Stuff I've read

It's been a while since I've posted about a book, but don't think I've stopped reading!

July's book was Plainsong, a riveting novel by Kent Haruf that takes the reader on a journey with a pregnant high school girl, a teacher and his sons who've been abandoned by their mother, and a pair of farmers who become more and more secluded as time goes on.

My dad has had Plainsong for as long as I can remember. It was one of those books that I wanted to read, but was told I was too young. Over the years, I'd forgotten about it, but when I came back from Australia, he told me to give it a try. I was spellbound. It's one of those books that manages to be simultaneously hard to read and impossible to put down. It's sadness is overwhelming but equally matched with soulful finish that reminds us of the simple truth that in the end, everything will be okay.

Sometimes I wonder what's happening to literature. In a world of YA lit, it can be hard to find things that mean something more. Plainsong is a gem, a one in a million read, and if you like books that make you think about the world outside of the way you experience it, you should give it a go.

Plainsong - the unisonous vocal music used in the Christian church from the earliest times; any simple and unadorned melody or air.