march: 5, 6, 7, & 8

oops - 22 days into the next month, and i'm just now posting it.  but…march was a good month of reading, helped by spring break!  last month i read:

persepolis: the story of a childhood, by marjane satrapi (this is an autobiographical graphic novel about growing up in iran in the 1970s.  it was on our school's summer reading short list, though we're ultimately going to go with a different book.  i had seen the movie previously, and this is one case where i'd recommend the movie before i'd recommend reading the book.  the art is the same, and the movie evokes more powerful emotions, in my opinion, than i experienced reading the book.  i'd highly recommend you see the movie!  such an important part of world history to be exposed to.)

the book thief, by markus zusak (how did it take me so long to read this book?  it had been on my list for a while, and i finally bought it with a gift certificate that a student gave me (hooray for gift certificates for books!).  this is a fictional account of a girl growing up near munich during world war II.  the book is narrated by death, which i found a fascinating way to tell this story.  it's horribly sad at points, like all books about world war II can be, but the structure of the book and the narration and the characters made this a really interesting read.  i'd highly recommend it!  i think it's technically a young adult book (another work of great young adult literature!), and it's a quick read, but no less powerful because it's aimed at a teenage audience.  i immediately put another book by the author (i am the messenger) on my "to read" list.  see...this is how my list doesn't ever get any shorter...)

the other wes moore, by wes moore (put down everything you are doing.  READ THIS BOOK.  the premise: a man named wes moore finds out he has been selected as a rhodes scholar at the same time as he sees on the news that another man named wes moore is found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison.  the two wes moores are about the same age, both black, both grew up in baltimore.  how does one become a rhodes scholar and the other end up in prison?  the book follows both wes moores through their lives, drawing contrasts between the events of each of their lives and how they respond to them.  it, of course, doesn't answer any questions fully, but it gave me a LOT to think about. this was one of those books where i was talking back to the book while i read it.  always a good sign!)

serena, by ron rash (Q recommended this book to me - the author is from the asheville area, and he knows that i love a good historical novel set in appalachia.  this book was good, but i have a hard time liking books when i don't find the main character likable…and i had a really hard time figuring out what to think of serena.  i'm glad i read it - and there are some really interesting plot points - but i'm not rushing to recommend it to you guys because i'm…still just not quite sure what to think about it.  and the ending…oh, the ending.  so maybe you should read it.  i'm just not quite sure.)