5 Summer Reads: The Literary List

Happy summer holidays dear reader! I hope you're beginning to enjoy your lazy summer days just as much as I'm enjoying my busy ones (and if you have busy ones too, I hope you're having just as much fun as I am!). And as the summer days continue to light up the sky late into the night, I find myself reading more and more. This summer, I've been mixing classics with new releases, but as always, the classics seem to be trumping my top 5 list. Should we begin?

1. Yonec by Marie deFrance

Yonec is hard to find, which is deeply annoying. (I might just have to make a typed copy from my version for you!) But once you find it, you'll completely enjoy this fairytale poem that will feel all too familiar. I have my copy in the Norton Anthology of Literature By Women part 1, and my copy is lovingly all marked up. Yonec is about a young woman locked away in a high tower by her old husband, confined to her gilded room. A lover, disguised as a hawk, flies into her room and romances her. Of course her creepy husband finds out and tragedy ensues, but this imaginative poem will remind you of your favorite fantasy movies.  

2. Ivanhoe by Sir. Walter Scott

It's referenced in almost every Bronte novel ever written, how could I not sit down and read a copy of Ivanhoe this summer? Its got crusaders, Robin Hood, and almost every Harry Potter name. I'm surprised I haven't read it before! Now my copy is not in epic poem form, which makes me a little sad, but I'm going to be giving Ivanhoe a good strong try this summer. I'm sure it will be an easier read than Wurthering Heights for me... 

3. The Story of Avis by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps

The Story of Avis will be a reread for me, but I can't wait to open to the first page and start it all over again. Avis is an artist living in New England around the turn of the civil war. Her father allows her to go to France to study painting and when she returns, she marries Philip Ostrander. Throughout the novel, Avis struggles to find a balance between her tumultuous marriage and her great art. Reader, Phelps is one of those authors who, if more canonically famous, would be right up there with Austen and the Brontes; her characters are just as vivid and her stories just as interesting.

4. Le Morte d'Arthur by Malory

Oh yeah, I went there. And this one isn't a rearead for me. You would think something is completely wrong with me, right? To have not actually read Le Morte d'Arthur yet. I blame it on very handsome men in 6 hour long adaptations. While there are three versions of Arthur's story by different authors, all considered basically canonical in Arthurian Legend lore, Malory's is the most quoted and the most referenced. I can't wait to see how much I don't know about the knights of the round table.

5. Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Ladies and Gents, this book is half Jane Eyre and half North and South in epic poem form. If there is one classic novel to buy and read this summer, pick up Aurora Leigh! To have me say anymore will make me sound like I'm raving on the floor, but Aurora Leigh is one of the 5 books I've ever read. Aurora wants to be a famous poetess and she will demand her whole life to the endeavour, even forsaking love with her bumbling and haughty cousin Romney Leigh. Aurora Leigh is one of those great roller coaster classics with a large social commentary and tinge of Romanticism (and characters that remind you of your favorites, isn't half bad either).

What are you planning to read this summer? I love adding more must reads to my list!

THE GOOD DAUGHTER, A BOOK REVIEW

The Good Daughter by Jasmin Darznik
Rating:

There are times, precious few I will admit dear reader, when I read a novel, choose a novel actively, to learn something. Oh, its true--I do learn something from even novel I read, but these is a difference between diffusion and intentional immersion. I picked up The Good Daughter by Jasmin Darznik with the single purpose of learning more about Iranian culture through the eyes of Darznik's women. I wanted to learn about a culture I didn't understand, and knew even less about. Little did I realize it was a memoir--the Nook could have informed me better on that; little did I know I would fall profoundly enraptured in the four generations of Iranian women connected by their determination and intelligence.

Jasmin is Lili's daughter, a daughter who quickly slips away from traditional Iranian values, quickly slips away from her mother's small world of isolation in America, and so Lili threatens her American daughter with tales of her good daughter back in Iran. It isn't until Jasmin's father dies that Jasmin realizes that the good daughter isn't just a threat, but a real daughter, and that she is not her mother's only child. We are then weaved three generations back to Lili's grandmother Pargol in Tehran and begin the journey of her mother's life. We come to see the resourcefulness and strength of character of both Pargol and her daughter Kobra. We come to see Lili herself bristle and pull at the veins of tradition and learn the breathtaking story of Lili's Iran.

The first chapters of The Good Daughter are all-consuming: written with an author's pen and full of a descendant's imagination, a backdrop of poverty and struggle veiled by Persian carpets and the backbone of a grandmother's will. Darznik writes without prejudice, without a tone of condescension or animosity and the novel--instead of teaching you--guides you lovingly through a world you are a stranger to. And while you are a stranger in Lili's Iran, the universal themes are the same: the strength of women, their rigidity in tradition until tradition no longer suffices, the power of education, and the desperation of circumstance.

It is not so much a story, as a explanation of a woman's life. As a result, we are left with more questions than answers, more confusion than focus, but the confusion forces you to question why. And when you try to answer, the explanation is so complex you return to the book once more.

I bought The Good Daughter to learn something I honestly didn't know. And I learned so much more than I ever imagined. For anyone seeking a thoughtful read, this is a book for you.

GREAT WINTER READS

I am all about, dear reader, I fantastic new book while curled up in bed on my warm couch during the winter months. I’m all about a fantastic new book any time of the year, really. But I can be particular. I loathe reading about cold places and chilly snow in any book during the winter. If I wanted to think about being cold, I’d think about going outside. The romance novels below, and yes they really are all romance novels, take me far away from the bitter wind-chill outside and keep my imagination nice and warm.

Enchanted Elizabeth Lowell
Main Relationship: Simon & Ariane
Page Length: 395
Plot:
Romance:
Enchanted is the third and final installment in a series. The first two are Untamed and Forbidden, but you don’t have to read the first two novels to enjoy this one. I myself have only read Untamed (and loved it), and while it does provide some back story for the characters, you won’t be lost without it . Needless to say this is one of the better romance novels I’ve ever read. I know, that’s like saying this is the best milk I’ve had past its expiration date; you’re thinking: why are you even drinking expired milk? But really, Enchanted is a medieval historical romance with enough pithy dialogue and plausible plot points to keep you interested. And its hero is a Crusader haunted by his past. Simon the Loyal has to be one of my favorite romance novel heroes; he’s right up there with his brother, Dominic LeSabre.

The Cobra and the Concubine Bonnie Vanak
Main Relationship: Khepri/Kenneth & Badra
Page Length: 340
Plot:
Romance:
Disclaimer: I bought this in a 5 for 5 bin at an off-brand bookstore chain. That should tell you a little about its caliber. But again, considering spoiled milk—the book is entertaining and will satisfy anyone’s Sahara fantasies for a while. I think this is why I particularly love this book: it’s set in the middle of the Sarah desert, and I love any desert, especially ones with sand. The novel also provides the British Victorian twist of an orphan raised by desert warriors who falls in love with a desert girl. While the story is rather predictable and the plot dragged along as an afterthought, it’s still a warm read. I enjoyed reading about desert culture and Vanak describes it with a deft and knowledgeable hand.

Across Time Nina Beaumont
Main Relationship: Adrienne/Isabella & Alessandro/Sandro
Page Length: 376
Plot:
Romance:
Of all the great reads I’ve found in a free bin at the local book fair, this has to be one of the best. It’s old, over 16 years old, but if you love renaissance romance novels, this is one for you to pick up. The back reads:

Alessandro di Montefiore could not trust his wife. Isabella was a woman known as much for her powerful cruelty as for her startling beauty. Yet when she looked at him with a stranger’s innocence in her passion-darkened eyes, he found himself willing to risk almost anything for the promise of her desire.

Fate had plummeted Adrienne de Beaufort through time into the body of her ancestor, a woman steeped in hatred and betrayal. But Adrienne’s soul was still her own, and only she could prevent the tragedy that lay ahead for Alessandro: death at the hand of the treacherous Isabella…

It certainly has the flair of the Borgais in it. It does have some heavy subject matter within its pages, (actually all the picks but the next one do) so I wouldn’t pick this one up if you’re squeamish. And don’t worry if the multiple names thing is confusing now…I read it and am still half confused.

Lord of a Thousand Nights Madeline Hunter
Main Relationship: Ian & Reyna
Page Length: 357
Plot:
Romance:
I know, I know: there are no surprises with that title, but Hunter’s book is surprisingly tame for a romance novel. Its shock factor is low, and the characters are solidly created. Thousand Nights was another free bin buy, and, like Across Time, would have been worth paying for. Not only does it have some fantastic romance, but has an interesting mystery plot as well. A plot, that while simmering the whole time, fully develops right where is should and isn’t trite or forced or stupidly unexplainable.

I think by now dear reader, you know I don’t just recommend books. Sure, I’ll read practically any book, but for me to actually recommend them, I have to really think they’re good. These four are. They’re some of my favorite romance novels and they’ll keep you thinking of keeps and sand, crusaders and warriors all the way through a wickedly cold winter.

HOLIDAY READS- a pathetic confession

Miss Casee Marie will always and forever have me beat when it comes to timely blog posts. Hence, I get some of my favorite ideas from her, all credited of course. So when I saw her fantastic blog post about some wonderful holiday reads, I realized that if I wanted to do a post about holiday novels, it um...would look impossibly depressing.

As far as I remember, I've only ever - and I mean ever - read one holiday-themed novel. And, of course, it was campy enough to include vampires. And you know what's worse? I actually thought it wasn't that bad. I mean, sure, it was slightly (overly) predictable; sure, it was a gag Christmas gift; but I still read it in 2 days and was seriously creeped out at one of the short stories for a good two weeks. That's more than I can say for some of the other romance novels I've picked up to read.

And this Christmas, I'm being realistic. Last year, I bought the complete versions of The Nutcracker and what better time to read it than now? But with my luck, I doubt that I will be able to finish anything this holiday season other than shopping.

There is one novel I read this year that I think would fit into the holiday season category nicely. It is not particularly Christmas or holiday themed, but it is set in winter and has that magical touch of Christmas throne in. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen is a must read whether its the holiday season or not.

Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter is her favorite season, she's a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her closet. ...Soon Josey is living in a world where the color read has startling powers, and passion can make eggs fry in their cartons. And that's just for starters.

The Sugar Queen is so much more than you expect and nothing what you expected. I'm stashing my copy in my car to reread with those precious spare moments in between work.