These are a few of my favorite things
Any good bibliophile understands that your favorite books say something about you. So as a (somewhat belated) introduction to myself, I want to talk about some of my favorite books. Some of these really touched me and some kept me up all night, but all of them make me who I am.
1. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig.
I remember this like it was yesterday. I had this little set that was the book and an audio book that had this lovely little tune that played over it, so ephemeral and magical. I now know that it was Camille Saint-Saens "The Aquarium." It added such a lovely quality to the reading experience. The story itself is about being careful about what you do or say because you have to face the consequences. I wish I knew where to find this original set because this is one of the best memories of my childhood.
2. The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss.
Oh, those Star-Bellied Sneetches! Every Sneetch wants a star on their bellies and the ones that have stars are so much better than the others, apparently. So someone rolls into town who can put stars on Sneetch bellies and chaos ensues. This book is about the perils of trying to fit in and giving up your individuality. Sure, Dr. Seuss teaches so many lessons in his books and empowers kids (and adults) to dream, but this lesson about being yourself and not envying others is pretty priceless.
3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
This is the first book I remember staying up all night to read, and the only book I enjoyed reading in high school. Jane shows such strength. Whether it's standing up to her bully of a cousin or her bully of a headmaster, or leaving Rochester despite her overpowering love for him, she quietly soldiers on, weathering every storm. Sure, she isn't happy about being in the position society has forced her into, but she takes it like it comes and does the best she can with what she's got. And what's better than a love that can call to you over miles?
4. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Smart girl sci-fi! Awesome! And the cute football player ends up with her! There aren't enough exclamation points in the world.
5. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
This is probably on every bibliophile's favorite list. It seems so relevant today as fewer and fewer people are reading real books and the culture of celebrity seems to reign supreme (Kim Kardashian, anyone?). But the joy of reading cannot be repressed. To misquote William Wallace, they may take our lives but they'll never take... OUR NOVELS!!
6. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams
Sci-fi that smart and silly at the same time! Absolutely brilliant. Forty-two is my answer to everything, and you know why if you've read this. It's so well thought out, from the alien that takes the name Ford Prefect because he mistakes the dominant species on the planet to the bureaucracy of the Vogons. I may not agree with everything he says, but when the whole thing is so hilarious, I can't hold it against him. The Dirk Gently novels are a delight as well.
7. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
This is a natural extension from Hitchhiker. Also smart and silly, this one is about the end of the world. Such a good pairing.
8. Persuasion and/or Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
I can't make up my mind which of these I love most. Yes, anybody who love Jane loves Pride & Prejudice or Sense & Sensibility, but I think Persuasion and Mansfield Park are overlooked. Austen will not be on your feminist reading list, but the women have a strength uncommon for their era and thus are perfect examples of how far women have come. They are witty beyond words. I wish we all spoke like that still. For example: "You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever." Or "Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings." Next time you read a status update, compare it with these.
9. Wives & Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
I think Elizabeth Gaskell is one of the most underrated female novelists. She's a lovely mix of Bronte and Austen, with a bit of Dickens for good measure. She explores societal problems, especially in her book North and South, which is also quite awesome. How's this for a quote: "I won't say she was silly, but I think one of us was silly, and it wasn't me!"
10. Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
You may have read something you considered really witty, but if you haven't read this, you don't know witty. It's got romance, it's got smart dialogue, it's got buckles that are swashed. Add to that a tear-jerker of an ending and you have something really lovely.
11. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Speaking of tear-jerker endings, this is the most heart-rending I think I've ever read. I chose to read the 1600 page unabridged edition. What a challenge! There are huge parts that are historical, which at first seem to pull you out of the narrative, but Hugo will toss a little sentence right at the end that reveals some character or an action and you understand the point of it all. Great novels sear themselves into your consciousness so that every thing surrounding you becomes a part of the experience. I remember finishing this novel through a veil of tears, looking out the window to see snow falling outside, which is quite remarkable for where I live. This was the first novel that made me feel truly different after finishing it. Unfortunately it also ruined the ending of the musical for me.
12. Maus by Art Spiegelman
This puts the Holocaust into such a different perspective. A literally graphic experience, it is the story of Spiegelman's father's experience in the death camps of Nazi Germany. It sort of reminds me of Animal Farm in that the characters are all animals: the Poles are pigs, the Jews are mice, and the Nazis are cats.
13. Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell
Maybe the reason I never liked anything I read in school (with the exception of Jane Eyre) is because I really hate being forced to read something. Everything in me revolts at the thought, even years after leaving school. I even hated The Hobbit when I had to read it for class. As soon as I wasn't forced to read it, I found I actually enjoyed it. My dad forced me to read this one. But fighting through the duress, I found myself getting really angry. It changed some of my ways of thinking.
14. Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
I was working at Borders when I first came across this book. Have you ever felt a book calling to you? It seemed like this one kept reaching out to me every time I passed it. Then I read an article in Entertainment Weekly by Stephen King, listing this book as one of the best books that nobody was reading. I gave in, picked it up, and almost had it finished by 5:00 that evening. He writes with such beautiful imagery it's just stunning. His other novels are pretty good, but I think nothing holds a candle to this one.
15. Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
This is another one that kept me up all night. It was a lovely romance set during the war years in Greece. The movie, of course, is not worth seeing. Pick the book instead.
16. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
I love mythology and folklore, so this wicked little twist on some of my favorite stories was pretty much an instant like.
17. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
This is a slim little novel, but it hits hard in so many places. The novel takes place during the siege of Sarajevo, a war I know nothing about. The cellist sees a bomb kill 22 people at a market, then plays his cello at the site of the bombing every day for 22 days at the exact time of the bombing, but the cellist isn't the point of the novel. What attracted me to this novel is that the cellist plays Albinoni's Adagio in G every day, and I adore that piece. It became the soundtrack to the novel while I was reading it and heightened the emotional impact of reading about the people affected by this war trying to cope and maintain their lives as much as possible. Like Persepolis, I really enjoy reading about international incidents that we, as Americans, have only a passing understanding of, with the twist that the narrative comes from the other side of the story.
18. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Come on, you knew this was coming. I fought it for a while. Working at a bookstore you see these trends coming and you wonder what all the hubbub's about. You almost feel like you're being forced to read something, and as I've said before, that automatically throws my brakes on. A friend gave the first two books to me for Christmas, and I read them each in a day. I was hooked. That will not be happening with Twilight.
19. The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh
I got this as an advanced reader's copy from either a Random House giveaway or Bookreporter.com, I'm not sure which. I can't remember the last time I read a book so quickly or the last time I had to force myself to go to bed at 1:30 or 2:00 in the morning because I had to be at work in a few hours. I didn't want to put this book down. There are so many truly twisted twists and turns in the story and the author doles out nuggets of information expertly throughout so you don't feel like she's hoarding all the gold for the end. Was it a bit of a stretch in places? Possibly, if I wanted to be really critical of it. But I felt so swept up in the story that it felt real and genuine at the time.
So that's me folks. I'm not sure what it all means.
1. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig.
I remember this like it was yesterday. I had this little set that was the book and an audio book that had this lovely little tune that played over it, so ephemeral and magical. I now know that it was Camille Saint-Saens "The Aquarium." It added such a lovely quality to the reading experience. The story itself is about being careful about what you do or say because you have to face the consequences. I wish I knew where to find this original set because this is one of the best memories of my childhood.
2. The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss.
Oh, those Star-Bellied Sneetches! Every Sneetch wants a star on their bellies and the ones that have stars are so much better than the others, apparently. So someone rolls into town who can put stars on Sneetch bellies and chaos ensues. This book is about the perils of trying to fit in and giving up your individuality. Sure, Dr. Seuss teaches so many lessons in his books and empowers kids (and adults) to dream, but this lesson about being yourself and not envying others is pretty priceless.
3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
This is the first book I remember staying up all night to read, and the only book I enjoyed reading in high school. Jane shows such strength. Whether it's standing up to her bully of a cousin or her bully of a headmaster, or leaving Rochester despite her overpowering love for him, she quietly soldiers on, weathering every storm. Sure, she isn't happy about being in the position society has forced her into, but she takes it like it comes and does the best she can with what she's got. And what's better than a love that can call to you over miles?
4. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Smart girl sci-fi! Awesome! And the cute football player ends up with her! There aren't enough exclamation points in the world.
5. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
This is probably on every bibliophile's favorite list. It seems so relevant today as fewer and fewer people are reading real books and the culture of celebrity seems to reign supreme (Kim Kardashian, anyone?). But the joy of reading cannot be repressed. To misquote William Wallace, they may take our lives but they'll never take... OUR NOVELS!!
6. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams
Sci-fi that smart and silly at the same time! Absolutely brilliant. Forty-two is my answer to everything, and you know why if you've read this. It's so well thought out, from the alien that takes the name Ford Prefect because he mistakes the dominant species on the planet to the bureaucracy of the Vogons. I may not agree with everything he says, but when the whole thing is so hilarious, I can't hold it against him. The Dirk Gently novels are a delight as well.
7. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
This is a natural extension from Hitchhiker. Also smart and silly, this one is about the end of the world. Such a good pairing.
8. Persuasion and/or Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
I can't make up my mind which of these I love most. Yes, anybody who love Jane loves Pride & Prejudice or Sense & Sensibility, but I think Persuasion and Mansfield Park are overlooked. Austen will not be on your feminist reading list, but the women have a strength uncommon for their era and thus are perfect examples of how far women have come. They are witty beyond words. I wish we all spoke like that still. For example: "You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever." Or "Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings." Next time you read a status update, compare it with these.
9. Wives & Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
I think Elizabeth Gaskell is one of the most underrated female novelists. She's a lovely mix of Bronte and Austen, with a bit of Dickens for good measure. She explores societal problems, especially in her book North and South, which is also quite awesome. How's this for a quote: "I won't say she was silly, but I think one of us was silly, and it wasn't me!"
10. Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
You may have read something you considered really witty, but if you haven't read this, you don't know witty. It's got romance, it's got smart dialogue, it's got buckles that are swashed. Add to that a tear-jerker of an ending and you have something really lovely.
11. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Speaking of tear-jerker endings, this is the most heart-rending I think I've ever read. I chose to read the 1600 page unabridged edition. What a challenge! There are huge parts that are historical, which at first seem to pull you out of the narrative, but Hugo will toss a little sentence right at the end that reveals some character or an action and you understand the point of it all. Great novels sear themselves into your consciousness so that every thing surrounding you becomes a part of the experience. I remember finishing this novel through a veil of tears, looking out the window to see snow falling outside, which is quite remarkable for where I live. This was the first novel that made me feel truly different after finishing it. Unfortunately it also ruined the ending of the musical for me.
12. Maus by Art Spiegelman
This puts the Holocaust into such a different perspective. A literally graphic experience, it is the story of Spiegelman's father's experience in the death camps of Nazi Germany. It sort of reminds me of Animal Farm in that the characters are all animals: the Poles are pigs, the Jews are mice, and the Nazis are cats.
13. Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell
Maybe the reason I never liked anything I read in school (with the exception of Jane Eyre) is because I really hate being forced to read something. Everything in me revolts at the thought, even years after leaving school. I even hated The Hobbit when I had to read it for class. As soon as I wasn't forced to read it, I found I actually enjoyed it. My dad forced me to read this one. But fighting through the duress, I found myself getting really angry. It changed some of my ways of thinking.
14. Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
I was working at Borders when I first came across this book. Have you ever felt a book calling to you? It seemed like this one kept reaching out to me every time I passed it. Then I read an article in Entertainment Weekly by Stephen King, listing this book as one of the best books that nobody was reading. I gave in, picked it up, and almost had it finished by 5:00 that evening. He writes with such beautiful imagery it's just stunning. His other novels are pretty good, but I think nothing holds a candle to this one.
15. Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
This is another one that kept me up all night. It was a lovely romance set during the war years in Greece. The movie, of course, is not worth seeing. Pick the book instead.
16. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
I love mythology and folklore, so this wicked little twist on some of my favorite stories was pretty much an instant like.
17. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
This is a slim little novel, but it hits hard in so many places. The novel takes place during the siege of Sarajevo, a war I know nothing about. The cellist sees a bomb kill 22 people at a market, then plays his cello at the site of the bombing every day for 22 days at the exact time of the bombing, but the cellist isn't the point of the novel. What attracted me to this novel is that the cellist plays Albinoni's Adagio in G every day, and I adore that piece. It became the soundtrack to the novel while I was reading it and heightened the emotional impact of reading about the people affected by this war trying to cope and maintain their lives as much as possible. Like Persepolis, I really enjoy reading about international incidents that we, as Americans, have only a passing understanding of, with the twist that the narrative comes from the other side of the story.
18. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Come on, you knew this was coming. I fought it for a while. Working at a bookstore you see these trends coming and you wonder what all the hubbub's about. You almost feel like you're being forced to read something, and as I've said before, that automatically throws my brakes on. A friend gave the first two books to me for Christmas, and I read them each in a day. I was hooked. That will not be happening with Twilight.
19. The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh
I got this as an advanced reader's copy from either a Random House giveaway or Bookreporter.com, I'm not sure which. I can't remember the last time I read a book so quickly or the last time I had to force myself to go to bed at 1:30 or 2:00 in the morning because I had to be at work in a few hours. I didn't want to put this book down. There are so many truly twisted twists and turns in the story and the author doles out nuggets of information expertly throughout so you don't feel like she's hoarding all the gold for the end. Was it a bit of a stretch in places? Possibly, if I wanted to be really critical of it. But I felt so swept up in the story that it felt real and genuine at the time.
So that's me folks. I'm not sure what it all means.
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