"A word in earnest is as good as a speech"
~Charles Dickens: Bleak House

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

My Three Favorite Books and Why ......

I apologize for the two posts today .... I wrote my blog yesterday (in an attempt to keep up with the 30-day thing) and then in my frustration over the Debt Ceiling Bill (which I believe will lead to the downfall of America as we know it) I forgot to actually post it. So, two today it is!

First let me say I love books. I read mostly the classics, a lot of non-fiction and Stephen King. I will not use Harry Potter as one of my three favorites because that is too obvious.

My favorite book of all time is "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. And while I have read "Pride, Prejudice and Zombies," the original is still my favorite. I just love the strong character she created in Eizabeth Bennet and was just intrigued. The language, the pictures she paints, I was drawn in. While I have read and appreciate most of Jane Austen's work. This one was the one I have read several times. I love the satire and how she spoofs religion, the wealthy and marriage. There were moments where I held my breath, and giggled and cried. That is the sign of a good book .... when you can get lost in it and forget the world around you.

"Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China" by Jung Chang. I had to read this as part of my "Women in World History" class in college. I have read several times since and learn something new every time. I was captivated by the story of this family and the change in culture from one generation to the next. It is a little hard to get into because the story of her grandmother reads like a text book - names and dates, not much picture creation. But as she starts to tell the story of her mother and of her story, you can see it as you read. You will never look at China the same way again.

"Gerald's Game" and "Dolores Claiborne" by Stephen King. While the question was about your "three" favorite books you must read these together. They are like chapters of the same story. I was always disappointed that they did not make a movie of Gerald's Game since Dolores Claiborne was one of the few King movies I actually liked. I am a huge King fan and have read almost everything he has written. But these two books together are kind of suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat as you read. There isn't much gore or science fiction. But they are some incredible character building - you really want things to turn out well for these women. I am pleasantly surprised on a regular basis that the female characters Stephen King creates are strong and complex. I won't give anything away, but I recommend you read Gerald's Game first.

1 comment:

  1. Hmmm...I'm a huge Stephen King fan, and I don't think I've read Gerald's Game yet. I'll have to check that out. Dolores Claiborne was awesome, wasn't it? There are a few other books he's written where characters overlap - almost like you're reading about different times in their lives. I've always loved how he does that because sometimes it's hard to finish a book containing characters you really like.

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