8littlebookshelves

Some might know the novel from school, as a set book, some, being a book worm, might know it simply because they love reading: Either way, To Kill a Mockingbird is a world-famous work of literature. But what makes it so special?   The Story The book was published in 1960 – that’s 64 years from today. And yet, it is still as popular and well-read as ever. One reason for this is that addresses universal topics. So, what is To Kill a Mockingbird about? The story is set in a town in Alabama in the early-mid 1930s, amidst the difficult times of the Great Depression. Jean Lousie Finch is the main character, through whose eyes we experience the unfolding of events. She is six years old and lives with her father, a lawyer, and her older brother. Jean hears of a new client her father is appointed to defend: Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a young white woman, a man, who’s left arm is left useless and crippled after an accident. It becomes apparent that, through th...

    Going on a journey? Maybe just a short vacation or maybe a long, soul searching adventure to a very foreign place? Still looking for a book to take along? Well, here are my 3 top recommendations for great reads to pack into your suitcase or backpack ... 1. The Midnight Raven by Orson Moore This book might still be unknown to a lot of readers. I've stumbled upon it through a friend's recommendation, and I am truly happy about this hot tip. I love The Midnight Raven because it combines so many different themes and aspects. I don't really know what genre to put it into, perhaps magic realism with elements of historic fiction. It is also a story of adventure and coming-of-age. It has some small elements of the fantastic, of magic and unnatural creatures. Then it's so personal and has these trains of thoughts, this insights into the main character's mind, his pondering, his qualms, his questions. But first of, what is it about? Well, it is set in a kind of Middle A...

  Ever heard of magic realism? Curious about what it is? Let me give you a short introduction and tell you about my favorite books within this genre. What is magic realism? This form of art - in its wider sense, meaning visual arts, literature, and so on - represents the fusion of actual reality (tangible, visible, rational) and magical reality (hallucinations, dreams). It is a "third reality," a synthesis of the familiar realities to us. The transition to surrealism, another category, is fluid. It is mainly a genre in literature and in paintings or at least more known as such. It evolved during the 1920s mainly in Europe and America. In the late 1940s it became a major literary movement in Latin America. Magic realism in literature is closely related to the 3 genres of social realism, fantasy and surrealism. Some see it as a subcategory of fantasy.    Famous authors   Well-known writers of magic realism include Isabel Allende, Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel García Má...