Book Reviews

We love to hear from you about recent books you have read and can recommend to others. Listed below are comments from other readers stating what their favorite book is and why. If you have a favorite book and would like to share why you like it so much, please email us at amanda@mainstbooksmonroe.com and tell us about it. We may post it on our website!

I first read Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960, the year it was published. I was 13. Scout taught me about bravery and honor, compassion and curiosity. From Atticus, I learned kindness, loyalty, and the imperative to uphold which is right, despite what others may think. I have read Mockingbird every summer since then and have gone through four copies. This summer I will read copy number five and fall in love all over again.
-Carol Lyons, Neenah, Wisconsin

I first read On the Road by Jack Kerouac, as a junior in college. The book gave me the travel bug, and I signed up for a term abroad in Brisbane, Australia. It was there that I really discovered who I was and what I was capable of accomplishing, being thousands of miles from home. I tried new things and experienced a different culter. Now, whenever I am stuck in the rat race, I read the book and remind myself that there is a whole world out there to explore.
-Sophia Tashkovski, Charlestown, Massachusetts

Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God resonates on many levels and speaks directly to a woman's soul. One of the early chapters opens with "There are years that ask questions and years that answer." This is especially comforting in times of duress. Each and every word in this book is a gem.
-Michelle Klein, Spokane, Washington

Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, takes me to a place that is so different from my world. I can feel Elizabeth's struggle to be opinionated in a society where women weren't allowed to have opinions. I can even feel the tight corsets and cumbersome petticoats. The book always gives me a fresh perspective on today's world and how far women have come.
-Holly Emig, Edmond, Oklahoma

Truman Capote's The Grass Harp is a rhythmical piece that touches on all our senses. His writing captures our fears and shows us that there is support, wisdom, and courage to be found where we least expect it.
-Deborah O'Donnell, Riverton, New Jersey

Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead got me to think in ways no other book has. Her particular brand of philosophy, objectivism, questions the way we celebrate mediocrity in our culture. At the same time, we tend to disapprove of anyone who chooses to pursue his own self-interest. When reading her book, you realize how crazy that is.
-Sheree Young, Bucyrus, Ohio

Five years ago my best friend introduced me to Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris, and it has been my favorite book ever since. We read the stories out loud to each other until we cry. I have three copies and lend them to anyone who has not experienced the genius of Mr. Sedaris. It's the funniest book I have ever read - just thinking about the hilarious stories makes me smile.
-Erin Conklin, Linden, Michigan

*All comments are courtesy Real Simple magazine, June 2006 issue.