a crazy book?! It made me appreciate my childhood too. I completely admire the author for having the courage to live through that, maintain a positive attitute, fight her way out of it, and then tell the story.

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