5 books that shaped Shannan Archives

Their Eyes Were Watching God

by Zora Neale Hurston

A sweeping novel set in 1920s southern Florida following Janie Crawford as she experiences love and loss and comes of age. Known as Hurston's best work, this story about expectations, marriage, and surprising romance is richly atmospheric. It’s a classic for a reason, with a main character you'll never forget. In fact, echoes of Janie Crawford can be seen in contemporary literature, like Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward. This is a book that numerous readers have considered to be even better on audio, as narrated by Ruby Dee, as they then can fully experience Hurston's talent for writing dialect.

Little Pilgrim’s Progress: From John Bunyan’s Classic

by Helen L. Taylor

Shannan says: "My all-time childhood favorite is a children’s adaptation of Bunyan’s classic Pilgrim’s Progress where the protagonists are approximately 12-15 years old. This was one of the only works of fiction I was allowed to read because it was an allegory. Anne pointed out this book probably contributed to my love of gentle fantasy; there are giants, and knights, and a great dragon. Part 2, my favorite part, is the lesser known story of Christian’s close friend Christina and her pilgrimage with her little brothers and sisters. She needs help. Enter Greatheart, a young knight who is so brave and strong and kind that my 12-year-old self fell head-over-heels in love with him. He was my first literary crush."

Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison

by Lois Lenski

Shannan says: "I checked this out from the children’s nonfiction section of my local library multiple times. It is about a young white girl who was taken captive by the Senecas during the French and Indian War. It read like fiction; an engaging page-turner even on my third and seventh readings. Originally published in 1941, author and illustrator Lenski dedicated herself to bringing different experiences into American consciousness. During her acceptance speech for the Newbery award in 1946, she said, “We need to know [...] people different from ourselves–people of different races, faiths, cultures and backgrounds…When we know them, understand how they live and why, we will think of them as ‘people–human beings like ourselves.” She did that for me in Indian Captive, for there was a humanity that was not in any of the other works that I had read about Indigenous peoples. At age 10, she began my awareness of an author’s responsibility when portraying minority groups. It planted the seed that we can learn from those different from ourselves, if we choose to."

Personality Plus: How to Understand Others by Understanding Yourself

by Florence Littauer

Shannan says: "This one opened the door to a whole world of personality and the tests and measurements that exist to help us understand ourselves. I read it in my early to mid teens. Littauer used the basis of the four humors of the ancient Greeks: sanguine, choleric, melancholy and phlegmatic to divide the population. I was not surprised to learn that I was, and still am, a “Perfect Melancholy”. This book began my getting to know and making sense of myself. And it set me down a path of self-awareness I haven’t gotten off of yet."

The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent A Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun

by Gretchen Rubin

THP is great summer reading because while it’s not difficult, it’s thought-provoking and a lot of fun. It’s also perfect for summer because it’s very easy to read in short chunks (by the pool, on the deck, in the coffee shop).

5 books that shaped Shannan

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Little Pilgrim’s Progress: From John Bunyan’s Classic

Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison

Personality Plus: How to Understand Others by Understanding Yourself

The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent A Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun

a gateway

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summer reading starts May 16th