My bookshelf has looked like this lately:
1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
The most well-known of Charlotte's novels. We studied this for a few weeks in my Oxford class online. Click here and here more on the class and what we are studying. I have never looked so deep into a book before and read so many well-researched opinions about it in my class. It's really enjoyable.
2. Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë
This is the novel by Anne that my Oxford class has been studying this past week. I must say, I have had this book for years and never read it because I thought it would be dull and just about women being suppressed in the 1800s. But I couldn't put it down. Anne as a writer has really grown on me and I admire her very much. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and want to read it again when class is over.
3. The Book of Images by Rainer Rilke
More poems by my favourite German poet. I am not usually a huge fan of free verse, but with his poetry, I don't even notice it doesn't rhyme and follow a set pattern. There is something so deep and beautiful in his words, even though it is a translation from the original German text. His writing is perfect for when I need a few minutes to refocus my thoughts and get into a thought-provoking mood. His words do that.
4. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
Currently reading this for my Oxford class. This book is from a young man's point of view, which I find interesting. Usually the Brontë sisters wrote from a young woman's perspective (except in this book and Wuthering Heights by Emily). This is a heavier novel than Agnes Grey, dealing with 19th century rules concerning marriage and divorce, and how even in abusive marriages the woman is bound to the husband. My class will be diving into the discussions about this book, this week, and pondering why Anne was the least popular of the Brontës when she wrote such beautiful and powerful prose.
5. Flunking Sainthood by Jana Riess
This is a book about trying the practices of Christianity (like fasting and contemplative prayer) for a month each, and failing at them. But more so, it is about discovering through those failures what the purpose of those rituals are. She is quite frank in her writing. A lot of people will enjoy her straightforward (and even risible) way of expanding on things. I do like the points that she makes about the practices she is trying.
6. And Both Were Young by Madeleine L'Engle
I love her young adult stories. I have read quite a few, and even though they deal with young teenagers, there are deeper issues that she addresses with the gentleness of a very wise lady. This is one of her first (if not the first) young adult novel she wrote. It takes place in Switzerland, high in the mountains, which of course strikes my travel-love fancy. She writes from her own experiences, because Madeleine attended an all girls school in Switzerland like the main character in this lovely novel.
7. The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller
Click on my post here for the scoop on this really good book.
The most well-known of Charlotte's novels. We studied this for a few weeks in my Oxford class online. Click here and here more on the class and what we are studying. I have never looked so deep into a book before and read so many well-researched opinions about it in my class. It's really enjoyable.
2. Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë
This is the novel by Anne that my Oxford class has been studying this past week. I must say, I have had this book for years and never read it because I thought it would be dull and just about women being suppressed in the 1800s. But I couldn't put it down. Anne as a writer has really grown on me and I admire her very much. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and want to read it again when class is over.
3. The Book of Images by Rainer Rilke
More poems by my favourite German poet. I am not usually a huge fan of free verse, but with his poetry, I don't even notice it doesn't rhyme and follow a set pattern. There is something so deep and beautiful in his words, even though it is a translation from the original German text. His writing is perfect for when I need a few minutes to refocus my thoughts and get into a thought-provoking mood. His words do that.
4. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
Currently reading this for my Oxford class. This book is from a young man's point of view, which I find interesting. Usually the Brontë sisters wrote from a young woman's perspective (except in this book and Wuthering Heights by Emily). This is a heavier novel than Agnes Grey, dealing with 19th century rules concerning marriage and divorce, and how even in abusive marriages the woman is bound to the husband. My class will be diving into the discussions about this book, this week, and pondering why Anne was the least popular of the Brontës when she wrote such beautiful and powerful prose.
5. Flunking Sainthood by Jana Riess
This is a book about trying the practices of Christianity (like fasting and contemplative prayer) for a month each, and failing at them. But more so, it is about discovering through those failures what the purpose of those rituals are. She is quite frank in her writing. A lot of people will enjoy her straightforward (and even risible) way of expanding on things. I do like the points that she makes about the practices she is trying.
6. And Both Were Young by Madeleine L'Engle
I love her young adult stories. I have read quite a few, and even though they deal with young teenagers, there are deeper issues that she addresses with the gentleness of a very wise lady. This is one of her first (if not the first) young adult novel she wrote. It takes place in Switzerland, high in the mountains, which of course strikes my travel-love fancy. She writes from her own experiences, because Madeleine attended an all girls school in Switzerland like the main character in this lovely novel.
7. The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller
Click on my post here for the scoop on this really good book.
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