Anyone who thinks that teen literature is nothing more than long missives discussing acne treatment and the senior prom needs to read this book: The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon.
In the first chapter, the author attempts suicide by dousing a bathrobe in gasoline, and then setting himself on fire. The rest of the book chronicles the aftermath of the attempt, from his hospitalization to rehabilitation.
I was riveted by the author’s voice, and how vividly he described his internal struggle with the decision he made and how he had to cope with what came after it. Nothing was sugar-coated, and his internal struggle was frustratingly realistic. A great, great read.
I picked up The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry
on a whim from the bookstore. I’m not a cook, and I’m not particularly interested in attending cooking school, but I’ve been on a memoir kick lately so I figured I’d check this one out.
It’s the story of a woman who loses her corporate job and decides to follow a lifetime dream of attending the Cordon Bleu cooking academy in Paris. The book follows her journey through the classes at the elite school, along with life in Paris and the people she meets along the way. Plus, she includes recipes that correspond to the dishes she’s learning to make (I don’t think they’re actual Cordon Bleu recipes, but her personal variations).
While I don’t think I’ll be quitting my job and running off to Paris to become a chef, it was motivational to read about a woman taking the risk to pursue her dream.
I’ve read the first two books in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, and I’m just about to start the third. There’s been a lot of talk about them on the web and the word-of-mouth is pretty extensive, and for a good reason.
Are they the best written books ever? No. Are they fun, sometimes exciting reads, that bring back memories of high school, being an outsider, the desire the be special and loved? Yup, I think so, anyway.
It’s rare that a book makes me long to travel to dreary, rainy locations, but there’s something about the lush green (albeit cloudy) Washington State atmosphere that’s particularly intriguing after reading the Twilight series books. Especially when the area is inhabited by mythical creatures, including a family (nest?) of vampires, and take a liking to humans enough to curb their appetites for the taste of blood.
Like I said, they’re not Pulitzer Prize selections, but the books are fun reads with enough interesting characters to keep the pages turning. And for riding on the train in the morning, when I want nothing more than to be transported from the el to an entirely different world, that’s plenty for me.
A couple of years ago, I found Janet Evanovich’s first two Stephanie Plum books in a used bookstore. They looked like fun train-reading, so I picked them up and buzzed through them in a matter of days.
Over the next few months, I worked my way up through the entire series until I hit the final “number” – I think it was To the Nines.
Now, I’m always on the lookout for the latest in the Stephanie Plum series. I just finished reading Twelve Sharp and thought I’d have to wait awhile for the next one.
But look! It’s already out!
These novels may not be “great literature” by any stretch of the imagination, but wow are they fun to read. I love the characters, I love the situations, and I know that if I met Stephanie in person we’d probably get along. I just wouldn’t ever let her borrow my car.
