Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Books

Two Saturdays ago, I dusted off the bookcase and pulled all my favorite books from their boxes.

Interviewer: How does it look?

Interviewee: Really comforting

ER: How long did it take:

EE: A few hours

ER: Why? Do you own that many books?

EE: I don't think so, but I might. It was because I kept getting distracting with this book and then that one, and remember this scene, and where is that favorite quote of mine..... You can't rush old and dear friends getting reacquainted after being apart for so long.

Shall I introduce you to a few:
  • Grace Livingston Hill - I own 24 of her books, which surprised me. I knew I had a few but not that many. I started reading her as a teenager and all these years later, her books have kept their charm no matter how many times I've read them.

  • The Mystery of the Derelict by John G. Rowe - Nautical adventure - a deserted ship in the middle of the ocean, a mysterious code on a stone, shipwrecked sailors, deserted island, pirates, treasure - I could be wrong, but I can't help wondering if this book wasn't what started the whole love for adventures on the high seas. I own two copies of it cause the original was starting to fall apart, and I just couldn't bare losing any part of the story.


  • Jules Verne -more adventures, found bookmarks still inside the pages of a few of the books. Now there are number that I like, but Around the World in Eighty Days and Michael Strogoff have the most points for repeat reading. I can remember as a teenager, my favorite author was Jane Austen, with Jules Verne as a close second, taking first as I got older.

  • Jane Austen - Honorary mention, because as a teenager I read all her books, now own all of them in either hard or paperback versions, own a number of the movies, generally opinionated regarding her and others interpretation of her writing, and even came across a picture of her I use to have hanging on the wall of my bedroom as a teenager. That being said, it's been awhile since I last read any of her books.

  • The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett : I read this every year around March and April. It's my way of greeting Spring. As I read how Sarah Lennox discovers the garden and how it starts to come alive, I run outside to see if I can see spring coming and I always feel the magic.
Now if you're excuse me, all this talk of books and authors has made me hungry for the taste of a good book. Which one shall I choose?

Happy Reading

2 comments:

Carly said...

What a fantastic and happy and nostolgic post! I just love you. I am surprised to say I haven't read any of the books of some of these authors... I shall have to find them SOON! And I think I shall have to reread Secret Garden again just because of the memories you've dug up for me. Love it.

Danyelle Ferguson said...

I know just what you mean about becoming reaquianted with old, beloved friends - my books! This post makes me want to run over to my bookshelf and start checking everything out again. But wait, my kids are running their remote controlled cars around the living room where my books are. Now probably isn't a good time since I'd spend most of it yelling, "Stop hitting me! Hey, what where you're going!"

Thanks, Ames.