Life By Kristen

Go, and embrace your liberty. And see what wonderful things come of it. – Little Women

Archive for the tag “Louisa May Alcott”

22 Sep 2014
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Ten Books

As usual, I’m late to the game of the ‘meme’ of ten books that stayed with you, making some impact on your life. Here are my ten!

( in random order)

1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: probably obvious considering the header on the blog)

2. Diary of Anne Frank

3. Baker Towers by Jennifer Haigh: if you haven’t read this author, you’re missing out. I think she is one of the best. This book gripped me for a million reasons that I read it in almost one sitting ( plane ride back from London, plus one 4 hour night)

4. Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos: I picked this book up probably at the library book sale and grabbed it for a plane ride to California ( seeing a theme of great books on planes), not knowing anything about the author or the book. The story, the characters, the historical tie-ins– definitely highly recommend. I loaned this out to someone years ago and it makes me sad I didn’t get it back nor can remember who I gave it to!

5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: One of the only books I read in school that I really enjoyed.

6. Charlotte’s Web b E.B. White: The first chapter book I read on my own. I had a wonderful hardcover copy that was part of a boxed set of E.B. White books.

7. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand: I ‘read’ this on audiobook over my commute and I think part of the reason it stayed with me was not just the amazing true story ( movie out at the end of this year), but Edward Hermann ( the dad on Gilmore Girls) was the narrator and I really loved how he read it.

8. Anne of the Wild Rose Inn by Jennifer Armstrong: A slightly cheesy, sappy teen romance-like historical fiction that I read in junior high school. There are a whole series of different girls of the Wild Rose Inn that cover different historical eras or events, but this one was about the American Revolution. It was probably my first ever historical fiction. It also remind me of a dear friend who passed away recently and anytime I see the book on the shelf, it makes me think of her.

9. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett: Recommended by my mom, another read in almost one setting. Totally captivating- couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see what was happening.

10. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou: Read for a college literature ( or writing?) class, this book made me fall in love with memoirs.

 

Gosh, just noticing that with the exception of one, all of these books are by women! I’m sure there are books by men that have stayed with me, but these 10 were the first to come to mind!

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10 Mar 2014

Women’s History Month

March is a favorite month not only because it begins with my birthday and ends with the arrival of springtime, but also because it’s women’s history month. Women’s history has long been one of my interest areas- I earned a certificate in Women in Leadership in undergrad at Franklin Pierce, and have done a lot of research both for personal interest and work on various notable females. Most of the memoirs/biographies I read are about/by women. I thought I’d take the opportunity to share a few historical gals who I’m fascinated by.

Elizabeth Blackwell

I think I first learned of Blackwell via an elementary school biography series of short stories and then did a lot of my own research on her from there. Blackwell was the first American woman to earn a medical degree from an American medical school.

Louisa May Alcott

As my blog subtitle suggests, I’m a huge fan of Little Women. My interest in Alcott was sparked from that book and learning she was from Concord, MA which also happens to be my place of birth. In junior high school I visited Orchard House for the first time and it is definitely one of the places that sparked my interest in historic houses/museums. The Alcott family fascinates me because of how progressive the whole clan was. There are a lot of books written on the family and Louisa in particular, of which I’ve only read a fraction, but they are high on the reading list.

Madeline Albright

I highly recommend her memoir Madam Secretary and also really enjoyed Read My Pins ( though I missed the exhibition!) Sure she’s the first secretary of state, but her life story is really interesting, as well as her diplomacy and thoughts on the world. Also, she’s on Twitter!

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