Meg Recommends

I have been wanting to do a blog post of books and movies I love and recommend to others. Here it is. Titles are listed in no particular order.

1. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith Kathy urged me to read this delightful book. It is told through the eyes of 17-year-old Cassandra, who lives in an old castle with her eccentric family. They are befriended by their rich neighbors and nothing is the same after.

2. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling I never really thought I'd enjoy these books, but read them after hearing several people rave about them. From the first chapter of the first book, I was hooked. Magic, mystery and friendship guide Harry through his adventures at Hogwart's. I now have both the American and British sets.

3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee This is one of the most beautiful stories ever written, in my opinion. I have heard it described as sad, which it often is, but I always feel so uplifted after reading it.

4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen It is a truth universally acknowledged that this classic book is well worth reading. I first read it in high school, after seeing the BBC adaptation. I love this story.

5. The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America by Bill Bryson Bryson is the funniest travel writer I've come across. I loved this book because everything he says about our huge, crazy, wonderful country is absolutely true.

6. Jemima J. by Jane Green Fat girl loses weight, gains...more problems? This one was funny, sad, and thought-provoking. I read it at a time when my own confidence was floundering and it really made me think about some things...

7. Acting Up by Libby Purves I read this little gem in France, and was thoroughly sad to flip the last page. It tells the story of a British family affected by the daughter's involvement in the Iraq conflict and their transvestite son finding his way in life. It is often funny, sometimes sad and always full of immense heart.

8. Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose This is the story of E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne--from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest. Yes, the very book that Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg made into a hit HBO miniseries. The me of Easy Company were of that great generation who fought and died in World War II. This book, though filled with dates and times and events, also tells the human side of the story--the friendships, the losses, the bonds forged at basic and carried through to the day the company was disbanded--when victory was accomplished in Japan.

9. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Definitely worth a read--in my last year of high school, I did a report on Fitzgerald and an essay showing the parallels between this book and the author's own life. It is a terific look at the Jazz Age decadence and how it seduced--and ruined--many a life.

10. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers I found this book at the Folsom Public Library when I was in 7th grade, and read it cover to cover. I remember sharing it with my social studies teacher, and her telling me, "This book is written for students much older than you. Good for you for reading it." It tells the story of a young black man and his buddies in Vietnam. It affected me so profoundly that I bought my own copy, and I still have it to this day.

11. Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss I never paid much attention to this book until I saw it as a gift idea for a graduate at Border's book. I bought it for Summer when she graduated from Chico, and it hit me that this book's message is one we all need from time to time. Just a little reminder that we have brains in our head and feet in our shoes.

12. Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson This is how I discovered Bryson--I saw this book on display at Borders a few weeks before I left for England. I figured it would be the perfect pre-departure read, and indeed, Bill has a way of highlighting everything about England that is wonderful and worthy of attention. A good read--one I recommend without hesitation. Though try The Lost Continent first.

13. Bridget Jones' Diary and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding These are CLASSIC books. They gave the world a vodka-chugging, cigarette-smoking, verbally incontinent spinster Singleton who embarasses herself at every opportunity. Real women the world over "Hallelujahed" with such vigor, that many a blouse was vodka-stained. Bridget is my hero--not because she, an imperfect woman, finds love but because she never apologizes for being herself.

Coming soon: Movies