And now for a pause in the pregnancy and baby talk! We’ll hop back on that train first thing next week, but in the meantime I have more fabulous books to share with you.

For the first few months of 2012, I was absolutely caught up in a series of books by Cynthia Voigt called the “Tillerman Cycle” (alternately called “series” or “saga”). These books are technically young adult literature, but I believe they are literature for all. They have made a huge impression on me. And yes, this is the same author who wrote Jackaroo, but these books couldn’t be more different.

The first book, which won the Newberry prize, is called Homecoming. When I jumped into these books, I vaguely wondered if they were going to be the kind of like the Boxcar children series, since the premise of the first book is similar: a group of 4 siblings (2 girls, 2 boys) making it on their own. In Homecoming, the 4 Tillerman kids are waiting in the car for their mom to return from her shopping trip at the mall. As they wait in the hot parking lot and the hours slip by, they start to wonder what might have happened to her. After spending the night there, they realize they’ve been abandoned. The oldest girl, pre-teen Dicey, hatches a plan to travel to their great aunt’s house, and with only a few dollars to their name, the kids set out walking cross-country on a long journey, struggling to feed themselves along the way for as little money as possible, finding places to sleep where they won’t be bothered or picked up by the police (who–they’re convinced–would send them straight into the foster-care system and split them up). Let me assure you–these books are nothing like the Boxcar children series. Voigt delves deeply into the minds and characters of these kids. Their bravery, their mind-games, their frustrations, thoughts, struggles for control–it’s about the human experience, and how we relate to each other. It’s about love, compromises, determination, hard work, failure.

The following books in the series each center on a character who in some way or another is related to the Tillermans. Dicey’s Song continues the series with a focus on Dicey’s new life on their grandmother’s farm, her foray into school as a bright but sullen loner, her belief that hard work will make everything okay, and her efforts to keep her siblings on track. A Solitary Blue tells the story of Dicey’s friend/boyfriend Jeff, whose mother left him and his father to go save the world, and whose betrayal has left deep scars. The Runner goes back in time to the 60s, telling the story of uncle Bullet’s high school years as a cross-country runner, who went on to die in Vietnam. Come a Stranger focuses on Mina, Dicey’s high school friend, and her struggles and triumphs as an African-American woman who wants to be a dancer in the mostly white world of classical ballet, and her efforts to understand her place in history and as a unique individual. Seventeen Against the Dealer returns to the character of Dicey, now 21 years old and a college drop-out, as she tries to start her own business and become a boat-builder.

Each book is a treasure. Each book is a window into a soul, the story that shaped that soul, and the history of a family you will seriously love.

I only have one book left to read–Sons from Afar–and I can’t wait!

I first read this book for a college course on the 20th century British novel, many years ago. I’ve read it at least 4 more times since then.

Where to even start?

Well, I’ll start with the obvious–I love this book. It gives me the chills. It intrigues, entrances, and enchants me.

The story is this: two academics–the serious, professionally floundering Roland and the detached and haughty Maud–make a discovery. The two Victorian poets that they study appear to have had a secret correspondence which scholars had never guessed at. As they start following the rabbit trail of one unfinished letter, more documents emerge and pieces of the story start falling into place. Gripped by this unfolding story, Roland and Maud start unearthing clues and traveling together, determined to follow this 19th century drama to its conclusion. They travel through England, to a crumbling old estate, to the coast, to France, and finally to a graveyard, driven by that wonderful motivator: plot!

The book is composed of straight-up narrative, old journals by a variety of authors, letters, and the work of these two Victorian poets, Randolph Ash and Christabel LaMotte. The myriad points of view make the story rich and compelling. One of the things that astounds me is how much of a voice these two poets have. It’s a testament to the amazing skills of A.S. Byatt that after reading the novel for the first time, I thought these two poets really existed. I thought Byatt was just reproducing large swaths of their work, but no–she made them up. And then wrote the most beautiful poetry in each of their distinct (and distinctly Victorian) styles.

This book is a romance embedded in a romance, a mystery, and an adventure. There is some sex, but nothing insane. It’s beautifully written, the characters are painfully imperfect and gloriously alive, passionate and creative. Seriously, this book will grip you in the gut and hang on to your heart until the very end. Nab it from your library or on you e-reader! And a cup of Irish breakfast tea (with a little milk and sugar) is the perfect accompaniment to an afternoon immersed in these pages.