Outbox (October 2015): Rereads and people die all over the place... I won't tell you who.

September kind of felt like a light reading month for me. Looking at my Goodreads for the month, I noticed that the majority of the books I read were audiobooks and books that I've read before. I also read a few books that were shorter than my usual (e.g., Coal, The Great Gatsby, and Animal Farm). Sometimes, it feels like adding these smaller books to my read list is cheating (which is why I count comics, trades, and graphic novels separately), even though I know that's ridiculous. More pages doesn't legitimize a book. But that's a topic for a different post.. and likely a different blogger.

Anywho. Here's my Outbox post for September:

I've already posted about the books about books that I read in September. Yes, I did!! So, I won't repeat my gushing about those in this post, as tempting as that might be.

THE REREADS

Re- reading the Classics: You'll notice a theme below. Re-reading a book, which I have never done before, is interesting. You think you know what's going to happen. And sometimes you do. But sometimes you've really changed the events in the book to match your overall impression of the book, you know what I mean. I think with these classics, I had an idea of the story that was all mashed up with pop culture references. I enjoyed rereading each of these, unlike the disaster that was me trying to read Wuthering Heights which actually took 10 years off the end of my life. I did a thing I rarely do: I quit reading it with only 3 hours left of the audiobook. Just couldn't do it. 

Thoughts while re-reading the Classics: 

To Kill a Mockingbird - Have I ever read this all the way through? Why are people always talking about Boo Radley, he's only in it for four seconds. Scout is an idiot; Oh, wait, she's only 8 years old. Ugh, I hate that this is still relevant in 2015

Animal Farm - Have I read this before? Oh, I can see how this might be used in a high school. Nuh uh! They are changing the rules! Pigs... heh, I get it. 

The Great Gatsby: OK. Maybe I've never read this. I have no recollection of that happening... What!?

Harry Potter: Yes, I know these aren't classics. But they will be. I loved them just as much this time as the first time. I had to skip book 2 because there was such a long wait time for the Overdrive edition. But, it was a reread, so I felt ok about that. Still love Lupin. 

THE NEWBIES:

Tell the Wolves I'm Home: This books has been on several Must Read book lists that I have seen. It's the story of a geeky teenage girl who loses her uncle to AIDS. The loss of her favorite uncle and primary emotional support pretty much rocks her world and forces her to figure out what she thinks is important in life. I didn't cry, but I'm kind of a robot.

Pretty is: This book's summary was interesting, as is the idea for the story. Two adult women revisit the two month period when they were kidnapped and held in the woods. I actually really liked the view of the girls and their connection to the time and the man over the course of their lives. It had a few too many layers (a movie, based on a book, based on the story of the girls from one perspective with the view point of the other folks thrown in). The "thriller" stalker part was unnecessary and wrapped up too quickly. And other lines didn't wrap up very satisfactorily at all. The psychology of the unloved/ unlovable post trauma thing was interesting.

Purple Hibiscus: This was my Book Club pick for one of my discussion groups. Every member actually finished the book, which is not usual, and several people "didn't know what the think of it." The discussion was a good one and it's one of those books where you find yourself trying to understand the perspectives of each of the characters. Discussion considerations: is what makes a good person a good person and the different faces we put on at home and in public.