Assignment 2- Gersony

    Most of the time when I choose a book to read, I choose it in a very similar way to choosing a show or movie to watch in Netflix. Often it's by word of mouth or if the cover/summary catches my eye. I often don't know if the book will have  a more serious tone that have a-lot of depth or if the book will be more simple and fun. 
    I choose the Joy Luck Club to read as part of an AP World assignment. After just reading the book jacket, I thought it would be heavy with history and fact based. But, I discovered while reading, it was a deeply emotional and personal book, using history as only the stage on which to present the true story of generational and cultural differences and the complex relationship between mothers and daughters. It gave me a glimpse into an unfamiliar culture and asked me to examine my own relationship with my mom.

    Near the beginning of every summer, my mom and I buy some books to read over the break. The Woman in the Window was one of those books. My main motivation was to read the book so that I could fully appreciate the movie that was supposed to be released in theaters back in May. Once I picked up the book, I couldn't put it down. At one point it made me audibly gasp out-loud. I am a big lover of crime thrillers and murder mysteries because I love trying to figure out the ending before the author reveals it, allowing me to live out my fantasy of being a world class detective. But, unlike some of the lesser mystery books I read this past year (The French Girl, Watching You), this book kept me guessing till the end.
    Big Little Lies was another book that I started reading because I had heard such good things about the show, and I am definitely a read before you watch type of person. However, throughout the duration, I began to fall in love with Liane Moriarty's style of writing. It's deeply personal and surprises you, revealing characterization bit by bit. She writes female characters as the complex and intricate beings that they are. Her writing elevates the novel from just being a classic mystery set in an upperclass town by the beach, to a story about female strength and resilience as well as addressing complicated issues such as rape, domestic abuse, and privilege in a tasteful and thought provoking way. 

    Nine Perfect Strangers is another book by Liane Moriarity. After devouring Big Little Lies, I was hungry for more of her stories, and Nine Perfect Strangers seemed like a perfect fit. This book focuses on visitors of a wellness center and each of their intriguing reasons for coming. The reasons vary from marital issues to devastating grief. It was such a fun read and I loved how she was able to weave multiple stories into one cohesive narrative. 
    City of Girls was another one of the books my mom and I picked out to read over the summer. This book focused on a young private school trouble maker leaving her life to live with her aunt in New York City during the 1940s. To be honest, this book was a little bit of a drag to read. Gilbert really wanted to capture the essence of everyday life in the city, so she really goes into detail in every way possible. But, I am a firm believer that you should finish a book once you start it so I suffered through, and Im so glad I did. The ending switched from just focussing on Viviene, the main character, and instead looks more about how life changed with the Start of World War II. The themes change from growing up and chasing ambitions to coping with hardship, forgiveness, and the complicated nature of human relationships. This book really solidified my views to finish a book all the way through, and I am very glad I read it. 
    Sound of Gravel was a very different books then the books I typically choose. The Sound of Gravel is a memoir which follows the childhood and subsequent adulthood of a young girl born into a sect of polygamous Mormons in the Mexican dessert. It dives into controversial subjects, such as molestation by a family member, religious trauma, and the death of young siblings. This book really put my life into perspective, and gave me a glimpse into the life of a person who had persisted through everything life could throw at her and managed to thrive. I learned the power of believing in opportunity and not letting the bad in your life define the good that could be.

    I began to read Little Fires Everywhere because Reese Wither-spoon's bookclub told me too. I am so glad I did. Little Fires Everywhere tells the story of one sheltered family and how the introduction of a single mother and her daughter changed their lives forever. It gave me an in depth and personal look into class differences and the complexities of mother and daughter relationships. I was especially touched by the connection of art and life that was used near the end of the novel, which really brought the whole picture of the novel together. 
    Everything I Never Told You truly touched me. I really related to the protagonist of the novel, a young girl with high ambition, that eventually couldn't take it anymore. Some of the main themes of the book where only excepting perfection and being stuck in the image created for you by your parents in society. It was also a mystery, which made it a match made in heaven for me.

    I feel that Where The Crawdads Sing is a modern classic. I have read it twice and loved it both times. I have told everyone I know to read this book. It is a very unique love story with a murder mystery twist. It deals with a growing up in extreme poverty and isolation all from the point of view of a child. The thing that drew me back to the book the most was the authors beautiful description of nature. It made me look at the natural world around me very differently and observe it in the way someone appreciates art.