A Timeless "Mockingbird"

After re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird as an adult, I find the essence of the story powerful and Scout's narrative in turns worldly-wise and innocent. As she witnesses the ways of the world in Maycomb, Atticus's guidance and wisdom steer both Scout and Jem toward a deeper understanding and an empahty toward others.

With the novel To Kill a Mockingbird celebrating its 50th anniversary, are its themes of tolerance and justice still relevant? What events in our recent decade can you tie to these themes? Can you envision a modern-day Scout experiencing similar prejudices in our more current time? Please explain your thoughts.

This novel, in my opinion, is worthy of the accolades and the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. In fact, TKAM was voted the best American novel of the 20th century by librarians. For all its layers and characters and lasting resonance, I can see why!

"Fall" into Books

Now that school is fully in swing, you may be reading an assigned book for a class (Frankenstein, e.g.) or be reading something interesting just for the shear pleasure of it. The AI Book Club read the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire. The next book is To Kill a Mockingbird, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Many consider this to be one of the greatest American novels.

Here are some items for your comments:

1. What books have kept you glued and fascinated, racing to the end but yet dreading the end of such a wonderful story with compelling characters? Share your story about a book you couldn't put down.

For me, it was Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove. Set in Texas in the late 1800s, this epic novel follows a cattle drive from Texas to Montana. The characters and the events in the novel are unforgettable. From Gus McCrea to to Woodrow Call to Lorena Wood to Blue Duck, the characters are distinct and unorgettable, with lively dialogue and fascinating situations.