book meme from ![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
texaslawchick
Nov. 14th, 2007 02:28 pmsmg01All of the recent book discussion reminded me of a class assignment that one of my college professors (or was she a graduate assistant?) gave -- write down the names of the first five books that come to your mind right now, and write a quick blurb about why you liked them. Don't try to think about which is your favorite or the one that changed your life, etc., just the first five that come to mind. It led to a great discussion, and everyone learned about a new book.
You'll notice at least 4 out 5 of my entries (arguably all 5 entries) are tilted toward the adolescent end of the spectrum. I suspect that this is because (with the exception of HP) these books were read during a formative time for me. They really got under my skin and stayed there. In a way, they're like comfort food for me. They're books that recall that time when I discovered a love of reading for reading's sake. I read them over and over again. (I can be scarily obsessive about books I like.) And now I kind of want to track down all of the books from one of the authors I've listed. (I really only own one of his books because I checked his books out of the library. Over and over again.)
There's no particular order to my entries. I just tried to think of books that I've loved and these came to my mind. It's sort of a walk down memory lane for me.
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee: One of my all time favorite books. I read it for the first time in junior high and have read in many times in the many years since. As I got older I got more and more out of it. (Some stuff I was just a little too young to fully “get” on the first few readings.) I almost always get something new out of it every time I read it.
The Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling: (Yes, I’m counting all seven as one book. I don’t care.) I just really enjoy the books and the world that’s created therein. No, JKR isn’t the greatest writer ever, but she’s an excellent storyteller and I think she plotted a good one. I enjoy them.
A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle: This may be one of my first personal “cult” books. By cult I mean one that I read over and over again because I like the story and it touched a chord in me. I’m not sure that this book has held up as well over time as many of L’Engle’s other works, but it will always hold a place in my heart as one of the first books that I truly loved.
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin: I’ve always thought it a shame that it doesn’t seem like Raskin wrote many stories, because this and the other book by her that I’ve found are very, very clever. The Westing Game is definitely dated by now. I wonder if kids reading it today get as much enjoyment out of it—it’s definitely from a different time than the early 21st century. But I love it: it’s got heart, humor, great characters, and quite an entertaining puzzle to solve.
The Forgotten Door by Alexander Key: I read and adored Alexander Key’s books when I was a child. Most of them revolved around kids who could communicate with animals, people from other worlds, escaping to other worlds, they tended to be fantastical. I suspect that Key had a real interest in environmental issues/justice, compassion, justice, peace. There may be something almost hippie-ish about him? The Forgotten Door along with Escape to Witch Mountain was one of my favorites. I used to spend hours trying to teleport myself, or move things with my mind, or any one of another of the things characters in his books were able to do.
You'll notice at least 4 out 5 of my entries (arguably all 5 entries) are tilted toward the adolescent end of the spectrum. I suspect that this is because (with the exception of HP) these books were read during a formative time for me. They really got under my skin and stayed there. In a way, they're like comfort food for me. They're books that recall that time when I discovered a love of reading for reading's sake. I read them over and over again. (I can be scarily obsessive about books I like.) And now I kind of want to track down all of the books from one of the authors I've listed. (I really only own one of his books because I checked his books out of the library. Over and over again.)
There's no particular order to my entries. I just tried to think of books that I've loved and these came to my mind. It's sort of a walk down memory lane for me.
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee: One of my all time favorite books. I read it for the first time in junior high and have read in many times in the many years since. As I got older I got more and more out of it. (Some stuff I was just a little too young to fully “get” on the first few readings.) I almost always get something new out of it every time I read it.
The Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling: (Yes, I’m counting all seven as one book. I don’t care.) I just really enjoy the books and the world that’s created therein. No, JKR isn’t the greatest writer ever, but she’s an excellent storyteller and I think she plotted a good one. I enjoy them.
A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle: This may be one of my first personal “cult” books. By cult I mean one that I read over and over again because I like the story and it touched a chord in me. I’m not sure that this book has held up as well over time as many of L’Engle’s other works, but it will always hold a place in my heart as one of the first books that I truly loved.
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin: I’ve always thought it a shame that it doesn’t seem like Raskin wrote many stories, because this and the other book by her that I’ve found are very, very clever. The Westing Game is definitely dated by now. I wonder if kids reading it today get as much enjoyment out of it—it’s definitely from a different time than the early 21st century. But I love it: it’s got heart, humor, great characters, and quite an entertaining puzzle to solve.
The Forgotten Door by Alexander Key: I read and adored Alexander Key’s books when I was a child. Most of them revolved around kids who could communicate with animals, people from other worlds, escaping to other worlds, they tended to be fantastical. I suspect that Key had a real interest in environmental issues/justice, compassion, justice, peace. There may be something almost hippie-ish about him? The Forgotten Door along with Escape to Witch Mountain was one of my favorites. I used to spend hours trying to teleport myself, or move things with my mind, or any one of another of the things characters in his books were able to do.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-11-14 09:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-14 10:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-14 11:44 pm (UTC)