Book Review(s): Wonderland and Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass are undoubtedly classics, but they have never been the kind of books that let me lose myself within their pages. I held out hope that by reading Wonderland a second time (I read that one once several years ago), it would become more enjoyable. But alas, while I gave Carroll my best effort, my main incentive to finish the books remained the same: simply to say that I had. The Alice stories are such an important part of our culture that I felt it my duty as a book lover to experience them first-hand. And sure, there were amusing moments, but only when taken out of context.

While I truly do appreciate Carroll's style of storytelling, the nonsensicality of it all was a little too much for my taste. What can I say? I'm more into plots. And while countless arguments have been made about the hidden complexity of these two books— from philosophies regarding everything from self-discovery, to miscommunication, to madness— Carroll's original intent was simply to entertain, and I just wasn't feeling it.  Anyway, I'm not sure I'll ever care to understand the Matrix.

By reading Wonderland and Looking Glass, I had wanted to expand my literary comfort zone, but I'm afraid that's not exactly what happened. (*they are chock full of excellent quotes, however... see above*) I guess I still have hopes of falling in love with the Alice stories one day, like so many seem to have done, but until then, I think I'll cut my loses and just go read some chick lit.

 

Your thoughts?

xoxo,

Ireland

Book Review: Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery

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This childhood classic came to life in my hands for the first time when I read it last year. As I delved deeper into each chapter of Anne Shirley’s formative years, her character became a part of me, and until I finished the very last sentence of the book, her story was also my story. Excitable and imaginative, Anne was the perfect heroine of Avonlea, and she had this undeniable ability to captivate both her readers and her fictional friends. She was far from perfect, and she made a lot of mistakes, but she was relatable. In her, I found a louder, bubblier, red-headed version of myself, and she inspired me to hold onto my childhood, because it will not last forever. When L.M. Montgomery created Anne Shirley, she gave life to a character that I connected with on a deep level—one that made me laugh, one that made me think, and one that made me better. In my opinion, discovering characters like that is the best part of reading fiction.

Click here to check out Anne of Green Gables on BN

I'm so glad everyone liked the book review idea! Hope you like this one too. Keep me posted...

xoxo,

Ireland

P.S. All the reviews I'm doing are for the sake of you, me, and the blog. I receive no compensation for them, and the opinions are purely my own. Feel free to leave your recommendations or requests! :)

Book Review: Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis

The honesty and vulnerability with which Katie Davis writes her first memoir has made a significant impact on the way I view and handle life. Within the first few chapters, I was immersed in her beautiful, courageous story, and I felt myself being transformed by her example of what it looks like to truly be a follower of Christ.

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At age 18, upon graduating high school, Katie decided to take a gap year and spend it teaching young children at a school in Uganda. The degree of poverty that she was suddenly surrounded with was beyond anything I had ever imagined: babies infected with HIV and AIDS, women turning to prostitution to feed their children, and starving masses of people with distended stomachs, various diseases, and no hope of life getting better.

Katie realized then that God was calling her to Uganda permanently. So she “said yes”, and by the time she was twenty-two, she was in the process of adopting thirteen orphans into her home and had founded Amazima Ministries, an organization whose goal is to feed, educate, and empower the people of Uganda. In fact, the entire premise of the book is summed up in Katie’s consistently “saying yes” to God; Davis argues that while she is just an ordinary woman, she serves an extraordinary God.

Her message is not for all so-called Christians to become exactly like her—leaving home, selling her possessions, and moving to a third-world country where she lives as a single mother to thirteen girls— but to simply say yes to whatever God is asking of them. It is a stunningly simple way of living, but it has a truer purpose than any other.

Click here to check out Kisses from Katie on Amazon.

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This is my first book review on the blog! If you would like to see more of these, let me know in the comments. Have a great Friday!


xoxo,
Ireland