The meme is hosted by Books are My Favourite Best and is described thus: On the first Saturday of every month, a book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six other books to form a chain. Readers and bloggers are invited to join in by creating their own ‘chain’ leading from the selected book. Each person’s chain will look completely different. It doesn’t matter what the connection is or where it takes you – just take us on the journey with you.
This month starts with Theory and Practice by Michelle de Kretser:
In the late 1980s, the narrator of Theory & Practice—a first generation immigrant from Sri Lanka who moved to Sydney in her childhood—sets up a life in Melbourne for graduate school. Jilted by a lover who cheats on her with another self-described "feminist," she is thrown into deeper confusion about her identity and the people around her.
I admit to only having read one book by Michelle de Kretser, The Lost Dog and I wasn't enamoured with it. I know I've read so many good things about Theory and Practice, but I don't think it will be high on my priority list.
A favourite book of mine by an Australian author - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (my review here). Love it, everyone should read it, one of my all-time favourite books. I could rave all day about this.
Another book that begins at the end: We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver (my review here). This novel is epic. It had me completely hysterical at the end. I remember calling my husband crying and worrying him that something was really wrong. It was, but fortunately just in the story.
I also cried like a baby in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling (my review here), when Dobby died. He died a hero's death, but goodness it was heartbreaking.
Another tearjerker - The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (my review here). I love this book. One my absolute favourites and I would read it more often if it wasn't right at the top of my bookcase where I can't reach it.
I am noticing a theme that a lot of the books that I would say are my favourite also make me cry. I will have to do some self-reflection about this at a later date.
With that in mind, another favourite book but this time one that didn't make me cry: The Vintner's Luck by Elizabeth Knox (my review here). I've never met anyone else who has read this so if you have, please make yourself known! Similar to The Time Traveller's Wife it's a magical realism novel, but in this case it's not time travel but a vintner in the early 19th century who makes friends / falls in love with an angel. Sounds weird, but its beautiful.
Finally, the most recent book that I read that could be considered magical realism was Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence by Rebecca F Kuang (my review here). Wonderful deep dive into the question of how necessary violence is to bring about real, important, and necessary social change. Definitely a relevant question for today.
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You've got to love a book that makes you cry!
ReplyDeleteI've read and cried through the first four books in your chain too, but have to get a hold of a copy of The Vintner's Luck, it sounds fabulous.
Rose Reads Novels
Glad Im not the only one who likes a big cry in a book! Vintners Luck is definitely different, I hope you get to read it. I might re-read it this year
DeleteI have! Look at me! Haha. What I mean Becky is that I have read The vintner's luck, but back in 2001before blogging so you won't find it on my blog. I enjoyed it as I recollect but it hasn't really stuck. (I have also read The book thief, The time traveller's wife, and We need to talk about Kevin, but mostly before blogging, all of which I enjoyed. I don't cry a lot when I read, but I did shed a tear when I finished my current read, Andrea Goldsmith's The buried life.)
ReplyDeleteThat's amazing, there's another person out there who has read it! The feeling of loving it has stayed with me more than the plot so its probably time to revisit it and see if I feel the same way. I will look up the Burued Life now.
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