From left: Me & Emma, by Elizabeth Flock; Far from the Tree, by Andrew Solomon; The Big Disconnect: Protecting Children and Family Relationships in the Digital Age, by Catherine Steiner-Adair
An ambitious goal, to read these three books this fall: one is nearly 1,000 pages long (but it turns out many of those pages are notes and bibliography- whew!). But you know that excited, heart-racing feeling you get when you find a book at the library you have been itching to read? Having palpitations over Far From the Tree. I’ll share with you the gist of each:
Me & Emma: A fictional account of an 8-year-old girl, told from her point of view, who has to care for her younger sister after her family life is shattered- has a twist at the end that I am looking forward to…
Far From the Tree: A 10 Best Books from the New York Times Book Review 2012, this book has received a lot of praise. Solomon writes about parents and their exceptional children: from “families coping with deafness, dwarfism, Down syndrome, autism, schizophrenia, multiple severe disabilities, with children who are prodigies, who are conceived in rape, who become criminals, who are transgender.” He explores the common link in each story, as well as the nature-nurture debate and the decision to be a parent.
The Big Disconnect: Examines not only how technology & screens put children’s development at risk, but also how we are losing vital human connections in family life, and suggestions for dealing with issues tech has flung upon us.
What are you reading, or excited about reading soon?
I was desperate for a charming period piece late one night so I re-read the Secret Garden… it was just as good as it was in 3rd grade!
Still excited about the big disconnect. Have you real “The Last Child In The Woods”? Really thought provoking.
I just love book recommendations. The Big Disconnect looks really interesting. I finished reading “When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women From 1960 to the Present” by Gail Collins. It sounds all scholarly and historical- but it reads as easily as a novel.
I also have “Far From the Tree” on my reading list. I bought it with a gift card Dave got for participating in something at work, so I can take my time with it. Currently reading “Lean In,” which is good but not totally applicable to me right now. 🙂
I also took a break from “Lean In” and devoured “Eleanor & Park” in 2 days and I loved it. Such an amazing book.
I’ve wanted to read Far From The Tree for awhile now. Excited to hear what you think. The last one sounds great too. It’s the perfect season to cozy on up and read;)
I just started reading Far form the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. Not sure how I missed this one in all my lit classes! So good! But, I may set it down to read Mrs. Poe. Delicious and creepy.
Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder was my most recent read. Very, very, very good. Have Michael Pollan’s Cooked and have started looking through it. Probably won’t read it all from cover to cover in one go. But it is a good kick-in-the-pants, get-up-and-go kind of book. (And, as if the spam protection can tell how exhausted I am, it is asking me to solve 1 + 2. Thank you SP.)
Thanks for all of the amazing suggestions, you guys! Can’t wait to devour ALL of these books you list over the next few months… the library is really an incredible thing!
Loved Far From the Tree! I could not put it down. I read it when my son was 5 months old . Even sleep deprivation could not stop me from reading it!
The library = government! Also, essential.
Those all sound like great picks. I’ve resorted to audiobooks which I play on my phone whenever I have a spare moment (or should be sleeping!). I so miss getting lost in a good book, but it’s just impossible at the moment.
The Big Disconnect sounds intriguing and along the lines of my concerns for kids growing up today with all this technology 24-7! Thanks, Lauren.