The Great Book Meme

[delphipsmith]

Read! Share! Post! Let's have a little book talk :)

1. Favorite childhood book, and why? - A tie between (1) Little Women (Louisa May Alcott), with its rich complex characters, warm and loving family life, and fully-realized range of affections and passion that it illustrates, both personal (art, talent, personal best) and interpersonal (sisters

Comments

[chienne_folle]

Is this boring? Not to me! I like you, and I like books, so I'm happy to read about your liking books. :-)

I just read Michelle Obama's autobiography Becoming, at the recommendation of a friend, and it was way more interesting than I'd expected it to be. She has a lot of insight and was quite honest about her moments of insecurity and selfishness, but the overall thrust of the book is about how hard she's worked all her life to be a credit to her race and what a tremendous burden it's been to have this on her shoulders. I mention this just in case you want to make up for your biography shortfall. :-)

My favorite book as a child was Emeralds for the King, by Constance Savery. It's historical fiction, set during the English civil war. A 13-year-old boy is given instructions about how to retrieve a family treasure that was concealed in a cave system generations ago, which the king needs in order to fund the war against Cromwell's forces. The boy visits the adult cousins who live near the caves and who are, themselves, Cromwell's

[delphipsmith]

Michelle Obama's is one of the few I have read, and I was hugely impressed. I loved her honesty, as you say, about her doubts both for herself and for her husband's decision to run. I also loved her memories of her family, and her mention of the group of women friends that kept her grounded amidst the craziness. I came away from it with the deepest respect for her introspection, self-awareness, and ability/determination to learn and grow from every experience. She's truly an amazing woman.

I love that your childhood favorite is a fave not just because it was a good story, but because it entered into your soul and changed you. Sometimes a book does that because it's amazing in itself, but sometimes it does it because one encounters it at just the right time. I have found in my life that stories tend to come to me when I need them :)

[therealsnape]

What a brilliant meme! I'm going to nick it.

I was formulating answers in my head, then I read yours and I thought 'snap!'

and doesn't leave grease stains on the pagesThis. Different snack, but this.

Now I'm more about the sofa and a glass of wine Quite. Other beverage strong competitor, but this. Although even as a child I didn't climb trees. I blame it on an inner-city environment. (also I was seriously unsporty but I didn't actually say that … it's inner city. If you know what's good for you, you'll remember inner city.)

Um...six hours Good for you! See? We're not addicts!

but mostly I just get bored when I read someone's life story. I fall asleep, even. But I'm sure your diary is fascinating. So is my life story. Other people though …

12-15. I have to have options, since I don't know what I'll be in the mood for. Aren't we lucky the Kindle is invented?

Something went wrong in the first edit. Probably the bottle of bubbly I had with a friend tonight. Sorry for that. There were good reasons for the bottle of bubbly.

[delphipsmith]

Eh, I was never sporty either. My tree-climbing evolved mostly as an effective method of escaping other people... Feel free to add your own questions when you nick it -- really, there can never be enough book talk as far as I'm concerned.

Speaking of inner city childhoods, have you read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn? I never had until just this past year and was sorry I'd waited so long. It's a classic for good reason, and I highly recommend it.

There were good reasons for the bottle of bubbly. - Bubbly with friends is always a good thing *hugs*

[perverse_idyll]

Ah, The Phantom Tollbooth, definitely a beloved book, one of the few to hint at the same feeling that sets Alice in Wonderland apart - that odd, slightly sardonic whimsy, the nonsensical offshoots of accepted laws of reality, and the child who more or less takes it in stride. Only Phantom is lighter and airier, of course. Bambi was also a favorite of mine and a major reason why I claimed I wanted to be a naturalist when I grew up. (Spoilers: didn't happen. Missed opportunity, young me

[delphipsmith]

So excited to find someone else who knows and love Phantom Tollbooth :) I still re-read it every so often -- so many clever witticisms and gently humor.

Do you alternate back and forth when the nonfiction gets too intense or mentally fatiguing? - Yeah, I generally have one fiction, one F/SF, and one non-fiction going at the same time so I can switch back and forth depending on my mood. Also time of day -- I can't read non-fiction at night, takes too much concentration, so that's usually my day-reading :)

I'm of two minds about Pynchon. I'd like to soldier through it, just to say I did, but also hey, life is too short to labor over books that are more work than pleasure. Eh, we shall see. What are you reading at the moment?

[iulia_linnea]

OMG, Shog and I are currently competing to see who can actually complete Gravity's Rainbow first, and we're both about where you are! *snerk*

Honestly, I've no idea if I'll be able to finish it.

*goes to read rest of post*

[delphipsmith]

Really?!? How funny! Do let me know what you think as you get further in -- maybe you can help me decide whether it's worth the mental labor, ha ha

[iulia_linnea]

So far, I'm not finding it worth the effort. Shog is likeky to win. :P