Summer Reads

The Summer Reads series includes books recommended by students, staff and faculty from Avonworth Middle and High Schools. This week we feature Incantation, recommended by Dr. Varley, Curriculum Director for the Avonworth School District, and The Simarillion, recommended by Beth Benner, an Avonworth graduate (class of 2015).

Incantation by Alice Hoffman

Often when we think of anti-semitism we think of the Holocaust and the modern era, but discrimination against Jews has happened throughout history. Incantation is set in Spain in the 1500's, and focuses on the DeMadrigal family and their daughter Estrella. Estrella and her family are Marrano - Jews who refused conversion and practice their faith secretly. The secret is so well-guarded that even Estrella doesn't know the truth about her heritage and her family. The unraveling of this secret causes unimaginable consequences for Estrella and her family. She learns of the true nature of her family, her best friend Catalina, and the boy she loves in this beautifully written tale.

Thanks to Dr. Varley for recommending this book!

The Simarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

After writing The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien's publisher requested a sequel. Now, before you say "well, yes this is how we ended up with The Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson and a global appreciation for the staggering beauty of New Zealand, " you should consider that LOTR (as devotees call it) is the OTHER sequel - the one Tolkien wrote because his first attempt was rejected without being read. The Simarillion is the original first attempt.

The Simarillion was ambitious. Tolkien wanted to "set the stage" for The Hobbit, so he wrote the mythology of the world where Bilbo and the rest lived. The book has five parts: a creation myth of Ea, a description of the supernatural powers of Ea, the prehistory and early history of Ea, the Downfall of Numenor and "Of Rings and Power in the Third Age", which directly sets the stage for the events in The Lord of the Rings. 

If you are a Tolkien fan, or enjoyed the movie versions of his novels, The Simarillion could be for you. Be warned, however; critics panned this when it was first published for lacking "a single, unifying quest" and for being "too Celtic" (since Tolkien wrote this intending it to be an mythology that provided the basis for English culture).

Thanks to Beth Benner for recommending this book!