Reading 1001 discussion

Create Your Own Visited States Map

Itinerary:

Georgia (Savannah) - done
Alabama (Dreamland BBQ) - done
Tennessee (Graceland) - done
Missouri - done
Oklahoma - done
New Mexico (Carlsbad Cavern) - done
Arizona (Antelope Canyon) - done
California - splash (jumps into the surf) - done

Current points: 23

Georgia: The Color Purple by Alice Walker – 5 stars

Through her letters we learn about Celie’s life, the circumstances she grows up in, the loveless marriage she is trapped in, the people she meets and what happens to them. We see her struggle with daily life, how her view of the world changes, how her growth in strength changes her relationships, how being black affects her and the people around her.

Alabama: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Sushicat wrote: "Georgia: The Color Purple by Alice Walker – 5 stars

Through her letters we learn about Celie’s life, the circumstances she grows up in, the loveless marriage she is trapped in, the pe..."

This was a popular choice this month. I'm glad you loved it too! I really enjoyed it.

I noted I'm also not alone on the second leg of the journey...

Alabama: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - 5 stars and lots of hearts

Through the eyes of 8 year old Scout we learn about their life in Alabama in the 30s, about the small town neighborhood, with all it's weird and wonderful people, about the reclusive neighbor nobody's seen in ages, about where people fit in the grand scheme of things, about Atticus - her father - and his court appointment to defend a black man and the ripple effect the case has on all their lives.

Wow. Just: wow.

I think Tennessee is next.

Sushicat wrote: "Alabama: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - 5 stars and lots of hearts

Through the eyes of 8 year old Scout we learn about their life in Alabama in the 30s, about the small town ne..."

was this your first time reading it?

Yes. I had it as read before - don't know why. That was definitely a mistake, no way would I have rated this lower.

Sushicat wrote: "Yes. I had it as read before - don't know why. That was definitely a mistake, no way would I have rated this lower."

Such a wonderful book. I wish I could read it again for the first time. I am glad you loved it too.

It is. I'm sure this will be number one on my best of 2017.

Tennessee : They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? by Horace McCoy - 4 stars

This was a very quick read. I vaguely remember see the film ages ago. Robert is in court awaiting sentencing for the murder of Gloria, with whom he participated in a marathon dancing contest. As he waits for the verdict he recounts how they met and participated in the contest and what led to the killing. The pleasant, matter of fact recounting contrasts with the awful happenings in the tale.

Next up: Missoury

Missoury: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain - 3.6 stars

This is another one of those books I have heard so much about, it felt like I had read it before. Not so. Huck teams up with Jim, an escaped slave, to travel down the Mississippi in search of freedom. Along the way they encounter many colorful characters and Huck has to figure out his moral compass. An entertaining read.

On to Oklahoma

Oklahoma: The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson - 4 stars

Lou Ford is a Deputy Sheriff in a small town, affable, likeable, a bit slow. But behind the facade lurks a very different man: a killer without remorse. As he tells it, his murders all make perfekt sense. Reading his tale is like dancing on a volcano - knowing the next eruption will come and yet hoping the inevitable will not happen.

Next: New Mexico

New Mexico: Contact by Carl Sagan - 4 stars

A message from Vega reaches Earth. As layers upon layers of meaning is discerned, people on Earth have to learn to deal with the implications. To some it confirms their religious beliefs, to others it strengthens opposing views. I liked the books for it's exploration of these various reactions and their motivations.

Next: Arizona

Arizona: Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy – 4.6 stars

The land: beautiful, merciless, vividly described. The book put me there. I could smell it, feel the heat or the cold, the vast emptiness and yet filled with perils – inhumans all.
The people it brought forth: merciless and brutal as is the landscape they move in. No margin for error. No rhyme or reason, just an iron will to survive against all odds.
And like a movie, though immersed in the landscape and the story that unfolds, there is an emotional distance – but maybe that’s what makes it all bearable.

Off to California - I can smell the sea...

California: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - 5 stars

I normally don't do re-reads. But it's been over 30 years, I've mostly forgotten the book except to remember I loved it. Right from the start I knew I would be bawling in the end - and I did. Such a powerful tale in this small package.

Going for a swim :-)

Congratulations! I am still in the middle of the country, no swimming for me on this road trip ;)