HAPPY NATIONAL READ A BOOK DAY!
Before I realized THIS important day was upon us, I’d started writing another blog post about reading, so please indulge me this one now and another in the not too distant future.
HAPPY NATIONAL READ A BOOK DAY!
I was always a big reader. I was an only child, I was a shy kid, books were my friends. And they have continued to be important to me throughout my life. I had a period, I guess my “active mother” period, when most of the “reading” I was doing was reading captions of pictures in magazines, ha. But that was due to time constraints not lack of desire.
In honor of National Read a Book Day I thought I would share my Top Ten Favorite Books. Realize, of course, that many some have been forgotten by this point in my life, but I’ll do the best I can. And, I’m listing them as close to chronological as I can, not really in order of preference. That’s too hard. One of the privileges I enjoy as an adult is that I Don’t Have to Pick Favorites.
1. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg. Like the next few books I read early on, I don’t exactly remember the story. What I remember is how it impacted my life. This book started my dream of running away, of hiding out overnight in a museum (or even better, in my version, a library). I remember so envying the characters their adventure and I longed to have one, too.
2. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. This one really impacted my life because I became Harriet. I became a spy, skulking around the neighborhood with my notebook and pen, writing stories from the little bits of lives I saw around me.
jodie filogomo
You and I are very much alike Bettye. I was an only child who LOVED books too. In fact, over summer vacation my mom would limit me to a book a day (don’t tell her, but sometimes I cheated).
There are a couple here I haven’t read. I’m definitely going to add them to my list.
Have you ever joined a book club. I only started once I retired, but it was actually nice to have others pick my books. I laugh because it’s like my clothing style. I get into a rut and read the same kinds of books otherwise. That’s why I love hearing what other’s are reading!!
Have a great weekend,
XOXO
Jodie
bettyewp
Mom!!! Limiting your child to one book a day! Oh the horror!
I remember cheating with two books I was “forbidden” to read: The Exorcist (I wish I’d listened to them, it terrified me!) and Valley of the Dolls. I think VotD was the first time I’d ever read a sex scene, ha ha, and I can remember showing it to my friends like “OH MY GOD READ THIS! WHAT THE HECK?!?” Ha.
We had a book club here at work for a short time. But it really turned into the “Go to Connie’s House (she has an amazing house on the bay and is a wonderful cook and the consummate hostess) and Eat, Drink and Play Games” Club. I don’t know, reading is such a solitary thing for me. I mean, it sounds fun in theory, but I don’t know. I do get a lot of my book coices from recommendations – mainly bloggers! And then if I like the book, I’ll look for others by the same author, so the pool widens. Do you belong to Goodreads? I do like that cuz I see what people I know are reading. And I love setting the annual reading challenge. This year I set my reading challenge at 30 books for the year…and I’m up to 41. I always do best with a little competition…even if it’s just with myself!
Karen P.
Oh wow, the memories that flood back reading the Reader’s Digest condensed book of June 1963 when I was a small girl: The Triumph of Janis Babson. The full length book is called A Little Girl’s Gift by Lawrence Elliott. What a tear-jerker–a precious 8 year-old Canadian girl with leukemia and what she accomplished for eye bank cornea donations at death. I read it over and over and the tears flowed and flowed! I still have the pages of the story in a special box. So moving and unforgettable. The book was reissued a few years back I think because so many people remembered and requested it. You can also google about Janis on Wikipedia.
bettyewp
Oh gosh, my parents always had shelves and shelves-ful of Reader’s Digest Condensed Books! They bought them but I don’t think they ever read them!
I will add A Little Girl’s Gift to my list, I don’t remember seeing that name on the binding, but they started getting them a little later in the 60s.
Thanks for the recommendation!
bettyewp
Ha, I just went to order A Little Girl’s Gift off Amazon and this was the first reader review, “When I was a young girl, I read the condensed story of a girl, Janis Babson, in the Reader’s Digest. I loved it so much, I corralled my friends and read it aloud to them.” I wondered if this was you!
Karen P.
Haha…no….I saw that too and thought this reviewer could be my soulmate!
Karen P.
Another really good book our teacher read to our class in 5th or 6th grade was called Escape from Warsaw (also called The Silver Sword). That was many years ago! It’s historical fiction and set in WW II. I’ve never forgotten how riveting it was. It’s still being read and in print.
bettyewp
In recent years, WW2 has been my favorite historical fiction era to read. That and like 1920s China. For most of my life if I saw a book wasn’t set in this country I was like NOPE. And in a different era, also usually nope. A couple slipped through, but for the most part that was my close-minded rule.
julia
Love hearing about your books and you were an only child??????? That explains a lot! Just kidding (maybe). What about Black Beauty? That was my childhood horse book. I loved the mixed up files one but only read it as an adult to my kids. I shall venture into your list and try out a couple. Bookmarking this post!
bettyewp
Only child DOES explain a lot. I got so I enjoyed my own company more than just about anyone else’s! Which is good and bad. I’m NEVER lonely, I’m always fine being by myself. BUT it does make it hard to let other people in. The bar is REALLY high (ha ha I’m so humble).
Of course, Black Beauty was a favorite, but to narrow it down to just TEN? As a child, the thing I did NOT love about the book was the different time period and country.
Oh, I kept meaning to tell you I got my copy of The School of Essential Ingredients, that was your recommendation, no? It’s in about the middle of my pile right now 🙂
Iris
Another only child here who read a lot – and still read a fair amount. I’m pretty picky about the books I read and sometimes when I can’t find something that looks good I’ll resort to previously read ones that I really liked. The older I get the more my tastes narrows.
Grace & Peace,Iris
http://www.IrisOriginalsRamblings.com
bettyewp
I’m basically picky but trying to be less so. I don’t generally care for main-stream “best sellers.” It’s like democracy. Just cuz a lot of people BUY something doesn’t make it GOOD.
But, once in awhile I give one a try. Just this week I read an Erin Hillenbrand book. I feel like I’ve been seeing her books everywhere, so I read one. I did my time and now I’m out, ha.
What are some of your favorites, Iris?