Weekly Geeks – Decades

So today’s Weekly Geeks is about examining a book (or books) which were published in your birth decade. Tell us about a book that came out in the decade you were born which you either loved or hated. Is it relevant to today? Is it a classic, or could it be? Give us a mini-review, or start a discussion about the book or books.

I have to admit then when I started thinking about books from the 90s I had no idea where to start. I know I’ve read a lot of Nora Roberts books published in the 90s, but aside from that I never paid much attention. So, I did what I had to do – I googled. I came up with a few good books.

First and foremost I need to say that I have not completed this book. The Things They Carried is a collection of stories published in 1990 by veteran Tim O’Brien where he meditates on the war and the effect it has on the soldiers and families. Those most affected by it. The parts of this book that I have read have touched me. The reason this hits so close to home for me is because I’ve gone through deployments with my dad. It’s not an easy process and the effects of waging war not only effect the men and women on those front lines, but also the men, women, and children those soldiers leave back at home. The Things They Carried gets you thinking  about all different kinds of things and reflecting on what you’ve got.

The Giver is a book I had originally read in middle school. At the time I did not like it. I never liked book I had to read for school because honestly, school reading usually sucks the fun right out of it. But when I go back to The Giver, when I take a good minute to think about the book, it really is a great book. The main character Jonas goes through so much. It’s great to see someone who’s really just a kid learn to take on a whole manner of things that no one else will ever know. It’s got a strong kid which makes it a good book for other kids to learn from.

Speak is a novel about a young girl going into high school who experiences something that threatens to shatter her. She doesn’t want anyone to know what happened so she keeps to herself. I really absolutely love this story because it speaks of something true. Something that sadly happens on such a regular basis. The abuse and assault young girls and even boys face, whether its an attempt or something that happens over a period of time, is a problem that we have tried to deal with, but it won’t just go away, unfortunately. Melinda, the main character of the book tries to stay strong for herself, she doesn’t want anyone to know what happen and that is another problem that we see all to often in real life – girls and women don’t want help, they don’t want anyone else to know. It’s all so true which is why it breaks my heart.

There are so many other books that I found from the 90s that I could talk about. I didn’t realize how many of them I had read and really thought something of. But these three books are the first that stood out to me when I did my googling. Each of them left something that stuck with me (yes, even a book I haven’t completed can leave me with a great impression).

What books are there from your decade of birth that have made a lasting impression on you?