Today I welcome Kate Hinderer, author of Aurora Undefined with her guest post about some of her favorite books and what kind of books we'd find in her "library."My library is a mix of books from different times, places and genres. Some of them are ones I’ve only read once and have struck a cord so deep within me that I can remember them almost perfectly. Others are ones that I’ve read over and over.
A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L’Engle – This book is the epitome of what I would like to accomplish in my writing. It has it all – mystery, adventure, love, drama, death, life, family, animals, philosophy. When I re-read this book I do it cover to cover without skipping a single line.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – This has to be, hands down, the best young adult book I have read in several years. It was gripping, inventive and had a strong female character. I can’t wait for the movie.
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton – The author’s ability to put human emotions and feelings into words is like nothing else I’ve ever read. For instance, there is a scene in which one character admits that all he wants to do it hurt the other character with his words. It’s gripping and oh-so-real.
My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok – My people know this author from the book The Chosen. But this one, in my opinion, is far superior. It is about a Jewish boy who struggles with his God-given talent for art and the fact that it is against his religion.
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer – I admit it – I re-read this one from time to time just to try and capture what it is about this book that is so gripping. How does it pull the reader in and hook them? It’s fascinating each and every time.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte – I have a thing for books that highlight tragedy and Wuthering Heights is the ultimate love-lost trauma. Despite Heathcliff’s horribleness I can’t help but feel for him during the entire book.
Devil in the White City by Erik Larson – This is not a fiction book, but rather tells about Chicago during the time of the world’s fair and a serial killer who lived there. I couldn’t put it down.
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer – I was blown away by the concept of this book and again loved the strong female lead character. The descriptions had me thinking of the end of the world every time the weather became stormy in real life. (Although to be honest I hated the last book and how the main character became a killer and justified her actions.)
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy – I’ve not big on Russian novels but this one… it spoke to me. I loved the contrast of the virtuous couple and the selfish one. Although, I will admit there are tons of paragraphs on farming that can be skimmed unless you have an undying interest in agriculture.
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare – I was pretty anti-Shakespeare in high school. It made no sense to me. But I took a history class on Tudor England and the final project was to read a work by Shakespeare and analyze that in the context of history. It suddenly made sense and I found this work to be hilariously funny.
Thanks Kate for sharing with us today!
About Aurora Undefined
Aurora is entering her senior year and everything around her seems to be falling apart. Her best friend has joined the cool crowd and she struggles to grapple with the loss. But when tragedy strikes, Aurora realizes what loss is really all about and how moving on becomes a fight of the will, mind and heart.
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