Book Review: Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

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Around the World in Eighty Days is Jules Verne’s classic adventure tale. I was thoroughly entertained as I read about Phileas Fogg and his servant, Passepartout, attempting to win a high stakes bet. Continue reading

Book Review: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

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Their Eyes Were Watching God, first published in 1937, is a story of a southern black woman seeking love and self-fulfillment in 1930’s Florida. It’s considered to be a standout among African American literature due to its affirmation and celebration of the culture as well as the fact that it has a strong female protagonist, which was unique for its time. Continue reading

Book Review: For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway

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For Whom the Bell Tolls tells the tale of a band of communist guerrillas, led temporarily by American Robert Jordan, who have been tasked with blowing up a bridge during the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s. The writing style took some getting used to, but I ended up really liking it. Continue reading

Five Interesting Things I Learned Because I Read “Things Fall Apart”

“Things Fall Apart”, by Chinua Achebe, was on the syllabus for my daughters’ (yes, plural) world literature class. As I like to do sometimes, I read it with them. First published in 1958, it tells the story Okonkwo, a respected warrior, and his village in Nigeria as they both struggle to adapt to colonization. I’m not going to review it because I feel silly reviewing classics. I’ll just say I’m glad I read it and I encourage you to read it, too. It’s a short book and written in simple, but meaningful, language. It doesn’t require a big time investment and you’re likely to learn some interesting things. Continue reading