BB Book Club: Leah’s November Picks
IT’S BEEN A YEAR. We went from blinking in March and opening our eyes to September, to now longest month ever—November 2020. I can’t believe it’s already November, I don’t feel ready for the holidays to roll in. 2020 has been a year of growth, of living outside (and being stuck inside) of our comfort zones. And while sometimes feeling uncomfy is the absolute worst--and it makes me want to crawl under the covers and scream into my pillow—sometimes being uncomfy can introduce a new perspective on life and open you up to be more understanding of other people’s positions. A huge part of learning and growing is expanding your worldview. You can accidentally trap yourself in a bubble of like mindedness if you’re only talking to those who agree with you, only following accounts that validate your opinions, and only reading books with similar themes and genres. The following books may make you uncomfy, but they’re worth it.
Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
This was the second Vonnegut book I’ve read (Bluebeard was my first). I recommend both. Vonnegut has a style of writing unlike any other – you can tell this man’s brain is ticking constantly. He’s like the guy from fifth grade who was always quiet, which you assumed made him weird because you loved chattering on about Club Penguin, but then when it came to sharing his short story in front of the class, he blew everyone away with his imagination. The teacher wasn’t shocked at all because she’d been reading his incredible writing since day one. And now he’s way cooler to you, and you feel the need to see if he wants to play Club Penguin with you that weekend. Yeah, Vonnegut is that guy. He has a way of writing about nothing, but you can’t stop turning pages.
Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
Oof. This one was difficult to get through. It is very well written and an interesting story, but the content was tough for me to get through. Reading about any women forced to be slaves to men isn’t the kind of #BrainBreak I usually gravitate to. But a friend recommended this one, and I would recommend it too -- if you are someone who likes Greek mythology. But I do not recommend if you cannot get through the previously mentioned triggering storylines.
Checklist:
Read out of your comfort zone!
Read Vonnegut and explain his books to me PLEASE!!
Play Club Penguin with me!!!
