Rochelle Weinstein: Looking Back Reads January 2022

Welcome 2022!

I hope you enjoyed your holiday surrounded by those you love…with lots of books! For many, the new year is a time for making resolutions and goals. For me, it’s a time for looking back and reflecting on where I’ve been (which ultimately gets me to where I’m going). In that vein, I’m sharing my “looking back” round up—the books that shaped me, affected me, and are a huge part of my growth. These are the books that take me back to childhood, remind me of simpler days, the innocence of youth before cell phones, social media and Netflix, and reading for the sake of pleasure, not because of a list. I wonder if I read these titles today if I’d feel the same way—given the distractions of the 21st century and the volume of books in the marketplace—but every one of these gems contributed to my love of reading and my dream of becoming a writer.

What book has framed your childhood? Brought you back to youth and innocence? Shaped you? 

 

Forever, Judy Blume

What can I say that hasn’t already been said a million times? Blume, along with Sheldon and Steele, raised me. Living with a single, working mother—four of us kids only seven years apart—provided a bustling home of noise, chaos and quite a few hormones. Reading was my escape, I dreamed about what ifs, a safe space, an alternative, sensory education. It was in this book that I learned about first love, and, let’s just call it what it is—sex. First published in 1975, Forever tells the story of Katherine and Michael, teens managing developing feelings, ultimately giving up their virginity. No other book has tackled virginity quite like Blume—tender, authentic, pure—and it is for these same reasons I return to the pages, return to my youth (and to Ralph, the nickname for Michael’s, well, you know) remembering a time when this rite of passage was deemed a life-changing experience. Order here.

The Pact, Jodi Picoult

The Pact was my first Jodi Picoult read, and I devoured it in one sitting. Two families face every parent’s worst fear as a daughter lies dead and her boyfriend is charged with murder. The novel is a glimpse into Picoult’s brimming talent—a thought-provoking read with heartrending emotions and flawed characters—but for me, her absolute best work ever. Order here.   

Flowers in the Attic, V.C. Andrews

Imagine a young girl hiding under the covers while her older sister slept in the bed beside her. This young girl is reading a book by flashlight, quickly turning the pages because the story is both strangely dark and riveting. That was me; the book was the fantasy thriller Flowers in the Attic. Locked in an attic to ensure an inheritance, the four Dollanganger children must cope with a sinister grandmother and a mother who has forgotten they exist. If you can suspend your disbelief and some distrubing themes and tropes, you’ll find the children’s survival one of love and faith.

Order here.

Kane & Abel, Jeffrey Archer

Spanning generations, fueled by hatred and an intrinsic bond, two men born on the same day from entirely different backgrounds, fight for power and control, all while sharing the same passion, drive, and heart. Order here.

A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving 

Who doesn’t still think about Owen Meany, the diminutive young boy with the distinct voice? But Owen is so much more than his size or shrill sound. Taken from Amazon, because I can’t describe it more eloquently, this is one of those stories that must be read to experience the magic: In the summer of 1953, two eleven-year-old boys—best friends—are playing in a Little League baseball game in Gravesend, New Hampshire. One of the boys hits a foul ball that kills the other boy’s mother. The boy who hits the ball doesn’t believe in accidents; Owen Meany believes he is God’s instrument. What happens to Owen after that 1953 foul ball is extraordinary. Order here.

A Separate Peace, John Knowles

I first became acquainted with Knowles’ novel through a high school reading assignment, though unlike some of the other classics, I was immediately drawn into this coming-of-age tale. Boarding school roommates Gene (the academic) and Finn (the athlete) struggle with the complexities of war, along with the festering feelings of rivalry and jealousy. When Gene returns to the campus fifteen years later, he must face the evil that lurked within and how his unbridled emotions led to the ultimate betrayal. What I love the most about this book is the timelessness, the willingness to look inward, to hold the proverbial mirror and draw on an experience while asking for forgiveness. There’s so much here for any one of us to learn from—if you’re willing. Order here. 

The Other Side of Midnight, Sidney Sheldon

Choosing just one Sheldon novel was no easy task. This was a toss up between Master of the Game, though all of Sheldon’s books remind me of why I first fell in love with reading. We didn’t travel much as small children, so to be swept away to DC, Paris, and Greece with a cast of colorful characters brought together in a game of vengeance and betrayal, was a no brainer. If you’ve never read Sheldon, he writes of love and lust and thrilling suspense, making his novels unputtdownable. Order here.

Remembrance, Danielle Steele

Say what you want about Danielle Steele, but I don’t know an author who wouldn’t want her success or readership. Remembrance spans two generations, through war torn Italy and the glamorous Manhattan modeling world with a courageous woman who beats the odds despite the pitiful hand she’s been dealt. Steele writes with passion and authenticity, always exploring the many depths of family. In my humble opinion, Steele is the pioneer of escapist literature. She was the salve for much of my childhood frustration and yearning. Order here.  

A Season in Purgatory, Dominick Dunne

I’ve always been fascinated by Dunne’s work. From Vanity Fair to his numerous novels, I’ve admired how he captures the glamorous side of Hollywood and politics, as well as their dark underbelly. Merging true crime with Gatsby-esque like settings, Dunne’s writing pulls me in every time. A Season in Purgatory fictionalizes the Martha Moxley murder, and how one powerful family uses their wealth and influence to skirt justice. Suspenseful and perfectly-written. Order here. 

Love Story, Erich Segal

Simply put, this is true love and heartbreaking loss. Grab the tissues.

Order here.

There are several common threads at play here: love in its many forms, family bonds, finding forgiveness, surviving loss and betrayal, and I’ve woven many of these themes into my novels and through my own life. There’s so much to learn when we understand our past. But now to move forward. My goals for 2022 include completing book seven What You Do To Me (the story behind a famous love song as revealed by a Rolling Stone reporter), to focus on the positive rather than the negative (which I tend to do more often than I care to admit), and to laugh more often. Life’s too short not to smile.

Enjoy these amazing reads and Happy EVERYTHING!

Rochelle

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Rochelle B. Weinstein is the USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of six women’s fiction novels. Rochelle spent her early years, always with a book in hand, raised by the likes of Sidney Sheldon and Judy Blume. A former entertainment industry executive, she splits her time between sunny South Florida and the mountains of North Carolina. When she’s not writing, Rochelle can be found hiking, reading, and searching for the world’s best nachos. She is currently working on her seventh novel. Please visit her on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or subscribe to her newsletter at www.rochelleweinstein.com.

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing