My Favorite Children's Book: Melissa

Rachel and the Upside Down Heart by Eileen Douglas

I first came across this true story while browsing through the shelves of my neighborhood library, a small but voracious reader all of 4 years old.

This is the story of Rachel, a 4 year old girl from a beautiful country house in Kentucky whose world suddenly changes when her dad dies. Now, Rachel must leave her friends and world behind for the hustle and bustle of New York City, exchanging her swing set for swinging doors, her tall trees for skyscrapers and her cushy childhood for the unknown.

Though this is a children’s story and definitely a short read, I, too felt the pain and anguish Rachel experienced as she felt her world, and her heart, flipped upside down. She overcomes tragedy and survives her heartbreak with the help of her mom, neighbors and new friends. Truly a story of rediscovering happiness in the midst of trial, Rachel and the Upside Down Heart is a timeless classic in my opinion and summertime must-read.

Always,
Melissa

Do any books from your childhood stand out in your memory? Which ones?

My Favorite Book: Nicole

If I were to be anywhere in the world, isolated for any prolonged period of time I would want this book as my companion read. The Glass Palace is a sweeping novel that instantly became one of my all-time favorites.

Indian writer Amitav Ghosh crafts a landscape of Indian and Burmese culture through vivid images of gems and jewels, fat feasts of Burmese and Indian meals, and the overwhelming behaviors of people at war and in love.

Ghosh, a quiet storyteller whose background in anthropology is very prevalent in this novel, begins at the early stages of the British invasion on Burma in 1885. Through 470 pages of elegant tapestry, he weaves the circumstances of several generations of one family through the damage of the British rule and the fall of Burma.

I was completely consumed by this novel because of its language and underlying message of endurance. It’s difficult to love in the midst of war, death, illness, and uncertainty. Yet each character of The Glass Palace is able to sustain a little more as they discover the inner strengths and secrets that mark their family’s history. The reader's guide in the back of the book is great for those who want the story to continue, and offers great questions for discussion.

What historical period, if any, would you most like to read about?

Nic

*In reference to the book(s) that helped me discover my true self, I would say Virginia Hamilton's "Sweet Whispers Brother Rush", Alice Walker's "In Search of Our Mother's Garden", and Jhumpa Lahiri's "Interpreter of Maladies". "Sweet Whispers" by V. Hamilton was the first chapter book I read and can clearly remember identifying with. I'm a big fan of short stories, and several essays in Alice Walker's "In Search of.."--particularly "Lulls" and "My Father's Country is the Poor"--affirmed many thoughts and expressions I had. Some of her thoughts on the role of artists and not being afraid to be vulnerable, especially in love, were like she plucked them right out of my mind. Jhumpa Lahiri's "Interpreter of Maladies" is another collection of short stories that I enjoyed because it helped me further connect with with a culture I've always had an affinity for, the Indian culture. I was able to see many of my sentiments on identity echoed by some of her characters.

My Favorite Book: Whitney

She was my new favorite author. After having read the excellent book of stories, The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing, I was determined to read everything Melissa Bank had ever written. Luckily, the rest of the catalog consisted only of her 2nd novel, The Wonder Spot. I was a bookish college sophomore, someone that was more likely to have read about something than actually experience it, and Sophie Applebaum, the nerdy reader/writer/dreamer heroine of The Wonder Spot, was a woman after my own heart.

Like me, Sophie was thoughtful, good-intentioned but woefully ridden with self-doubts and the sticky, slow-moving inaction often produced by fear of being oneself. Quietly warring with a set of issues that I, at 19, painfully connected to. I latched on to Sophie and cheered for her through Hebrew classes with Mr. Pinkus, through her years at the only college that accepted her, to New York where she made the most dreadful mistakes as she attempted to navigate the publishing business. Unlike other readers of the book, Sophie never disappointed me with her self-destructive mistakes. In some odd way, I understood her and knew the reasons why, though I am still at a loss to articulate them. Then and now, I just wanted to be accepted for who I was/am, and I knew that Sophie only wanted the same.

A definite must-read for cool-ish nerds/Publishing wanna-bes everywhere.

Luv Always,
Whitney

My Favorite Book: Mademoiselle M

My freshman year in college, I had what may have been the worst English teacher ever in my life. The only reason why I can remember her with semi-fond memories is because she chose Black Girl in Paris by Shay Youngblood as one of our four required semester readings. I won’t argue that it’s the best book ever written but it’s the first time that I can ever remember being captivated by a piece of literature.

The protagonist, Eden, captured my heart by the third page with the following passage:
That passage instantly placed me into Eden’s shoes. Just like her, I had dreams of my travels to far away lands as a little girl; at 18 years old I was desperately seeking my own identity; and I, too, often thought that I was walking alone on a nonexistent path - never believing that someone could ever relate to my hopes, dreams, doubts, and vulnerabilities.

Therefore I walked with Eden through her journey. The rest of the novel, which read like poetry at times, both captured and fueled my soul. This novel is a beautiful piece of art that inspires you to live life, follow your passion, be more open, and discover who you want to be.

What book(s) most captured you on your quest to discover your true self?

*bises*
Mademoiselle M.

passage can be found here on Amazon.com's website