Books I've Read Lately - September/October 2019
As I've mentioned on this blog before, I'm a pretty big reader. A couple of times before I have written about books I've recently read, and I've decided to do the same here. Here are some books that I've read and enjoyed throughout the past couple of months. Maybe you'll find something to read too.
1. "Educated: A Memoir" by Tara Westover
I mentioned this book in my last blog article, in which I savagely (and gleefully) trashed another writer's negative review of the book in question. It tells the amazing tale of a young woman who goes from living in a home in the middle of nowhere Idaho where her parents are obsessed with the end of the world, don't believe in public schools (and many other things), and allow her older brother to physically abuse her. She goes from having no formal education to leaving Idaho and getting a PhD.
2. "Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over" by Nell Painter
Here's another good book about a person getting higher education. Nell Painter already had a PhD from Harvard (one of the schools that Tara Westover also attended) and had been both a professor and a published writer of history books, with such titles as "Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol" and "The History of White People." While she had a highly successful and celebrated career as a historian, Nell had always been a lover of drawing and painting. After retiring, Nell Painter went back to school, earning a MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design.
The book deals with her struggles and doubts as an artist, along with insight into the world of art school. Not only she, but some of her professors, wonder if she would be able to make the transition from historian to artist. Personally I didn't really any reason for someone to not be able to be both a historian and an artist; one of my favorite artists, and just famous people in general, is Leonardo da Vinci, who also worked as an inventor, scientist, and other things.
Another thing I found interesting was how some people (at least in the schools Nell Painter attended) thought less of illustration compared to other arts. Honestly if I were to aim to become an actual professional artist, I'd want to focus on illustration myself.
3. "Mom & Me & Mom" by Maya Angelou
This is one of the late Maya Angelou's memoirs, detailing stories of her relationship with her mother Vivian Baxter. When she and her older brother Bailey were little, they were both sent to Stamps, Arkansas to live with her grandmother for years on end. About ten years later Maya and her brother end up moving back in with a mother they barely know in California. The book is a collection of several stories from throughout her life detailing her relationship with her mother, and how it grows after years of being separated. Vivian Baxter ends up being a huge and understanding influence upon her life, encouraging her and helping her to become the woman that she was.
4. "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" (Volumes 1 & 2) by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill
Along with reading regular novels and non-fiction, I enjoy reading comics and graphic novels. I've read some of Alan Moore's work before, but it's been awhile. I picked up these works (which became a movie that was critically panned) and enjoyed them thoroughly. Imagine the Avengers or the Justice League, but instead it takes place in the late 1890s and includes characters from classic literature (all of whom seem to be in the public domain). In adventures to fight both Moriarty and Martians, characters such as Captain Nemo and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde team up to basically save the world. The series is playful (and also at times very dark), creating a world in which several different characters from different nineteenth century writers co-exist.
1. "Educated: A Memoir" by Tara Westover
I mentioned this book in my last blog article, in which I savagely (and gleefully) trashed another writer's negative review of the book in question. It tells the amazing tale of a young woman who goes from living in a home in the middle of nowhere Idaho where her parents are obsessed with the end of the world, don't believe in public schools (and many other things), and allow her older brother to physically abuse her. She goes from having no formal education to leaving Idaho and getting a PhD.
2. "Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over" by Nell Painter
Here's another good book about a person getting higher education. Nell Painter already had a PhD from Harvard (one of the schools that Tara Westover also attended) and had been both a professor and a published writer of history books, with such titles as "Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol" and "The History of White People." While she had a highly successful and celebrated career as a historian, Nell had always been a lover of drawing and painting. After retiring, Nell Painter went back to school, earning a MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design.
The book deals with her struggles and doubts as an artist, along with insight into the world of art school. Not only she, but some of her professors, wonder if she would be able to make the transition from historian to artist. Personally I didn't really any reason for someone to not be able to be both a historian and an artist; one of my favorite artists, and just famous people in general, is Leonardo da Vinci, who also worked as an inventor, scientist, and other things.
Another thing I found interesting was how some people (at least in the schools Nell Painter attended) thought less of illustration compared to other arts. Honestly if I were to aim to become an actual professional artist, I'd want to focus on illustration myself.
3. "Mom & Me & Mom" by Maya Angelou
This is one of the late Maya Angelou's memoirs, detailing stories of her relationship with her mother Vivian Baxter. When she and her older brother Bailey were little, they were both sent to Stamps, Arkansas to live with her grandmother for years on end. About ten years later Maya and her brother end up moving back in with a mother they barely know in California. The book is a collection of several stories from throughout her life detailing her relationship with her mother, and how it grows after years of being separated. Vivian Baxter ends up being a huge and understanding influence upon her life, encouraging her and helping her to become the woman that she was.
4. "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" (Volumes 1 & 2) by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill
Along with reading regular novels and non-fiction, I enjoy reading comics and graphic novels. I've read some of Alan Moore's work before, but it's been awhile. I picked up these works (which became a movie that was critically panned) and enjoyed them thoroughly. Imagine the Avengers or the Justice League, but instead it takes place in the late 1890s and includes characters from classic literature (all of whom seem to be in the public domain). In adventures to fight both Moriarty and Martians, characters such as Captain Nemo and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde team up to basically save the world. The series is playful (and also at times very dark), creating a world in which several different characters from different nineteenth century writers co-exist.
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