The Godfather, by Mario Puzo

Courtesy of Google

This is not a book for children.  Depending on the person, it might not even be a teenager’s cup of tea.  Having finished it a few weeks ago, I honestly do not know if I would have appreciated it as a teenager the way I do now.  As time has passed, I hesitate before I assign age ranges to books I read.  There are obviously books that should not be given to young people to read, and this is one of them.  But I would say an emotionally mature 15-year old could read and enjoy The Godfather. 

This story is not just about the Mafia as an organization, but about the men who are part of it.  The main characters are very complex, and the reader can see how they tread the line between what we believe to be good and evil.  On the one hand, we have these men who simply want to get by on life on their own terms: they’re quite entrepreneurial.  They also strongly value family and family life; their wives and children live comfortably and well.  On the other hand, their business practices are brutal and cold-blooded.  They do negotiate and to an extent are even reasonable, but fear is a weapon they wield with great skill and authority.   They have incredible power and connections: their footholds in various circles, whether they’re political, professional, or the general public, put an interesting spin on the importance of what we call “networking” today. 

It’s a fast-paced read that will keep a curious reader engaged from the start.  It’s a thriller, a romance, and a drama, and thought-provoking in every way.  It’s about human beings, their imperfections, and their triumphs.  If you’re in the mood to read about the mob, I recommend this one.

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte & Jane, by April Lindner

Okay, here is the deal: read the original Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte first before you read April Lindner’s re-imagining of the story.  I first read Jane Eyre when I was 12 years old, and I LOVED it.  It was one of those days when I was done with all my library books and needed something new to read, and had to raid my mom’s and dad’s bookcase.  I did not have any problems understanding the language or the plot, and when I read it again a few years later for English class, I understood what was going on even better the second time.  I loved it!  In my mind, it's one of the greatest love stories ever told.  Jane by April Linder takes place in the 20^th century and substitutes a rock star for Mr. Rochester (appropriate, I think, since the original Mr. Rochester is a VIP in his own right) and is pretty much the same story, but for a teenage audience (15 and up).  It’s still a fun book, though, and what I would call a “beach read”.  

The Enchanted Wood, by Enid Blyton

This is the first Enid Blyton book I have read, and I received this book as a gift from a very special friend of mine.  Given these facts, I will alert you to the more-likely-than-not probability that this book is not available in the United States.  You may be able to find it at the library, but you will most likely have to get The Enchanted Wood from Canada, India, or the United Kingdom (try their respective Amazon sites, or better yet, try Alibris and Abebooks online, both of which specialize in rare, hard-to-find books).  

Remember those classic books you read as a child, like Half Magic, Mary Poppins, and Gone-Away Lake?   This book reminds me of all of those and brought me back to those days of reading truly delightful and innocent stories by the bundle.  Joe, Beth, and Frannie have moved to the country with their parents.  It is summertime and they spend their days doing their house chores and exploring the surrounding countryside.  There they discover the Enchanted Wood, the Faraway Tree, and the folk that live there.  The Faraway Tree is especially exciting because every week or so, if you climb all the way to the top, a different land is there above the clouds (e.g. Birthday Land and the Land of Take-What-You-Want, among other whimsically named lands straight out of my childhood daydreams).  If you know a child (or an adult!) who wants to read a fantasy where nothing scary happens and everything is wonderfully magical, I sincerely recommend Enid Blyton.  As far as I know, a fraction of Blyton’s books are available in the United States, and I usually find them in independent or used bookstores.  As I mentioned before, though, consumers can acquire them via online means (also try independent bookstores’ online storefronts).