Second, I will choose THE BLUEST EYE by Toni Morrison. Also a heartbreaking story. She went on to only surpass a book that seemed like it would never be bettered.
What about you?
Monday, February 29, 2016
My Favorite Books About Growing Up
Of course, there are hundreds of great ones, but the trick is to just pick one or two. I will choose A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, which is one of those books you need to read again as an adult to see how dark it is. And my book group did.
Second, I will choose THE BLUEST EYE by Toni Morrison. Also a heartbreaking story. She went on to only surpass a book that seemed like it would never be bettered.
What about you?
(
Second, I will choose THE BLUEST EYE by Toni Morrison. Also a heartbreaking story. She went on to only surpass a book that seemed like it would never be bettered.
What about you?
The ANNE OF GREEN GABLES trilogy: ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, ANNE OF AVONLEA, and ANNE'S HOUSE OF DREAMS. They follow Anne from her childhood as an unwanted orphan through the first years of her marriage. Lucy Maud Montgomery later went back and wrote other books that "filled in" the storyline, but those are the original three.
ReplyDeleteOLD SCHOOL by Tobias Wolff. I think OLD SCHOOL is better than CATCHER IN THE RYR.
ReplyDeleteOh, I loved A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Patti! I also think To Kill a Mockingbird is a fine coming-of-age story, too.
ReplyDeleteAll of these. I also love Wolff's A BOY'S LIFE. Well loved and dreaded at the same time.
ReplyDeleteThere are a good many that I like, but CATCHER IN THE RYE is a big favorite. I think of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD as growing-up book, too, so that would be my #1 this week.
ReplyDeleteYes to THIS BOY'S LIFE and MOCKINGBIRD. What about DAVID COPPERFIELD? No love for Dickens? I know there are many others but I have to dig them out of my brain.
ReplyDeleteI must admit that though I've seen the movie I have never read A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, even though I've lived there since 1958.
I'll go with Deb's pick, the Anne of Green Gables books are great, and the series done for BBC (or whomever) was excellent.
ReplyDeleteBRIDGE TO TERABITHIA is about growing up in a way, facing death and learning to go on. A really great book.
ReplyDeleteTo kill a Mockingbird. Or maybe to tame a land.
ReplyDeleteLove all these choices. I was trying to think of "Mysteries" that reference coming of age as well. ORDINARY GRACE is one great one. ONCE ON A RIVER by Bonnie Jo Campbell, a Joe Lansdale book, what else?
ReplyDeleteDan Simmons, SUMMER OF NIGHT
ReplyDeleteJackie said A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN too.
ReplyDeleteI doubt there are many from our generation who did not read this. Don't know the Simmons one. Have to look for.
ReplyDeleteIt's another boys' book. Stephen King territory.
ReplyDeleteThe first book I ever read that resonated with me because I could identify with the main characters and their lifestyle: THE OUTSIDERS by S.E. Hinton. Read it in 1969. Detest the movie.
ReplyDeleteWhy didn`t you like the movie Naomi ?, i thought it was superb and even better than the book!.
ReplyDelete"Junior Miss" with Peggy Ann Garner from 1945 (from Sally Bensons storys), that is such a charming movie. Its incredible to realise it was released in North America just 6 weeks before Hiroshima.
ReplyDelete"Anne of Green Gables" is pure magic, the best version being the one with Megan Follows from 1985, it is definitive and magnificent.
ReplyDeleteIs there another Deb commenting here? Those last two "Deb" comments are not me (Deb Pfeifer). This is going to be confusing!
ReplyDeleteI love DAVID COPPERFIELD, and Jeff's mention of THIS BOY'S LIFE reminds me that Robert McCammon's BOY'S LIFE is certainly one of my very favorites. I have a lot of favorites.
ReplyDeleteThere's a prankster putting comments up on Patti's blog again, Deb, who is presumably also Otis E this time out. You might want to set up an account to keep from being spoofed.
ReplyDeleteSo many Newbery Award-winners and runners-up from my youth, such as THE LONER by Ester Wier, and FROM THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER by E. L. Konigsburg...or Esther Forbes's JOHNNY TREMAINE.
But the (often utterly un-)sentimental favorite, even with the rushed ending, remains THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN.
ANNE the series have somewhat unsurprisingly been Canadian productions.
ReplyDeleteTodd, I`ve always adored "The Hide-aways" (1973) with Ingrid Bergman and Sally Prager (based on FROM THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER), that movie is loaded with so much charm and magic, i used to love watching it on TV on Saturday afternoons back in the late 70`s and early 80`s, it was pure joyousness.
ReplyDeleteHoping this is the real Deb Pfeifer.
ReplyDeleteNo it isn't. I guess I'll have to set up an account now! Yikes!
ReplyDeleteThough, for what it's worth, the film isn't bad, though not up to the novel. Sometimes offered as THE HIDEAWAYS. Scot O'Dell's ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS and Armstrong Sperry's CALL IT COURAGE (and JOHNNY TREMAINE) all were Newbery novels with lesser but solid films made from them.
ReplyDeleteWhich somehow reminds me of THE STERILE CUCKOO.
Scott O'Dell, that is.
ReplyDeleteTodd, although that comment was written by an imposter pretending to be me i still have to say that you`re not giving THE HIDEAWAYS enough credit, it really is Sally Pragers movie, shes so sweet and charming as the little girl obsessed with Ingrid Bergman.
ReplyDeleteI just removed one I hope wasn't you about trailer for Schwartznegger films.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am not sure at all that this was you either.
ReplyDeleteIt was the real me this time Patti, i just thought i had to mention Sally Prager because she was so genuinely magical in that movie. BTW, i hate Schwarzenegger movies, that must`ve been the imposter again.
ReplyDeleteHow can we resolve this? Why pretend to be someone else?
ReplyDeletePatti--those comments are NOT from me. I'm going to stop commenting here without an account, so you can delete anything from "Deb" or any iteration thereof. Thanks!
ReplyDelete