September Slowdown

One of my favorite writers, Nick Hornby, wrote a column for The Believer for several years about his reading--he reviewed books, but more than that, he reflected on the reading life. His essays are collected in three short volumes (The Polysyllabic Spree, Shakespeare Wrote for Money, and Housekeeping vs. The Dirt that I highly recommend. He's funny, smart, and his insight into reading and books is unique. Each month, Hornby began his piece with a two column list: one side with the titles of books he'd purchased that month, the other with the titles of books he'd actually read. Like Hornby (and many other readers), I collect books; or rather, I accumulate them. I purchase books when I spot them on the shelves and know that I HAVE to read them. But they often rest, unread, on my nightstand for months (and in a few too many cases, years).

September was a resting-book month for me. Titles I'd accumulated over the summer languished unread, while I dipped partially into others and nearly finished several. This means that for September, I have only a few recommendations. By the end of October, however, I should have a hefty list of those I started in September but didn't drag myself through until my school schedule had settled, summer had finally worn itself out, and I had more time (Tuesday and Thursday SSR time with my junior and senior English classes) to read.

My first recommendation is one you should add to your Christmas-gift-buying list. When Parents Text by Lauren Kaelin and Sophia Fraioli is absolutely fantastic. The two began with a blog (of course) in which they collected texts from readers who had entertaining, confusing, bizarre, and ultimately hilarious text-message exchanges with their parents. The generational divide and the technological know-how gap combined with typical parent-child interactions (when are you coming home? call me! what do you want for dinner!) are combined with random, inexplicable messages from parents who are simply learning to communicate in a language they didn't grow up using. Parents who text and the children on the receiving end of their messages will love this one. 

The second book I read in September (and the only other book I read in its entirety) was Tom Perrotta's new novel, The Leftovers. Perrotta, best known for the novels Election and Little Children, both of which were made into decent movies, writes about religion in The Leftovers--sort of. The story revolves around a small town reeling from the impact of what appears to be (but is never exactly named) The Rapture--as in Revelations, wherein the faithful are taken to Heaven and the disbelievers are left behind. Families worldwide are impacted by the massive disappearance of millions of people, Christian, and otherwise, but Perrotta focuses specifically on one family affected by the event. 


Kevin's wife has left the family to join a mysterious group, The Guilty Remnant, whose exact intentions are unclear, his son has also left to pursue enlightenment with another group, and he and his teenage daughter are left to navigate their drastically altered lives alone. Both form new connections, Kevin with a young mother whose husband and two children were "taken," and his daughter with a friend who eventually moves into their home.

The premise of the story is fascinating, and the book is a quick read, although it left many questions unanswered and the situation basically unexplained in the end, which was disappointing--I would have liked more exploration into the religious implications of the disappearances and the overall theme. Because of this, it would make an excellent choice for a reading group. If anyone out there has read it, I'd welcome a discussion!

October, so far, has been more productive, and I hope to have many more recommendations--and a new Wordpress blog--by month's end. Stayed tuned for details!