15 Books Meme
This one has been going around Facebook, so I thought I would post it here for those interested.
Rules: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. First fifteen books you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. (There's a tag 15 friends thing to this, but I say continue only if you feel like it.)
1. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. This is the first book to pop into my head. I think what I love most about this book is the world building. The way gods have been brought over by their believers to America and how they are homesick for the place they are really from.
2. Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak. Beautiful art and a charming storyline make this one of my favorites from when I was a kid. I always love the muted look of the picture and the monsters that were both dangerous and loving. (On a side note: I cannot wait for the movie, which so far appears to be hitting all the right notes.)
3. The Sandman (entire series), by Neil Gaiman. Another Neil Gaiman, no surprise since he's my favorite. This series of graphic novels is what really got me loving comics as a literary form. The level of mythology throughout and the way Dream develops as a character will definitely linger with me for a long time.
4. Watchmen, by Alan Moore. Admittedly, this may have ended up on the list because of the movie (which has its flaws), but what the movie did was make me go back and reread this thing, which had so much more depth and interconnections the second time around. And Rorschach is one of the most badass (asshole) characters I've ever read.
5. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. This one is on here, because it just popped into my head. I loved the odd (though slightly problematic) romance of this novel, especially since the concept of time travel in this seems rather spot on.
6. The Illusion: Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, by Richard Bach. There are two narratives to this book, one of which is written in handwriting at the beginning. I've read a lot about the perfect master, as my dad calls them, and I love the idea of a messiah choosing to go into town and start being a mechanic, because he's happier that way. This is one of the first spiritual novel that I fell in love with.
7. Sweetness in the Belly, by Camilla Gibb. The a novel about an English girl, who is left to be raised in a muslim shrine in Africa. Her story of being raised as a Muslim, but never really fitting in, is lovely and sensual and sweet. It's a book I want to hold in my heart for some time to come.
8. Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert A. Heinlein. I know there are some out there who say this book is outdated, but the concepts of spirituality and a new way of viewing the world were new to me when I read it many years ago. Maybe when I next read it again it will have aged for me, but I love the way I remember it, and that's good enough for me.
9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley. This is on the list not so much because I liked it, but because how strongly the images and the world holds in my mind, how I still want to argue with the future society that's presented, and because I know I would be an outcast in that society.
10. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess. Just read this one recently, so it's probably too soon to see if it will stick, but I love th language in this book -- so much so, in fact, that I wanted to run around speaking only this lingo. It was only the knowledge that I would be treated like a freak that prevented me. :)
11. Heart-Shaped Box, by Joe Hill. Another more recent read, but it popped into my head, and really this was one of the best horror books I've read in a long time.
12. Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman. I still haven't read this book all the way through, but I keep working at it, because I love the poetry within. It's the kind that lingers.
13. Full Woman, Fleshly Apple, Hot Moon, by Pablo Neruda. This is a collection of Neruda's poetry. He's one of my favorites, mostly because his poetry is full of love of the world and all the objects in it.
14. The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver. i love the interweaving of family tales in this book, the way different perspectives on the same tale mean different versions of the truth. This is a book I have returned to several times, just to read a paragraph here or a phrase there.
15. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, written by Alvin Schwartz and illustrated by Stephen Gammell. I have fond memories of being terrified out of my mind from this book. Simple folk tales combined with horrifying art work. There are images from the artwork that still make me shiver to this day.
Rules: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. First fifteen books you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. (There's a tag 15 friends thing to this, but I say continue only if you feel like it.)
1. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. This is the first book to pop into my head. I think what I love most about this book is the world building. The way gods have been brought over by their believers to America and how they are homesick for the place they are really from.
2. Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak. Beautiful art and a charming storyline make this one of my favorites from when I was a kid. I always love the muted look of the picture and the monsters that were both dangerous and loving. (On a side note: I cannot wait for the movie, which so far appears to be hitting all the right notes.)
3. The Sandman (entire series), by Neil Gaiman. Another Neil Gaiman, no surprise since he's my favorite. This series of graphic novels is what really got me loving comics as a literary form. The level of mythology throughout and the way Dream develops as a character will definitely linger with me for a long time.
4. Watchmen, by Alan Moore. Admittedly, this may have ended up on the list because of the movie (which has its flaws), but what the movie did was make me go back and reread this thing, which had so much more depth and interconnections the second time around. And Rorschach is one of the most badass (asshole) characters I've ever read.
5. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. This one is on here, because it just popped into my head. I loved the odd (though slightly problematic) romance of this novel, especially since the concept of time travel in this seems rather spot on.
6. The Illusion: Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, by Richard Bach. There are two narratives to this book, one of which is written in handwriting at the beginning. I've read a lot about the perfect master, as my dad calls them, and I love the idea of a messiah choosing to go into town and start being a mechanic, because he's happier that way. This is one of the first spiritual novel that I fell in love with.
7. Sweetness in the Belly, by Camilla Gibb. The a novel about an English girl, who is left to be raised in a muslim shrine in Africa. Her story of being raised as a Muslim, but never really fitting in, is lovely and sensual and sweet. It's a book I want to hold in my heart for some time to come.
8. Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert A. Heinlein. I know there are some out there who say this book is outdated, but the concepts of spirituality and a new way of viewing the world were new to me when I read it many years ago. Maybe when I next read it again it will have aged for me, but I love the way I remember it, and that's good enough for me.
9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley. This is on the list not so much because I liked it, but because how strongly the images and the world holds in my mind, how I still want to argue with the future society that's presented, and because I know I would be an outcast in that society.
10. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess. Just read this one recently, so it's probably too soon to see if it will stick, but I love th language in this book -- so much so, in fact, that I wanted to run around speaking only this lingo. It was only the knowledge that I would be treated like a freak that prevented me. :)
11. Heart-Shaped Box, by Joe Hill. Another more recent read, but it popped into my head, and really this was one of the best horror books I've read in a long time.
12. Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman. I still haven't read this book all the way through, but I keep working at it, because I love the poetry within. It's the kind that lingers.
13. Full Woman, Fleshly Apple, Hot Moon, by Pablo Neruda. This is a collection of Neruda's poetry. He's one of my favorites, mostly because his poetry is full of love of the world and all the objects in it.
14. The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver. i love the interweaving of family tales in this book, the way different perspectives on the same tale mean different versions of the truth. This is a book I have returned to several times, just to read a paragraph here or a phrase there.
15. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, written by Alvin Schwartz and illustrated by Stephen Gammell. I have fond memories of being terrified out of my mind from this book. Simple folk tales combined with horrifying art work. There are images from the artwork that still make me shiver to this day.