Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Are you ever just in the mood for some classic dystopian fiction? I read this book ages ago, and decided it was time for a reread. It did not disappoint. I remember liking the book but I didn't remember any details, aside from the main premise, so it was like experiencing the story for the first time. There were so many elements of this book that resonated - how books were devalued, how thinking was devalued, how using your mind or your imagination had been turned into something beneath contempt... I could go on, but you get the idea. What really struck me was how anyone who was different from the "average" or the "norm" was viewed with extreme suspicion at best. I'll avoid spoilers but this is a timeless book and one everyone should read. Recommended. 

The Seed Keeper - Diane Wilson

This was a great book club selection for November. A story about loss and tragedy and how people (and cultures) process these things, seen through a Native American lens, this book is often sad, but at the same time, I think the title is an indication of hope. Seeds are potential, and symbolize so much - growth, new life, sustenance, livelihood, the beginning of things but also the continuation of things. A new start, a new crop, a new era. A new generation. Something living on. Potential. But also, something that can really only thrive under the right conditions, and won't sprout at all if not given what it really needs. 

Enough rambling, obviously this story had a lot to think about, not only about history but about the future. Recommended. 

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

This is a classic that I have read before but it was so long ago I wanted a refresh. Is it a cautionary tale about the danger of only pursuing surface pleasures and worrying about appearances above substance? The title character is certainly selfish and narcissistic, but he definitely gets what is coming to him, even if he takes many people down with him. Much food for thought here.