Welcome to Throwback Thursday, a weekly meme hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books!
It’s the nature of book blogging to focus mainly on new releases, but there are thousands of great books out there that haven’t seen the “New Releases” shelf in years. We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.
You don’t have to be a book blogger to participate! You can put up a Throwback Thursday post on your non-bookish blog; or if you don’t have a blog at all, just use the comments to tell us about a book you remember fondly.
Here’s how it works:
1. Pick any book released more than 5 years ago. Adult, YA, Children’s; doesn’t matter. Any great book will do.
2. Write up a short summary of the book (include the title, author, and cover art) and an explanation of why you love it. Make sure to link back to The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books in your post.
3. Link up your post at The Housework Can Wait or Never Too Fond of Books.
4. Visit as many blogs as you can, reminisce about books you loved, and discover some “new” books for your TBR list!
Feel free to grab the Throwback Thursday button code from the sidebar to use in your posts.
Thanks for participating, and we look forward to seeing which books you choose to remember!
My Throwback this week is…
The Island by Victoria Hislop
No, this isn’t an explosion-filled action-adventure about strangely attractive clones. (Full disclosure: I kinda love that movie).
The Island is follows the story of 25-year-old Alexis, who travels to Crete to learn about her past and figure out what she should do about her own angst-filled life. While there, she learns the story of her great grandmother, Eleni, who was sent to the leper colony of Spinalonga in the 1930s, and of her grandmother and great-aunt, Anna and Maria, the daughters Eleni left behind. The bulk of the story actually follows Eleni, Anna, and Maria, with Alexis’ story bookending theirs.
I enjoyed this book, and while it is fictional, I found it rather eye-opening. I haven’t come across a lot of books about leprosy (granted, I haven’t been looking), and reading about the colony, how its inhabitants functioned, and how the disease progressed were really interesting. There isn’t a lot of action or mystery or suspense in this book; it’s quiet and introspective, a romantic and occasionally melodramatic story. It uses Nazis and World War II as more of a backdrop than a focal point, and most of the drama and conflict is contained within Crete and Spinalonga. But it was a quick and simple read, which got me interested in a subject I didn’t think I’d ever want to read about.
This is a blog hop! Link up your Throwback Thursday post below!
I’ve not heard of the movie. But the book sound like it could be really good. I had to add it to my TBR list. Thanks for the great share I love learning about new books.
Mandy @ The Reading Diaries recently posted..Throwback Thursday!
To be clear, the movie has NOTHING to do with the book. They just share a title. Movie is a Michael Bay explosion-fest, and the plot is “what if Never Let Me Go was an action movie, with lots of guns and running and leather, and a happy ending?” But I still really like it, for some reason.
And of course, I like the book. Not every day you come across a good leprosy novel.
I’d be interested in reading this. There’s colony here in my state (Hawaii) and I’ve always wanted to learn a bit more about them. Maybe through this book I’d be able to. Maybe. Then again maybe I should just look for books written about Kalaupapa!
Opal recently posted..Throwback Thursday (14)
Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever read anything that included leprosy either, though it’s an interesting subject, (Ooo, my city’s digital library has it. Score!)
The movie-that-has-nothing-to-do-with-this-book is underrated. It’s set above most Michael Bay fare by having a really good cast.
Katherine recently posted..Throwback Thursday (10/04/12)
Score indeed! Let me know what you think!
I have a weird affinity for Michael Bay movies. Something in me just really craves the massive explosions and crazy action. Try as I might to develop better taste, I can’t help but love The Rock, Armageddon, and Transformers. But The Island is my favorite of his.
Also, if you ever get the chance, listen to the director’s commentary on The Island. It’s hilarious. Michael Bay blames literally everyone to have ever come in contact with the movie, including the art department and costume designers, for the film having flopped. Everyone except himself. It’s kind of amazing.
TheHouseworkCanWait recently posted..Review: Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr (@harperteen)