Read in July

We moved, so the reading was light.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

I liked this book, I really liked this book, even. Part of its allure for me was its semi-autobigraphical nature, and the fact that as a local, the transparency of its setting was amusing. I really enjoyed the narrator, a great deal. But am not sure that I love this book. I found Alaska obnoxious. I know that she wasn’t perfect, but I didn’t like her as much as the other characters. And I felt like I ought to have. Also, it’s been a while since I’ve been up on the YA scene, I admit. Howe…more I liked this book, I really liked this book, even. Part of its allure for me was its semi-autobigraphical nature, and the fact that as a local, the transparency of its setting was amusing. I really enjoyed the narrator, a great deal. But am not sure that I love this book. I found Alaska obnoxious. I know that she wasn’t perfect, but I didn’t like her as much as the other characters. And I felt like I ought to have. Also, it’s been a while since I’ve been up on the YA scene, I admit. However, the content of this book is probably for high school and above, when one could be reading novels from the broader collection of all of literature, and not just YA. But maybe I am just missing the boat on that one. 7.5/10

The Second Coming by Walker Percy

I loved this novel and couldn’t put it down. The quirky, and yet oddly believable characters, and their fascinating takes on both the extraordinary and mundane happenings of their own lives. It didn’t hurt that the settings were Southern ones, of great familiarity in their own ways. Entertaining and yet deep and thought provoking, I know that more than the Moviegoer, The Second Coming will propel me towards reading the rest of the Percy canon. 9/10

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis
Re-reading these this year… DT has always been one of my favorites in the series. I read the entire thing in the car while my children napped (two or three different sittings.) Somehow, the setting worked. 9/10

One response to “Read in July

  1. the second coming is by far my favorite Percy novel. His most hopeful novel, for sure. at least that’s my take on it. that’s one man I am inviting over for dinner after the real second coming.

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