I got tagged for a new (to me) meme by Stevyn. When I first got it, I thought, ‘Cool! I get to list my favorite books!’ Then, when I tried to do it, I thought, ‘Shit-oh-dear! How can I possibly?!’ And I promptly had a mini-aneurysm. Oh, and to boot, I’m supposed to describe why the 4 books I chose (4 books, people… 4 out of the 11,856 on my shelves!) are “essential reads” in 30 words or less. I can’t say ‘good morning’ in 30 words or less. Shit. Oh. Dear. But I’m going to try.
Fiction: This was tough, as I read mostly fiction… and a lot of it. There are a million and one authors I love - JD Salinger, Russell Banks, Peter Robinson, Douglas Adams, Andrew Greeley, Neil Gaiman, Gregory Maguire, Alice Sebold to name a very few. And I’ve read a bunch of great books lately by people who are rapidly becoming favorite authors. So, after much debate, I’m going with:
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver – Three separate and equally engrossing stories are connected by nearly invisible, beautifully crafted threads. I identified in some way with each protagonist and I was so sad when autumn came.
Autobiography: Again, tough. I’ve read a few great ones lately including Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy. But I’m going with one of my all-time favorites:
The Color of Water by James McBride – McBride details the social and personal obstacles he overcame as a bi-racial man in America on a quest for identity and success. I read it in one captivated, emotional sitting.
Non-fiction: Crap. I’ve read loads in the past few months, mostly by Bill Bryson and David Sedaris (love them both!), and a really likable one by Anna Quindlen about my favorite city (Imagined London). But I’m choosing another book I’ve loved for a long while and have read more than once:
Underwater to Get Out of the Rain – A Love Affair With the Sea by Trevor Norton – Norton, a marine biologist, played to my long-time interest in the sea. Like Bryson in A Walk in the Woods, he beautifully blends fact with humor to explain his passion.
Any genre: Ryan and I still read together and there are dozens of amazing books on our collective list. I can’t even begin to name them all. But one of my favorites ever was the first in a fantastic trilogy (and I challenge anyone who reads the first book not to run out and buy the other two!):
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson – A prequel to the Peter Pan story, it’s full of adventure, magic, friendship, pirates and even a little romance. I would get so excited reading it, I’d forget to breathe!
I’m tagging Heinous, Mel, Protégé, Heather, Joshlos, and DistributorCapNY. Have fun guys (but if you don't want to do it, I won't be offended)!!
12 comments:
Thanks for the great Bloggy Book club ideas!!!
Tagged? Me? Okay, I'll do it. Although I'll have the added task of reading the books you recommended. If you like them, they must be good.
Well done for choosing just four. It is a horrendous task.
Reading books is like spending time with great old friends.
I would love to see your library Diane, I like to see all those 11,856 books.;))
This is a cool meme, I will do my best.;)))
I don't know what a meme is but it sounds like fun...how can I do this one?? Talking about books is what I love!!!
I am enjoying your blog -- I too love David Sedaris and Bill Bryson. Also just finished "Autobiography of A Face" and wrote about it on my book reading blog that I am just starting. If you want, check it out (http://findyournextbookhere.blogspot.com/)
I would LOVE for your opinion and contributions. One of my goals is to get ideas for books to read next and it sounds like we might be a bit compatible in this way. I'm looking around the blog world to find fellow readers to share with.
I'm going to add your blog to my blogroll (is that what it is called?)or be your "follower." Sounds a bit like a religious cult, doesn't it?
Anyway, thanks for a fun blog to read.
Oooo I love to read. It is without a doubt my favorite thing to do. Well. When I'm not stalking people, that is. You know, gotta have a hobby that gets you out and about and all that rot.
If you have not yet read her, then I highly recommend Carol Goodman. And I also recommend the Outlander series by Diana Gabalongigoosegook *which is to say that I cannot remember her name at the moment and am too lazy to get up and look on my bookshelf, and it's much easier (not to mention more fun) to just make up a name* But the Outlander books, Google 'em, so worth the read.
Blarg, I'm about to really go on and on about books. I better shut it down before I get it wound up. I will disengage now...
I don't see the point in choosing just four. It's like those stories where you could only ask for three wishes. I never understood why the last wish wasn't used to ask for more wishes.
'Cause I'm sweet like that...you've got something over at mine.
whoa -- this is a hard one for me... tag me on movies and tv but expect me to read
LOL
Thanks, Diane! But I'm with Distributorcap... ask me about TV or movies, or even music and I'm all over it! College burned me out on books. Hmmm... looking back at it, being an English major probably wasn't the smartest decision...
I do still read books on occasion, but I determined that infrequent frequency coupled with the limited variety of types of books read may prove problematic in my partaking in this meme.
Ooooh good grief. Do you have any idea how hard this will be?? Of course you do. You said it yourself! I will give it my best shot. But it might not be today. I could get way too side-tracked to try this one at work! Although, I would LOVE to get paid to write book reviews. DREAM JOB!! Well, right below actually writing books. If I could focus long enough for that, it would be AMAZING.
Stevyn tagged me for this one as well. Not easy, is it? I do have some books that I return to many times; on other occasions the favourite is the one I'm reading at the moment! Almost as hard as asking me what my favourite food is.(I'm inclined to say 'everything!')
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