Book Review

I'm a bit behind on reporting on my BBC top 100 reading list!

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh is initially set during World War 2 but the story is really about a friendship that began 20 years prior. Overall, I found the story a bit confusing to follow. Basically, a young man befriends another young man. Both young men come from dysfunctional families although the family of the latter is quite aghast at a friendship with the former. The story talks about their experiences at school and then their separate adventures beyond the classroom. There is plenty of intrigue and love and marriage and divorce and sorrow in their individual lives. Overall, I enjoyed the story but it does not fall into the "must read again" category.

The second book from the list is The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Wow. This is a difficult but compelling read and I can understand why it was included on the list. The book is wWritten from the perspective of a young woman is murdered and watches her family from heaven. From the beginning, the reader knows her killer but her family does not. The story shares how each member of the family copes with the loss of their daughter & sister. It shares how her friends mourn her loss. I recommend this book with the caveat that it will grip you so read in a healthy frame of mind.

 I've also read some books that are not on the BBC's list: Eat, Pray, Love and Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert. The first I picked up at a yard sale, the second from the library because I enjoyed the first. I enjoyed reading the first memoir because they showed another perspective on life, singleness and marriage. In a way, I wish for the ability to travel around the world, yet it carries a weight of responsibility. I decided to read the second because I was curious what she discovered about marriage and why she chose that despite assertions that she "would never." My curiosity was satisfied and I enjoyed the book. Both are good, fun easy reads that work well on the beach or by a fireplace.

Lastly, I read My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. Several different story lines keep you guessing all the way through the book. And the ending is completely unexpected and completely heart wrenching. I do recommend this book even though it will make you cry.