Reading Addict

Lynette facilitates the book discussion group at the Helmerich Library. At each meeting they read books on a particular topic or books by the same author and share their opinions. Below is the newsletter she shared with her group after their November meeting.

Memoirs are tricky business. There’s something both astoundingly brave and utterly foolish about inviting others into the deepest crevices of one’s life. Memoir may be second only to poetry as the genre that is most likely to create overly sensational or sentimental writing. But, like poetry, when memoir is done well, it is like chocolate cake—perfect in its simplicity. I enjoy reading memoirs, not because of any need I have to compare my personal history with those of their authors. In many cases, there is no comparison.

There seems to be a tradition of using isolation as a theme in many modern short story collections. It might just be my maudlin nature that causes me to be intrigued, engrossed, and thereby seduced by this theme. I also think that working with issues of isolation and alienation work really well in the short story format. Authors can pack a meaner punch in a short story than in a drawn out novel.

The universal appeal of the immigrant experience novel

By Rebecca

Coming of age novels are often relegated to the tween/teen set, and many are classified as young adult fiction. Still, many of my favorite novels are coming of age novels. Maybe it’s because of the extended young adulthood of my generation or perhaps it’s the realization that coming of age isn’t typically a one-time occurrence. Revelation and recognition occur throughout our lifetimes at the most unexpected and, sometimes, inopportune moments. I’m drawn to young adult fiction for this reason, but many adult novels deal with these universal themes, too.