Two Heavy Books

Hello from CHICAGO! I’m officially back in Chicago, ready to start my LAST semester of law school on Tuesday! I can’t believe 2.5 years ago I showed up scared but so ready to conquer law school. Now I’m about to graduate, but with zero plans for the future. However this time I’m pretty okay with not having a plan, I just need to have faith (and of course do some job searching).

As the title says, today’s post is about two heavy books I’ve read recently. Although by heavy I don’t mean weight, I mean emotionally! Normally I switch back and forth between more intense books and fluffy books. However I happened to grab these two when I was packing for my trip last week, so that’s all I had to read!

In case you missed it, here are the recaps of my whirlwind of a week:

Day 1 in Denver

The Rodeo!

Last couple days in Denver

My first day in San Francisco!

Day 2: Alcatraz and Muir Woods

Also, remember that if you’ve read Heartsick by Chelsea Cain and wish to have me link up to your review (or post your review if you don’t have a blog) just e-mail it to me at peaceloveandoats@gmail.com by this evening or tomorrow morning!

Now, on to the reviews! The first book I read was The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.

I’d actually picked this book up at a used book store in Boston when I was there this summer for the Healthy Living Summit. I actually had no idea what it was about but I knew it was considered a “classic” so I thought I’d give it a whirl.

The Bell Jar is a very interesting book because it follows the slow mental breakdown of the main character, Ester Greenwood during the 1950s. She’s a very smart, college aged girl, just a year out from graduating. The book begins while she is in New York City for a summer internship, living in an all women apartment building with the 11 other interns at the magazine.

Ester’s slowly falls into depression and insanity, ending up in a mental institution (my jaw actually dropped when I read what she did to first end up there). Personally, I struggled to understand Ester’s mental state (which I guess is a good thing?). She practically tortures herself, pulling away from other people and opportunities and falling into her own mind and depression. Although I get frustrated with her, the book is a great way to try and put yourself in the position of someone experiencing this kind of depression: her fear, her self-doubt and her lack of drive to turn things around.

I did enjoy reading the Bell Jar and recommend it if you’re ready for a heavy book. Despite being a little frustrating, it really was fascinating to learn about what went through her mind during these months.

The second book I read on my trip was The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.

This one had been recommended to me, so I added it to my “to read” list and asked for it for Christmas!

This book was heavy, but in a very different way. What shocked me is that I didn’t realize until after I’d read the book that it wasn’t a novel, it was a memoir! This actually happened, which makes it all the more fascinating. Jeannette Walls tells the story of her life, starting around the age of 3 where she burns herself cooking her own hot dogs, and we are slowly introduced to her family and their nomadic and free ways.

Jeannette has an older sister and a younger sister who is born during the book. Their parents have a rather hands off method of parenting, allowing Jeannette and her siblings to do whatever they please and they’re rarely enrolled at a real school during their youth. The family picks up and moves constantly, jumping into their car with few belongings and heading to a new desert town where they find a small place to rent. They are constantly below the poverty line and often with no food, leaving the children to steal or fend for themselves.

Although their childhood is full of adventures, the children eventually become angry and frustrated with their parents as they grow older, realizing the realities of the situation. It becomes progressively worse as their father becomes a drunk, spending all their money on alcohol, and their mother falls into a somewhat depressive state, not wanting to work and spending money on frivolous things.

The children, most of whom are incredibly smart and driven, move to New York and make real lives for themselves, while their parents live homeless (despite the children trying to help).

I really enjoyed reading this book because of the way Jeannette writes about her parents: not with anger or hate but demonstrating their good qualities and being very generous when explaining their characters and why they are the way they are. It’s very real and honest, you can see her frustration but you can also see the love and respect she has for them.

This was a great memoir, keeping my attention and interest and I highly recommend picking it up if you have the chance.

I also read Matched by Ally Condie, however it’s a trilogy, so I’m waiting until I’ve read all three before I review it!

If you’re interested here’s my current “To Read” list, let me know if there’s something I just HAVE to add!

Fever by Lauren DeStafano

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Arranged by Catherine McKenzie

On The Island by Tracey Garvis Graves

Devil In The White City by Erik Larson (got for Christmas)

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Terra by Gretchen Powell

Sharp Objects by Jillian Flynn (reading now)

The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott (purchased)

Have you read any of these books?

Do you tend to read “fluffy” books or “heavy” books or both?