Total number of books owned: I'd say between fifty and a hundred in this house. I really cleared house when I moved - the library loves me.
Last book bought: National Geographic Photography Field Guide (which I should have read more in the bookstore, because it's getting a bit technical for me)
and a lucky find: Little Men, Louisa May Alcott, a lovely old (1913) copy with colored plates - paid .50 at a Frenchy's last week...ahh, love the bins!
Last book read: Am reading Afterwards, You're A Genius - a really engrossing book about medicine and the metaphysics of healing. The last few chapters have been about the history of medicine and it's just been incredible. The chapters are short, funny, and a good read.
Five Books that Mean a Lot to You: Humm. Everytime I think of different answers. So many good books...
A Wind In The Door, Madeleine L'Engle. The sequel to A Wrinkle In Time, this one was softer and more introspective. (And Calvin was still dishy.)
The Black Stallion series, Walter Farley. I'm afraid to go back and read these now, because I loved them SO MUCH when I was fourteen and horse-mad. I'm really, really hoping R will. But they were beautiful.
Flowers For Algernon, Daniel Keyes. My Dad gave me his copy, and then we discussed it. I think it was the first time that it connected that grown-up people talked about books and how they felt reading them, not just high schoolers.
The Witch Of Blackbird Pond, Elizabeth George Speares. Haunting story about a young girl who leaves a colorful, culture rich life in Barbados and travels to Colonial America, where she's laughed at for being different. How she copes and the lessons she learns about fitting in while remaining wholly herself are amazing.
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Joan Aiken. I loved this Victorian tale of two spunky heroines trying to get away from a nasty governess (strong tones of Sara Crewe in The Little Princess) and used to plot elaborate escape routes out of my house so I could have an adventure like they did. I re-read this one a few months ago and found it....well, silly, but back then? I probably could have quoted you bits and pieces.
(I'm adding this one)
Five Books That You Just Don't Get:
Alice In Wonderland, L. Carroll. I read this monstrosity twice in high school and three times in college. Even if you accept the fact that Carroll was a raving drug user there is still a LOT of crazy running through this book.
Love You Forever, Robert Munsch. Cass and I read it once and that night he had a nightmare that I was under the bed, waiting until he went to sleep so I could stick my head up over the edge of the bed and shout boo! And I must have missed the parenting class where they said it was perfectly appropriate to sneak into my child's bedroom even when he lives across town. And has a baby of his own. Um, yeah.
The da Vinci Code. Just. Didn't. Think. It. Was. Worth. The. Ink. Or the paper. Or the hype.
Good In Bed, Jennifer Werner. I like other books of hers (Try In Her Shoes) but this one was bleak, dark, and depressing.
The Five People You Meet In Heaven. Just....no.
If you haven't, and want to, I TAG YOU.
11 comments:
I so get what you are saying about "Love You Forever." A lot of people cried when we discussed it in RCIA one night but I thought it was a little creepy. I mean, can you say "stalking?"
I was wondering, just yesterday, what I would think of some books I loved growing up, now that I am grown up....Would I think them silly? Would I love them still? Some I had in mind were the "What Katy Did" books, "Black Beauty," "Heidi," and Enid Blyton's "Mallory Towers" series. [I so wanted to be Darrell Rivers!] But part of me wants to leave well enough alone and not spoil anything.....
I _love_ The Wolves of Wiiloughby Chase!!! Joan Aiken rocks! And Arabel's Raven is another favourite of hers. And Lewis Carroll? Ugh, just . . . ugh.
I'll do this later today :)
Oh, dood, Love You Forever gave me nightmares, too. I hate that book. It's been given to me a couple of times and each time, I throw it away. It's a horrible book.
But Alice? Really? I love those books precisely because they are so weird. They were so fantastical that I found them intriguing.
I also loved Flowers For Algernon. Good list. And you can come visit whenever you'd like. I have a feeling we'd never shut up. Either that or we'd both wind up curled up on either end of the couch, noses firmly in books.
I love reading people's lists of books! So many suggestions of new volumes to add to the growing pile next to my bed! Woo hoo!
I loved Little Men when I was little.
But I also loved Alice in Wonderland and still do.
I particularly loved "Tom's Midnight Garden" by Philippa Pearce when I was little. And it's stood the test of time.
The first time I read Love You Forever was when my friend let me read it at her house. She was looking at me expectantly because she LOVES it and I didn't know what to say I was so stunned at how creepy it was. I was just at a loss for words.
I wholeheartedly agree about I Love You Forever. My mother-in-law got it for my kids recently and I refused to bring it home. I don't think it's sweet and touching. I think it's just plain creepy.
I did like The Five People You Meet in Heaven, though. It's not at all how I picture heaven to be, and I hope that heaven isn't really that way, but it's a good read and it brought me to great, heaving tears at the end.
love you forever is supposed to be FUNNY. Munsch is NOT serious--he's the same guy that wrote the Paperbag Princess and other funny books.
Didn't like Good in Bed?
I still like you, though. You make me laugh and smile n'stuff. I'll have to come back, read this for real (I skimmed and saw those two and of course had to add my two cents) and do the meme. Haven't done a meme in AGES.
xo,
SL
I love your choices and add to the chorus of 'Love You' = Ugh!
I have to do this meme. thanks.
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