I love a novel that can make me care so deeply for the characters that when something bad happens, it feels like it’s happening to me or someone I love. Likewise if I find a memoir or non-fiction that makes me feel deeply invested and involved, it will stay with me forever. I couldn’t pick just one, so I’ve included some of both.
Obviously, The Fault In Our Stars is going to be mentioned here. It’ll probably be on the list for anyone who has read it this week. It doesn’t requires much explanation. So I’ll move right along. The Opposite of Loneliness is on this list because of the author, not the book itself. Marina Keegan was a recent university graduate who died in a car accident. This is therefore the only book of her work that will ever be published, and the fact that it was absolutely brilliant just makes it all the sadder.
The Diary of a Young Girl was one of the hardest books I ever read. It showed me the deep pain humans can cause, the cruelty we are capable of, and gave a face to the holocaust. I read it when I was about the same age as Anne when she wrote it, so it cut deeply. The last two I hesitated about, because if I look at the emotional response I had to them, sadness doesn’t begin to cover it. I was enraged, devastated and deeply ashamed of the history of my people. But sadness was definitely in there too, though the word hardly seems to be adequate to cover the feelings. Both of these should be required reading for every single Canadian.
Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is a blog hop hosted every Wednesday by Long and Short Reviews. The weekly prompts range widely, including both book-related and non-book-related topics. The idea is to get bloggers to interact, share a bit about their lives and connect with other bloggers. Click here for the list of upcoming topics, and visit here to join in the fun!
I did enjoy reading about Anne Frank, and have visited the house in Amsterdam. It’s quite an experience.
Oh man, yes it is. I was so shocked at how tiny the space was. I felt like I couldn’t breathe standing in the room she had lived in. I still remember that feeling whenever I think about it. It’s amazing how she managed to make such a horrible situation and being constricted into such a tiny space feel so different on the page!
I’ve been wanting to read The Skin We’re In. I’ll have to pick it up. Thanks for the recommendation.
I can’t recommend it highly enough. There’s a documentary based on it as well – I think it’s on CBC Gem. And if you can find any interviews with him man, is he a great person to hear speak. So direct and eloquent. Not easy going, but well worth it!
I had the same reaction to The Diary of a Young Girl. I didn’t realize what happened to Anne when I first began reading it, so the post script made me cry.
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/wednesday-weekly-blogging-challenge-saddest-book-ive-ever-read/
Me too! My mom gave it to me, I don’t remember if she really talked to me much about it though. I think it’s the book that has had the deepest impact on me. It shifted my entire view of the world, and of people. But I’m so grateful.