Top 10!
We have a fun summer reading thing at the library I work at, and we were asked for our ten favorite books, so I thought I'd share the list here (though I realize now that I don't have to limit it to ten and could keep going ... perhaps one day when I'm feeling just a bit more ambitious). There are, of course, notes at the end.
As they occurred to me in my head:
1) The Jane Austen novels: Northanger Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and Emma. (Yes, even obnoxious Emma.) As my father pointed out, they may be similar stories, but it's the characters and situations Austen creates that make each novel unique. After nearly 200 years, these novels have endured, persevered, thrived even. (How many movie versions of Pride and Prejudice are there? I can think of 5 off the top of my head, four of them done in the last 15 years.) I continue to insist these are not pure romance stories; social issues, questions of survival (um, by gentry standards, that is), class, overcoming adversity, and what makes a good person are large parts of these novels. They are enjoyable, well written novels. If you want to hear me continue to stand on my Austen Soap Box, feel free to start me on the subject.
2) The Island by Gary Paulsen. One of those great coming of age novels, this one about Wil, who finds an island he likes to visit and will spend so much time sitting there, thinking, planning, just being. Eventually he moves onto the island, his parents confused and surprised by his decision, but allow him to do it. And he finds himself, as cliché as that is. I'm a huge Gary Paulsen fan, and have liked everything I've read by him, but The Island continues to stick in my head as one of my favorites.
3) The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot. I love these books. There! I've admitted it! Told from the perspective of Mia's journal, she moves through her early high school years trying to make sense of being a princess (for real!), boys, her mother, and math. The books are always funny, touching, and I get a kick out of how clueless Mia is about her surroundings. And herself. There will only be one more Princess Diaries book, about which I am very sad, but will still eagerly devour when it's published.
4) The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. Despereaux is the runt of his family, a tiny, tiny mouse, with rather large ears. The Princess Pea is, well, a princess living in a grand castle with her father, who refuses to eat soup (an odd quirk of his). Toss in a rotten rat living deep in the dungeons of the castle, Mig, a girl who wants to be a princess, a cook's knife, and love. Think you know where this story is going? Guess again. It's one of those books with passages that ring entirely true, has moments of fear and suspense, and even tugs at the ol' heartstrings. The illustrations are exceptional as well.
5) Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. It was in this book that I first discovered David Levithan as a writer and he's brilliant. Beautiful, descriptive, wonderful passages that are easy to read and keep you wanting more. Nick and Norah meet one night, spend the whole night together talking and learning about each other and developing one of those relationships that head places we're not even aware they could head.
6) The Bookman's Wake by John Dunning. Let me begin by saying I don't read mysteries. I don't really like them a whole lot. But I enjoy the Cliff Janeway mysteries. Bookman's Wake is the second book in the series (Booked to Die the first), but I find it better than the first. Janeway was a Denver cop who loved to read and then gave up being a cop to open a used bookstore. Not exactly something that makes you a lot of money, but he loves it and solves book related mysteries in his spare time. There's something a little crazy happening at a well known fine print press, and Janeway is asked to check it out. As in all mysteries, troubles abound, red herrings spawn, and there's always a woman. I think it's the items the mysteries revolve around that keep me interested (Dunning is fabulous at describing books).
7) A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. I suppose it's my occasional dark sense of humor and love for all things nineteenth century that propelled me through this series. With a clever (and very depressed) narrator telling the story of three orphans chased by a wicked man through all manner of places and disasters, this series is just plain funny.
8) Any of the Jeeves and Wooster novels by P.G. Wodehouse. Bertie is so classically clueless and Jeeves, ever the proper gentleman's gentleman, is ready with an answer and solution for Bertie at a moment's notice (even when Bertie said he wanted to handle it himself). Great British humor.
9) Bagombo Snuff Box by Kurt Vonnegut. I love all Vonnegut novels. He's a brilliant writer. He comments on society and the stupid things we do and is funny while still retaining some tiny sense of optimism, somewhere. Bagombo Snuff Box is different than most of Vonnegut's work, as the stories in this collection are, for lack of better word, normal. You just have to read him to understand. :)
10) The Emily series by L.M. Montgomery (Emily of New Moon, Emily Climbs, Emily's Quest). Like Anne Shirley, Emily Starr is an orphan when she gets to New Moon Farm, living with a particularly stern aunt and other family members. But whereas Anne's natural talents (aside from getting into trouble) tends toward teaching, Emily's talent is in writing. A much shorter series than Anne's, but well told and my favorite of the two.
Once I got started on this list, it was difficult to choose only 10! Other authors of note: Booth Tarkington, a remarkably underappreciated American writer; Louise Rennison's fabbity-fab Georgia Nicholson confessions; Jean Plaidy's wonderful historical fiction; Louisa May Alcott's thrillers and A Long Fatal Love Chase are entirely different from what you would expect from her; Jasper Fforde's quirky and funny and highly literate stories; and Edith Wharton's dark upper class tragedies.
It feels so High Fidelity, creating a Top 10 list (yes, I know his were only 5, but really, only 5 books?). Enjoy, disagree, or shake your head in wonderment at the odd things I've chosen (I originally had a picture book on here), and I shall remain your Savage Librarian.
As they occurred to me in my head:
1) The Jane Austen novels: Northanger Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and Emma. (Yes, even obnoxious Emma.) As my father pointed out, they may be similar stories, but it's the characters and situations Austen creates that make each novel unique. After nearly 200 years, these novels have endured, persevered, thrived even. (How many movie versions of Pride and Prejudice are there? I can think of 5 off the top of my head, four of them done in the last 15 years.) I continue to insist these are not pure romance stories; social issues, questions of survival (um, by gentry standards, that is), class, overcoming adversity, and what makes a good person are large parts of these novels. They are enjoyable, well written novels. If you want to hear me continue to stand on my Austen Soap Box, feel free to start me on the subject.
2) The Island by Gary Paulsen. One of those great coming of age novels, this one about Wil, who finds an island he likes to visit and will spend so much time sitting there, thinking, planning, just being. Eventually he moves onto the island, his parents confused and surprised by his decision, but allow him to do it. And he finds himself, as cliché as that is. I'm a huge Gary Paulsen fan, and have liked everything I've read by him, but The Island continues to stick in my head as one of my favorites.
3) The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot. I love these books. There! I've admitted it! Told from the perspective of Mia's journal, she moves through her early high school years trying to make sense of being a princess (for real!), boys, her mother, and math. The books are always funny, touching, and I get a kick out of how clueless Mia is about her surroundings. And herself. There will only be one more Princess Diaries book, about which I am very sad, but will still eagerly devour when it's published.
4) The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. Despereaux is the runt of his family, a tiny, tiny mouse, with rather large ears. The Princess Pea is, well, a princess living in a grand castle with her father, who refuses to eat soup (an odd quirk of his). Toss in a rotten rat living deep in the dungeons of the castle, Mig, a girl who wants to be a princess, a cook's knife, and love. Think you know where this story is going? Guess again. It's one of those books with passages that ring entirely true, has moments of fear and suspense, and even tugs at the ol' heartstrings. The illustrations are exceptional as well.
5) Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. It was in this book that I first discovered David Levithan as a writer and he's brilliant. Beautiful, descriptive, wonderful passages that are easy to read and keep you wanting more. Nick and Norah meet one night, spend the whole night together talking and learning about each other and developing one of those relationships that head places we're not even aware they could head.
6) The Bookman's Wake by John Dunning. Let me begin by saying I don't read mysteries. I don't really like them a whole lot. But I enjoy the Cliff Janeway mysteries. Bookman's Wake is the second book in the series (Booked to Die the first), but I find it better than the first. Janeway was a Denver cop who loved to read and then gave up being a cop to open a used bookstore. Not exactly something that makes you a lot of money, but he loves it and solves book related mysteries in his spare time. There's something a little crazy happening at a well known fine print press, and Janeway is asked to check it out. As in all mysteries, troubles abound, red herrings spawn, and there's always a woman. I think it's the items the mysteries revolve around that keep me interested (Dunning is fabulous at describing books).
7) A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. I suppose it's my occasional dark sense of humor and love for all things nineteenth century that propelled me through this series. With a clever (and very depressed) narrator telling the story of three orphans chased by a wicked man through all manner of places and disasters, this series is just plain funny.
8) Any of the Jeeves and Wooster novels by P.G. Wodehouse. Bertie is so classically clueless and Jeeves, ever the proper gentleman's gentleman, is ready with an answer and solution for Bertie at a moment's notice (even when Bertie said he wanted to handle it himself). Great British humor.
9) Bagombo Snuff Box by Kurt Vonnegut. I love all Vonnegut novels. He's a brilliant writer. He comments on society and the stupid things we do and is funny while still retaining some tiny sense of optimism, somewhere. Bagombo Snuff Box is different than most of Vonnegut's work, as the stories in this collection are, for lack of better word, normal. You just have to read him to understand. :)
10) The Emily series by L.M. Montgomery (Emily of New Moon, Emily Climbs, Emily's Quest). Like Anne Shirley, Emily Starr is an orphan when she gets to New Moon Farm, living with a particularly stern aunt and other family members. But whereas Anne's natural talents (aside from getting into trouble) tends toward teaching, Emily's talent is in writing. A much shorter series than Anne's, but well told and my favorite of the two.
Once I got started on this list, it was difficult to choose only 10! Other authors of note: Booth Tarkington, a remarkably underappreciated American writer; Louise Rennison's fabbity-fab Georgia Nicholson confessions; Jean Plaidy's wonderful historical fiction; Louisa May Alcott's thrillers and A Long Fatal Love Chase are entirely different from what you would expect from her; Jasper Fforde's quirky and funny and highly literate stories; and Edith Wharton's dark upper class tragedies.
It feels so High Fidelity, creating a Top 10 list (yes, I know his were only 5, but really, only 5 books?). Enjoy, disagree, or shake your head in wonderment at the odd things I've chosen (I originally had a picture book on here), and I shall remain your Savage Librarian.
Labels: authors, books, female characters
posted by austentatious at 5:03 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home