Welcome to Why I Love Wednesdays! For the month of June and July, my blogging friends will pop in to share their book loves! I know you get tired of hearing me gush on and on so let's hear from my fellow gushers :) Why I love which takes place on Wednesdays. Today's proclamation of love concerns our Favorite Authors!
One of my favorite authors is Suzanne Collins. I adore her. I love the way she crafted The Hunger Games into more than just another book about a girl and a boy. I love that she based Katniss on Theseus, and give her a personality and drive that makes her such a strong character. Without overdoing it, she placed messages and warnings to be found in the series; things that apply to our society today. And--as if trying to exemplify the message of the series--she has stayed out of the public’s eye, for the most part, and hasn’t relished in the fame that her books (and movies) have brought her. Some call it reclusive; I call it classy. Suzanne Collins rocks!
~Penelope from The Reading Fever
How long have you been blogging? For 5 years, but The Reading Fever is only 16 months old
Primary genre focus: Young Adult, with some MG and adult fiction mixed in.
My name is Penelope, and I’m the blogger behind The Reading Fever. I love to read books that make me feel something, whether it be anger, sadness, love, etc.. I call these fever inducers, because they give me the reading fever. Hence, the name of my blog. ;)
It is my absolute pleasure to be visiting Reflections of a Bookaholic today to discuss one of my all time favorite authors. As a book blogger I am frequently asked about my favorite author. I have many favorite authors who all hold a place in my heart for very different reasons. I have my favorites in both modern literature and classic literature, but today I would like to share with you the beloved Charlotte Perkins Gilman. She is not as well known as some of the others who are my favorite and there is a lot to be learned from her work.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman is most known for her short story, The Yellow Wallpaper, which is a series of journal entries that are written in first person by the narrator. The premise is a nameless woman's decent into psychosis in a room where she is locked in with her thoughts. It deals with women's suppression, and the mistreatment of a woman by her husband. It is up to the reader to decide whether the husband acts out of concern or from malice. The end is a sad, but feminist triumph of sorts.
Charlote Perkins Gilman wrote The Yellow Wallpaper after a bout with postpartum psychosis and is semi-autobiographic.
The Yellow Paper is a part of the public domain so copies are available in multiple eBook formats, free of charge. It is listed in the 2006 edition of 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die.
Contributing to Charlotte Perkins Gilman's unique writing style is her place in history as an American socialist, feminist, and lecturer of social reform. Each work, no matter how short, is filled with higher meaning. Her work is capable of lending many precious discussion opportunities for those who choose to read her work as a group.
One of my favorite quotes from Charlotte Perkins Gilman must have been written when she was in a period where her frame of mind was healthier than it was at other times.
"The first duty of a human being is to assume the right functional relationship to society--more briefly, to find your real job, and do it."Gilman was born on July 3, 1860 and died on August 17, 1935 by suicide. In her suicide letter she wrote, "When all usefulness is over, when one is assured of an unavoidable and imminent death, it is the simplest of human rights to choose a quick and easy death in place of a slow and horrible one", a sad outlook to be sure. It appears that Gilman suffered greatly from her own thoughts.
Works by Charlotte Perkins Gilman: Gilman published 186 short stories in newspapers, magazines and in her own, self-published monthly publication, The Forerunner, as well as several book length works, lectures, poetry, and her autobiography, The Living of Charlotte Perkins Gilman. A fill list of her work can be found on Wikipedia here. I hope that I have given you enough to peak your curiosity and you will take the time to experience the work of Charlotte Perkins Gilman for yourself. Enjoy!
~Stephanie is the blogger behind Five Alarm Book Reviews.
She has worked in the area of publication and has been reviewing books for local media for a number of years. Stephanie has been blogging at Five Alarm Book Reviews for a little more than a year. Favorite genres are historical fiction, classics, literary fiction and mysteries. Her blog is multi-genre, MG through adult. The features that she most enjoys writing are At Home With..., her feature that brings the reader into the personal life and home of various authors, and Shelf Candy, her feature that highlights a favorite book cover with emphasis on the designer, illustrator or photographer. Thank you Penelope and Steph for sharing your favorite authors with us. I absolutely love Suzanne Collins too! I definitely think it is difficult to do what she did and the trilogy was so much more than a story about a girl and a boy. I didn't know much about Charlotte Perkins Gilman before your post. I'm definitely going to check out her writing, especially since it is free! Thanks Ladies!!
Which authors do you love? Feel free to create your own post and link up. Don't want to create an entire post? Tell me your favorites in the comments. Thanks for stopping by for another week of Why I Love Wednesdays!!
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