Life is short, and there are so many wonderful books to read before I die. I constantly solicit recommendations from my friends who love great literature to insure that I do not waste precious time on drivel. With that in mind, I humbly offer you a few of my favorite reads from this year in the event that you are compiling your own list of candidates.
My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok A story of family and faith; of tradition, of knowing where you belong. A story of pain...and a gift. An astonishing, divine, costly gift. The struggle to be an artist and a man of profound faith...a prophet. One of the most compelling books I have EVER read. The Gift of Asher Lev continues the story. Trust me, you will want to continue the story.
Swann's Way by Marcel Proust A lyricism so delicious I sometimes have to stop just to savor the words...to chew them slowly; roll them around on my tongue. A precision of recollection; a keen observation of the inner as well as the outer world. This is the seduction of Proust. I am thrilled that his great oeuvre À la Recherche du Temps Perdu has seven parts, of which this is only the first.
the War of Art by Steven Pressfield Each of us has a unique gift to offer to the world, but we may have to overcome great obstacles to make it happen. Pressfield identifies our enemy as resistance, then gives brilliant strategies for combatting it. An essential read for artists and dreamers of all sorts. Full review HERE.
Refractions: A Journey of Faith, Art, and Culture by Makoto Fujimura Makoto Fujimura creates magnificent works of art through an ancient form of painting known as Nihonga, in which he must crush and pulverize pigments to create beauty. This gorgeously illustrated series of essays on beauty from brokenness, penned by an artist living at Ground Zero, will nourish and inspire you. "God desires to refract his perfect light via the broken, prismatic shards of our lives."
St. Francis of Assisi by G.K. Chesterton "...to this great mystic, his religion was not a thing like a theory, but a thing like a love affair." I almost always read Chesterton's works twice. They are potent and stimulating, robust and passionate, witty and good humored. This was a work of love for him as St. Francis played a pivotal role in his path to God. It shows. Brilliant and glorious.
What is Art? by Leo Tolstoy This book is work, but it rewards your labors with deep insights into motivations and processes of art. For whom does art exist? Whose responsibility is it to pay for art? What is the moral responsibility of an artist? A richly provocative read.
Majestie by David Teems A sympathetic, incisive, and whimsicle exploration of an enigma, wrapped up in sumptuous language. Full review HERE.
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden An entrancing foray into an exotic world that no longer exists. The grit and intrigue, the discipline and cultivation of women who become living, breathing, gliding works of art. A celebration of elegance and tradition.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett An honest, evocative look at a world not so long gone. I found myself drawn into their stories, worrying over them, crying with them, hurting for them. And rejoicing with them every time truth won.
Permission to Speak Freely:Essays and Art on Fear, Confession and Grace by Anne Jackson A most courageous book by one of my favorite storytellers...by one of my favorite people. Beautifully rendered with artwork submitted from all over the world. Full review HERE.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer Precocious nine-year-old Oskar has a very unique way of seeing the world. When his father is killed in the 9/11 bombings, he is left with a mystery which takes him all over New York and in and out of the lives of a great many fascinating people. A perplexing mixture of innocence, tragedy, loss, and love, it is a book that leaves one feeling distinctly more...human.
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce Will you judge me if I tell you that the stream of consciousness passages are maybe my favorites? Because I tend to think like that myself. My favorite Joyce work, this is a coming of age story. Everyone will find himself here somewhere. Some of us find ourselves in all of it. Existential questions...the hard ones...the important ones...artfully explored.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith Francie Nolan is growing up in very difficult circumstances. Yet she will learn to see beauty in the world around her. She refuses to stop dreaming and she is willing to pay the price for her dreams. Another coming of age story. Timeless. Lovely.
Liturgy and Life by Alexander Schmemann A brilliant and articulate Orthodox Theologian, Schmemann brings the ineffable a little closer by illuminating practices and traditions, and by challenging me to pursue the sacramental life. An invaluable resource.
The very best books invite re-visiting. To each encounter you bring a new set of experiences, questions, griefs, joys. And the story will be comfortably familiar, yet new. These are a few of the favorites that I re-visited this year...some with my son or with friends, some in preparation for travel, and some because my soul was longing for them
Lilith: A Romance by George MacDonald "I have never concealed the fact that I regarded him as my master . . . The quality that had enchanted me in his imaginative works turned out to be the quality of the real universe, the divine, magical, terrifying and ecstatic reality in which we all live." ~C. S. Lewis The storytelling is flawless and engaging. But I read it for what it does inside me. It is a mesmerizing, painful, beautiful story of death...and redemption. It is, in so many ways, my story.
Beauty the Invisible Embrace by John O'Donohue You know when you brew a pot of especially strong fragrant tea, pour it into a delicate china cup, take it out of doors along with a sweet, moist cake, sit in clean May sunshine with roses blooming around you and bird-songs in the air and read a favorite book. Yeah, this is like that. A deep breath of all things lovely and true.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho "Every second of the search is an encounter with God,” the boy told his heart...I’ve discovered things along the way that I never would have seen had I not had the courage to try things that seemed impossible..." Rich and nourishing. Read more HERE.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien An adventure. An unlikely hero. A dragon, trolls, dwarfs, goblins. And a fellowship of friends. Hale and hearty stuff.
Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis I have re-read them this year with my youngest. Aloud. All of them. And they worked their magic once again. On him and on me. We laughed. I cried. We cheered. Out loud. We talked to one another in Puddleglum voices. And, as before, The Last Battle just about did me in. Mythic. Marvelous.
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George No little boy should grow up without this tale of Sam Gribley's year in the wilderness, living off the land. I read it to my boys and watched their eyes grow wide with wonder and with dreams of running off and doing it themselves. Oh, for the record, Kelsey and I loved it too. :)
A few of these are actually on my list for 2011, and a few more were on my list for 2010- this is a great list- I am absolutely thrilled when I see book lists at the end/beginning of the year, and love the challenge of making and reading through my own- adding to it as the months pass.
Posted by: Megan | 21 December 2010 at 07:38 AM
Thank you so much, Shelia! Can't wait to get to the library...
Posted by: Amanda | 21 December 2010 at 02:31 PM
Love your list, Shelia! I really need to check out Proust though I don't know if I should use the Davis translation or the Moncrieff one. I might just try Portrait of the Artist as well though I did not like Ulysses in college. I always look forward to your reviews!
Posted by: Ali | 21 December 2010 at 06:36 PM
Yes! Adding a few of these to my list. Gracias, as always, Shelia! :)
Posted by: Julie B | 22 December 2010 at 11:16 AM
Thank you, my literary friends, for popping by. I will be soliciting suggestions from you next week for my 2011 list of candidates. Be sure to chime in. I know each of you have great suggestions.
Ali, I used Moncrief. I found it to be satisfactory, though, to be honest, I did not compare. And, I like Portrait far better than Ulysses. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Posted by: Shelia | 23 December 2010 at 10:41 PM