everything...by cara-mia

today is the last installment in my "everything" series, and i'm so happy to usher it out with this fine lady. cara-mia found her lasting inspiration deep in the heart of words and literature:

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Ever since I learned how to read, I have been an avid reader. I was definitely one of those bookish children that preferred reading over many an activity. Going to the school library was the highlight of my week. Classic books were my favorites, and I feel that is what I learned from the most. (It should come as no surprise then that I majored in English.) Here are just a few lessons I picked up from those beloved books at different stages of life.

This is the very first book series I can remember getting into as a child. (Yes, even before the days of Goosebumps.) I have always had an obsession with red hair, and Nancy was lucky enough to be a red head. She also drove a convertible and solved mysteries, which was so glamorous to me. As if that wasn’t enough, she also had a gorgeous and older boyfriend, Ned Nickerson. More than that, though, Ned seemed very supportive and protective of Nancy, which appealed to me the most about him. Having support from a partner is extremely important.

 A series I truly loved in middle school. (So much so, that I wrote a letter to Madeleine L’Engle. She sent back a general typed letter that she sent to fans, but wrote a personal note to me in the margin. It meant so much to me and I treasure that letter.) I could definitely relate to Meg and how awkward she felt compared to everyone else. Junior high is such an awkward time in general, so I'm sure many kids that age can relate to this. In the story Meg learns to appreciate what makes her different, which everyone should do. 

I almost do not like saying this is my favorite novel because it seems like a cliché. Don’t most people cite this as their favorite novel? Even so, it is indeed my favorite, and it is also the book that sparked my Fitzgerald and 1920’s obsessions. A close friend of mine once said I favor tragedies. This might be true, but there is much to be learned in tragedies about the human condition.  

My second favorite novel. I first read this when I started college (over seven years ago), and I recently reread it. It is an amazing novel with three plots: the story of a man named Adam and his two sons, John Steinbeck’s family history, and the Bible story about Cain and Abel. Since there are three plot lines, there is so much in here to think about, but perhaps the main theme is that of good versus evil and our free will in regards to that. Although I went to Catholic school, I must admit I never gave much thought to the Cain and Abel story – it turns out I didn’t even know the whole story. I thought it was just about a man that killed his brother and was banished. There is more to it than that, and this book explores that idea in a fascinating way. The central message is that man has the choice to rule over sin, which is not only important to the characters in the novel, but to humanity in general.

Thank you for letting me ramble a bit about some of my favorite novels. When I was in college we had an anthology called Literature: The Human Experience. This is how I have come to see literature and why I feel there is much to be learned in novels although they are fiction. I would love to hear anything you may have learned from literature! 

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thank you, cara-mia! be sure to check out her blog here.

we're over halfway done with our new england road trip. i've missed you guys! can't wait to share our travels with you on monday!