Today is Barbara Kingsolver's birthday. She was born in 1955 and is one of my top three favorite authors, along with Toni Morrison and Margaret Atwood. I have read all of her novels, in this order:
The Bean Trees: Read in 1999. I had never heard of her but picked this up on a whim. I felt like she knew my life when I read it. I became a fan for life.
The Poisonwood Bible: Read in 2000. Of course, now that I knew her name, how could I have missed this? EVERYONE was talking about it and no wonder. It is a classic, a masterpiece, and even my husband read it last month and was blown away.
Animal Dreams: Read later in 2000. I probably need to read it again because I think it went over my head. Anyway, not my favorite of hers.
Pigs in Heaven: Read in 2001. It is a sequel to The Bean Trees; she gets a bit more political as she was obviously destined to be.
Prodigal Summer: Also read in 2001. If you are female and do not enjoy this book, we might not be able to be friends.
Then came her non-fiction and I confess I skipped it. Though I did read one or two of her essays in Small Wonder which made me realize she can write about anything and be wonderful.
The Lacuna: After making me wait for nine years, I read it before it was released in 2009, because I got to review it for BookBrowse. I believe she surpassed even The Poisonwood Bible with this one.
Which ones have you read? Which is your most loved?
GOOD NEWS: She has a new novel coming out in November of this year: Flight Behavior. I cannot wait. What a great reading year 2012 is turning out to be. Toni Morrison has a new novel coming out in May: Home.
The Bean Trees: Read in 1999. I had never heard of her but picked this up on a whim. I felt like she knew my life when I read it. I became a fan for life.
The Poisonwood Bible: Read in 2000. Of course, now that I knew her name, how could I have missed this? EVERYONE was talking about it and no wonder. It is a classic, a masterpiece, and even my husband read it last month and was blown away.
Animal Dreams: Read later in 2000. I probably need to read it again because I think it went over my head. Anyway, not my favorite of hers.
Pigs in Heaven: Read in 2001. It is a sequel to The Bean Trees; she gets a bit more political as she was obviously destined to be.
Prodigal Summer: Also read in 2001. If you are female and do not enjoy this book, we might not be able to be friends.
Then came her non-fiction and I confess I skipped it. Though I did read one or two of her essays in Small Wonder which made me realize she can write about anything and be wonderful.
The Lacuna: After making me wait for nine years, I read it before it was released in 2009, because I got to review it for BookBrowse. I believe she surpassed even The Poisonwood Bible with this one.
Which ones have you read? Which is your most loved?
GOOD NEWS: She has a new novel coming out in November of this year: Flight Behavior. I cannot wait. What a great reading year 2012 is turning out to be. Toni Morrison has a new novel coming out in May: Home.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARBARA KINGSOLVER!
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