Books Then and Now
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If you have been coming to Lori's Book Loft for a while you will find a selection of what I am reading Now. Occasionally, people email me and ask what books were popular when I was young so I have posted a few I recall from then.
Lord of the Flies
This 1954 novel by Nobel Prize-winning British author William Golding really moved me.
We'll start with a plane crash and schoolboys stranded far from civilization. They enjoy their freedom for a time but when roles start being challenged there is chaos and death.
There are many parts of this book that I think are brilliant like the focus on the conch, parachuter, and the importance of sunglasses.
This book shows cliques, destruction, and governing. I felt it was a good description of how our expectations can change our perception and how this affects those around us. If you loved this book you might want to read the description for The Never Dawn or The Road Ahead.
Little Women
This novel by American author Louisa May Alcott was originally published in 1869. It follows the lives of the 4 March sisters. My mother is one of 4 sisters so I was curious to see if their lives, a century apart, had any similarities.
When the March sister's father goes to war they assist their mother with things that need to be tended to in their father's absence. They also entertain friends and behave like little women. My stand-out memory of this read was the challenges they faced and the severity of illness they encountered. If you loved this book you might want to read the description for The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder or the Swedish lore of Fylgia, or if you prefer westerns, Armed Men and Armadillos
The Diary of Anne Frank
The initial publication was in 1947. This is the first collection of writings I read from a young girl fleeing the horrors of Nazi occupation forces with her family. They hid in an Amsterdam office building for two years.
Anne started this spirit-filled diary in 1942 and showed a great sense of purpose in editing her own diary. It's an emotional read, perhaps more so, as Anne's outcome is well known. If you loved this book you might want to read the description for The Woman Without a Voice or Survivor's Club.
The Outsiders
First published in 1967, this book is another prime example of how age doesn't matter when it comes to the ability to communicate feelings with words.
Susan Eloise Hinton was 15 when she started writing this novel and 18 when it was published. I thought she was brilliant in drawing us in by naming the protagonist Ponyboy Curtis and another Sodapop. You have rival gangs, the Socs (rich kids) and the Greasers ( Ponyboys group). I thought Hinton was extremely bold in killing off 3 characters. If you want to know what it is like to be considered to have little chance of success you may want to read the description for Never In Finer Company
Brave New World
This story was written in 1931 by English author Aldous Huxley. This piece of Dystopian literature, set in a genetically modified society, is the only book I've read that my parents had to sign off on. Yes! My parents had to sign a statement saying their teenage daughter was permitted to read this.
Brave New World revolves around the idea of a centralized government system in the future where test-tube babies and hypnotism are utilized. In this society brainwashing and promiscuity is prevalent and genetically programmed beings do the brunt of menial work. This book taught me chiefly about the concept of conditioning. If you loved this book you might want to read the description for The Stolen Generation.