What is West Reading? December Edition

As the holidays quickly approach, it’s time to start thinking about the season of giving. Do you have a reader in your life, but aren’t sure what book to give them? Here are some books that would make perfect gifts.

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro is an expansive fantasy novel that tracks the journey of an elderly couple, two warriors, and a young boy. The main characters Axl and Beatrice set off on a long journey to find their estranged son after realizing the mysterious fog that had taken over their land was making them forget things. On their voyage, they come across many characters, some join their group, some aid them, and some make the journey perilous. If you’re a fan of fantasy books like The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, or of works that use Old English like Shakespeare and Beowulf, I highly recommend checking out The Buried Giant. Kazuo Ishiguro is a highly awarded author and personally, my favorite. He’s written many critically acclaimed books such as The Remains of the Day, Klara and the Sun, and Never Let Me Go. The Buried Giant even won the Nobel Prize in Literature!

Next, I’d like to recommend The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher, a thrilling horror novel about a strange world under the blanket of reality. Kara, who lives with her uncle in his museum of wonders post-divorce, uncovers a hole in the wall that leads her somewhere sinister. The Hollow Places is a masterpiece when it comes to the subtle buildup of horror. It manages to get the hairs on the back of your neck standing up in just a few simple sentences. Kingfisher writes the main character Kara and her companion Simon as both hilarious and relatable, even when faced with terrifying circumstances. If you read The Hollow Places and find yourself loving the writing style, T. Kingfisher is a prolific horror author, with many popular titles such as Nettle and Bone, The Twisted Ones, What Moves the Dead, and its sequel What Feasts at Night.

IB English teacher Mrs. LaManna suggests Horse by Geraldine Brooks. A novel told from multiple points of view throughout American history spanning from Civil War times to the present, Horse explores themes of art and racism in America while chronicling a story about the fascination of an award-winning horse. “I really enjoyed it,” said Mrs. LaManna when asked about how she liked the book. She says her favorite aspect of the novel is the way Brooks writes multiple perspectives throughout the story. She also noted how it’s interesting that Brooks’ novels often have a face-value topic, but delve into much deeper themes. Mrs. LaManna mentioned some of Geraldine Brooks’ other novels, specifically Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague, which serves as an interesting read in a post-pandemic world.