There are very few things in life that enjoy more than a well-written book. I like to get a supply of snacks, a big glass of water, and all cuddled up in bed when I sit down to read one. My only problem is that when I read I often become somewhat obsessed and tend to neglect my family and other responsibilities until I finish my book. Luckily I tend to read pretty quickly and finish most books in a day or two so my neglect doesn't last too long. Jared and I also like to read books together, especially when we are taking a long car trip--it makes the time just fly by.
There are books that I read for my book group that are often deep and thought provoking. They give me a deeper understanding of life and how to live it. However these are also emotionally taxing and leave me feeling a little depressed at times. You know--all the books you had to read for your English classes in high school. You're glad that you read them and you feel you are a better person for doing so, but they tend to haunt you for a while. Some of my favorite books in this category would be: The Brother's Karamazov, Cold Sassy Tree, Tess of the Dubervilles, and A Separate Peace.
As you can probably guess from my history background, I love to read historical fiction and non-fiction. Some of my favorite books in this category would be The Hiding Place, 1776, and Coming of Age In Mississippi. In this category I think biographies are often the most fascinating. It is interesting to learn about how people lived, and to try to understand what they thought and why they acted in certain ways. Recently Jared and I have read biographies about John Adams and Benjamin Franklin that we really enjoyed.
Unlike Jared, I get bored by a lot of non-fiction (with the exception of historical non-fiction). I don't seem to have the attention span to sit and read it for hours on end. However there have been some non-fiction books I have read that have been well-written and interesting. Some of these are: The Culprit and the Cure, The 5 Lessons A Millionaire Taught Me, Mere Christianity, and To Draw Closer to God.
Most often I tend to read books to just escape from stress and relax after a long day. In this category I love fantasy, adventure, and romance--the easy reading page turners. Some of my favorite books in this category are the Harry Potter books, the Twilight Series, and The Ranger's Apprentice Series. My biggest complaint about this category is that there are no ratings for books, like their are for movies. I hate being in the middle of a page turning, exciting book and then realize that it's not exactly PG rated. I think that's why I tend to read a lot of young adult fiction, since it tends to be cleaner than a lot of the adult fiction I have picked up. I also tend to get on author kicks. If I find an author I like I tend to read every book they have ever written. Some of my favorite authors in this category are: Mark Twain, Jane Austen, and Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Well, if you've had the patience to read all of that then you must be as avid a reader as I am, so now I'm going to ask for suggestions. I'm currently in a reading lull (the next Fablehaven book doesn't come out until later this month and the next Ranger Apprentice book doesn't come out until July) so I'm in need of some suggestions. Comment and tell me some of your favorites.
5 comments:
Do you have a goodreads account? I think it would be a site you would enjoy: http://www.goodreads.com/ You can add all the books you read, write reviews, and of course see what your friends are reading (that's where I get a lot of ideas on what to check out next from the library).
As for book suggestions, well, if you like young adult fiction, I have a couple of recommendations. Last year I read the Ugly series by Scott Westerfeld. It's an interesting commentary on our society's fascination with beauty. The books can get a little formulaic, but keep reading as the fourth one, Extras is one of my favorites out of the series. They are pretty clean (there might be a little language here and there, but if so, not a lot because I can't remember any problems).
Just about anything by Shannon Hale is wonderful. If you haven't read anything by her yet, she is a Mormon author, so her books are all clean. I *loved* the goose girl, and I read Princess Academy for a bookgroup and found that book to be delightful, too.
Another author that I really want to read more by is Diana Wynne Jones. If you've seen Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle, it is a film adaption of Jones' book. The movie version is quite different from the book - both are quite good. I have two books by her from the library that I am anxious to read.
Finally, just a few of my favorites that I like to recommend that aren't necessarily young adult lit include: The Count of Monte Cristo (don't let the page number intimidate you; this book is fantastic!), Crime and Punishment (incredibly beautiful; the tricky part for me is keeping all the Russian names straight), Roger Zelazny's Amber Series (10 books, but they are each short - less than 200 pages each) that probably falls under fantasy, and finally Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
Well, I just wrote a little essay myself on books! Reading is an avid love of mine, too. I've had fun branching out from novels to graphic novels (manga) in the last few years. Thanks for the opportunity to share! Let me know if you're on goodreads - it's a really fun site. :)
I just read The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd and 1,000 Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. I would probably rate the latter PG-13 or maybe even R as it accurately depicts war in Afghanistan; however, they were both well written and very thought provoking. I would also recommend Tuesdays With Morrie (easy read) by Mitch Albom, Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, or In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. Just Google a summary if you are interested. Let me know if you read them what you think!
Hi Mary! I just read The Hiding Place for the first time and loved it! I don't know how I missed it all these years. I love (almost) anything by Alexander McCall Smith, with the exception of the Portuguese Verb books. I listen to a lot of Agatha Christie books on tape while driving or cleaning, but I do enjoy reading one of them here and there for a quick read. I just picked up Leonard Arrington's book, Brigham Young: American Moses, and I am LOVING it! I figured I might pick up some good leadership tips from him. Nice of the Abington Library to house that book for me! I've read a couple of Orson Scott Card's Old Testament books which have been interesting. Happy Reading!!!
I like your comments on books, there are many I haven't read yet. I agree with Kate. Howl's moving castle was a little weird but I liked it and the kids and Gordon and I like the movie too. Definitely read Shannon Hale. I read one book and I ended up going to the library and checking out every other book by her and read them all in a month.
You have always been such a great reader.
Post a Comment