Booking Through Thursday: Coupling

“Name a favorite literary couple and tell me why they are a favorite. If you cannot choose just one, that is okay too. Name as many as you like–sometimes narrowing down a list can be extremely difficult and painful. Or maybe that’s just me.”

Well, I can't name just one - there are far too many wonderful couples in literature, so here are a few favorites that spring to mind (in no particular order):

• Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)
• Cynthia and Father Tim (The Mitford books)
• Despereaux and Princess Pea (Tale of Despereaux)
• Ruth and Idgie (Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe)
• Rowan and Michael (The Witching Hour)
• Odd Thomas and Stormy (Odd Thomas)
• Artemis Fowl and Holly Short (The Artemis Fowl books)
• Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley (The Harry Potter books)
• Henry and Clare (The Time Traveler's Wife)
• Noah and Allie (The Notebook)
• Meggie and Farid (Inkheart)

I'm certain there are ones I'm forgetting about, but there's my list. Who are your favorite literary couples?

Booking Through Thursday: TBR

Okay–here was an interesting article by Christopher Schoppa in the Washington Post.

Avid readers know all too well how easy it is to acquire books — it’s the
letting go that’s the difficult part. … During the past 20 years, in which books
have played a significant role in both my personal and professional lives, I’ve
certainly had my fair share of them (and some might say several others’ shares)
in my library. Many were read and saved for posterity, others eventually, but
still reluctantly, sent back out into the world.
But there is also a category
of titles that I’ve clung to for years, as they survived numerous purges,
frequent library donations and countless changes of residence. I’ve yet to read
them, but am absolutely certain I will. And should. When, I’m not sure, as I’m
constantly distracted by the recent, just published and soon to be published
works.

So, the question is his: “What tomes are waiting patiently on your shelves?

I have a really hard time getting rid of books. We've moved 4 times in the last 5 years, and every time I try to get rid of a few, but it's really difficult - especially with the ones I've not yet read. So, I have a pretty good amount of TBRs that have been on my shelves for years, including:

• The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
• Queen of the Damned and many others by Ann Rice
• Preserve and Protect by Allen Drury (I love Advise and Consent, and I've always wanted to go back and reread it before I got to Preserve and Protect, but I haven't run across a copy)
• The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve
• Books E, F, G, I, J, K, M, P, Q, and S of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone mystery series (Why have I kept buying these - and out of order - if I stopped reading at D? I have read T, but really?!? I'm not sure what the thought process was here...)
• The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
• Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
• Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Seriously, I could probably list 100 more. So, what about you? Do you obsessively hold on to books you've never even read??

Booking Through Thursday: Questionnaire

Today's topic is actually a series of questions.

What was the last book you bought?
Inkdeath, by Cornelia Funke. It's the third in the Inkheart series, and I am so looking forward to it. I'm contemplating going back and rereading the other two, though, because it's been a while in between books, and I know I've forgotten things.

Name a book you have read MORE than once
Well, I've read all of the Harry Potters more than once (all but Deathly Hallows more than twice, and some quite a bit more....). Discounting those, I've read The Stand by Stephen King four times.


Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it?
No Opportunity Wasted by Phil Keoghan sort of made me think about how much of my life I've spent waiting for the next thing to happen...waiting to get married (I was barely 22 when I married, so I didn't wait too long), waiting to get a bigger/better house, waiting to move out of Vermont (that was a long wait)....just waiting for things to get better in general, and really my life wasn't bad - I just wanted more. Though NOW is more about taking chances and doing things you think you can't afford (financially and time-wise), it still made me reevaluate my life a bit and see that this is the only one I'm going to get, and I should be proactive in either making it better or accepting and enjoying what I have right now. Now, I won't say that the book has made me a happier person (we moved from VT to a wonderful place in VA, and I love it here, so I'll credit that more than anything), but it has given me a bit of perspective.

How do you choose a book? eg. by cover design and summary, recommendations or reviews
I have to admit that a pretty cover goes a long way with me. If a book has an ugly cover, I'm not picking it up, unless someone (someone I know or a review I read) specifically mentions how brilliant it is. If, on the other hand, the cover is really striking, I'll pick up the book and read the blurb. If it sounds like something I'd be interested in, I'll probably read it.

Do you prefer Fiction or Non-Fiction?
Fiction. The only non-fiction I really read are travel memoirs, and those are few and far between. I will occasionally read kid's non-fiction, but generally those are preparation for school.

What’s more important in a novel - beautiful writing or a gripping plot?
Gripping plot - I don't enjoy overly flowery writing. I want the writing to be good - even the best plot can be run aground through bad writing, but lovely writing with no plot is not something I want to read.

Most loved/memorable character (character/book)
Well, there is the obvious Harry Potter selection - I love so many of those characters, but aside from those, I think my favorite character is Odd Thomas (brought to life through Dean Koontz). I love Odd Thomas - he's so sweet and witty and lovable. I am not a fan of horror at all, so I'm not a big Koontz reader, but I adore the Odd Thomas books.

Which book or books can be found on your nightstand at the moment?

• Nation, by Terry Pratchett (which has been there far too long because I'm not particularly enjoying it.)
• Charlie Bone and the Time Twister by Jenny Nimmo (which is on my iPod, and I am thoroughly enjoying.)
• The Tenth Case by Joseph Teller (which I haven't gotten into enough to know if I'm enjoying it.)

What was the last book you’ve read, and when was it?
I last finished A Risk Worth Taking by Robin Pilcher, which was an audiobook. I'm working on the review now, so I won't tell you whether I loved it or not. The last book I read that wasn't an audiobook was Hot Mess by Julie Kraut and Shallon Lester (see my review).

Have you ever given up on a book half way in?
Sadly, yes. Crime and Punishment is one that springs to mind. I'm sure there were others, but not too many because I have this OCD need to finish the books I start. I very nearly gave up on The Hobbit, but I trudged through that one.

Booking Through Thursday: Well, That Was Different

Today's Topic: What was the most unusual (for you) book you ever read? Either because the book itself was completely from out in left field somewhere, or was a genre you never read, or was the only book available on a long flight… whatever? What (not counting school textbooks, though literature read for classes counts) was furthest outside your usual comfort zone/familiar territory?
And, did you like it? Did it stretch your boundaries? Did you shut it with a shudder the instant you were done? Did it make you think? Have nightmares? Kick off a new obsession?

One of the most unusual books I've read lately would have to be The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer. It's a very unusual story and very different from anything I'd ever read. I did enjoy it very much (you can find my review of it here.) I'm not sure that it made me want to branch out because I don't know that there really any other books that much like it, but it was a wonderful book, and it made me want to read more from Nancy Farmer.

Another that I found completely different from my normal fare was Life of Pi by Yann Martel. I read it several years ago and I didn't care for it at all. It did make me think, but it also left me uneasy. It wouldn't dissuade me from a certain genre or type of book, though, because it was the story not the style that I had issues with. I don't regret having read it, but I wouldn't ever want to read it again.

What was the most unusual book you've ever read?

Booking Through Thursday: Stories

Today's Topic: If you’re anything like me, one of your favorite reasons to read is for the story. Not for the character development and interaction. Not because of the descriptive, emotive powers of the writer. Not because of deep, literary meaning hidden beneath layers of metaphor. (Even though those are all good things.) No … it’s because you want to know what happens next?
Or, um, is it just me?

Nope, it's not just you. When I write reviews, I am quick to mention if the author was particularly adept at developing her characters or evoking a strong emotional attachment, but for me, it's really all about the story. I think it's the main reason I relate so well to children's literature. Generally, you find that most books geared toward kids are going to be focused on the tale they have to tell. If they're really exceptional, they'll have all that other stuff, too (I'm thinking J.K. Rowling, Cornelia Funke, and Kate DiCamillo). But, what draws me in and holds me til the very end isn't how this character has grown or that imagery made me want to weep. It's the gotta finish, gotta know what's going to happen, dang, I'm on the last page and I don't want it to be over kind of feelings I get from really good storytellers.

So, what do you look for in the books you read?

Booking Through Thursday: Other Worlds

Today's Topic: Are there any particular worlds in books where you’d like to live?
Or where you certainly would NOT want to live?
What about authors? If you were a character, who would you trust to write your life?

Are there any particular worlds in books where you’d like to live?

Well, if you've got even the slightest hint about me at all, you could probably guess that I'd love to live in the world of Harry Potter. Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley - all are fascinating to me, and I think it would make for a magical place in which to reside.

On a completely different note, I think I would like to live in the Mitford created by Jan Karon in her books about Father Tim and the other Mitfordians. It's so sweet and simple, and everyone knows everyone else. It has a very Mayberry feel to it, which in theory is appealing. On the other hand, having spent four years in a very rural area of Vermont (and barely escaping with my sanity), I am not sure that I would like it as much as I think I would like it.

Similarly, I think I'd like to live in any of Rosamunde Pilcher's beautiful stories. Her beautiful writing has always made me believe that there could be nothing better than sitting in a stone kitchen with an aga stove sipping tea and looking out over my lush gardens. (Which just goes to show how great she really is, because I hate tea, cooking, and gardening....)

There are some books that I would like to be able to be dropped into at certain key points and then removed from after the adventure was over - Timeline and Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton spring to mind, not that I want to get chased around by dinosaurs, but I would like to see them.

A less fictional place that I'd like to at least visit is the area depicted in Frances Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun. I found her descriptions of the area, the food, the people, the architecture to be delicious, and I would love to experience even a little bit of that before I die.

Or where you certainly would NOT want to live?

Harry Potter's world as long as Voldemort was running amok. After his demise, though, count me in.

The Papua New Guinea areas explored in Kira Salak's The White Mary (see my review here to get a better picture of why).

In any setting of a Stephen King novel.

What about authors? If you were a character, who would you trust to write your life?

This is definitely tougher. I think most of my favorite authors could make my life more interesting, but is that what I would really want? J.K. Rowling, Cornelia Funke, Phillip Pullman would all create excitement and fun, but also they tend to get their characters in quite a bit of trouble. I think of all the authors I adore, Jan Karon might be the most trusted for not making my life more exciting than I could possibly stand.

Booking Through Thursday: Famous Last Words

What are your favourite final sentences from books? Is there a book that you liked specially because of its last sentence? Or a book, perhaps that you didn’t like but still remember simply because of the last line?


There are many wonderful endings that have left me with a smile (or sometimes a few tears) on my face. Here are a few of my favorites...

• There's the wide-eyed innocence of Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: "And I know I can do this because I went to London on my own, and because I solved the mystery of Who Killed Wellington? and I found my mother and I was brave and I wrote a book and that means I can do anything.
• After some worrisome events in Inkspell, the second book in Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke, we are left with this optimistic message: "This story will have a happy ending. I swear!"
• In the context of the story, I thought Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife, the final words are a sweet finish to a lovely story: "He is coming, and I am here.

Do you have any favorite last words?

Booking Through Thursday: Definition

What, in your opinion, is the definition of a “reader.” A person who indiscriminately reads everything in sight? A person who reads BOOKS? A person who reads, period, no matter what it is? … Or, more specific? Like the specific person who’s reading something you wrote?

I've never really thought about it before. I guess for me it's someone who reads and enjoys books. I know there are comics and other forms of 'reading material', but in my mind, when someone describes themselves as a reader, I assume (yes, I know what that makes u and me) they mean they love books the way I do. Genre doesn't matter. It can be classic works of literature, or books of poetry, or science fiction, or children's books.

However, just the act of reading doesn't make a reader, in my opinion. You can read for a class, and get nothing from the experience short of a grade, but to be a reader, you do it because you want to and get some pleasure from it.

So, what is your definition of a "reader?"

Booking Through Thursday: Flavor

Today's Topic: Favorite Authors...

Think about your favorite authors, your favorite books . . . what is it about them that makes you love them above all the other authors you’ve read? The stories? The characters? The way they appear to relish the taste of words on the tongue? The way they’re unafraid to show the nitty-gritty of life? How they sweep you off to a new, distant place? What is it about those books and authors that makes them resonate with you in ways that other, perfectly good books and authors do not?

Trying to narrow down favorite authors is always difficult for me. I have quite a few, and it's not like they're all within the same genre or even several from two or three genres. They're rather all over the map categorically speaking, and it makes it more difficult to pinpoint the quality that draws me to them.

I would have to say my top favorite books are the Harry Potters (more especially books 3-5) and Inkheart. These I think I like for generally the same reasons - escape. Rowling and Funke have, with these novels, created amazing worlds that are as real to me as my own living room. To be able to walk down Diagon Alley or share a story with Meggie and Mo - these are my people, my places, everything I love about reading is contained in these books. I could read and reread and reread them and never tire of the way I feel each time I turn the pages. There is definitely something magical going on.

Then there are authors like Michael Crichton and John Grisham - neither of which I've read lately, but both of which I still count among my favorites. For me, their talent lies in realism. Where The Goblet of Fire gets me with its fantasticalness (totally made up that word), books like The Firm and even Jurassic Park are so well thought out and explained, that you don't even question the plausibility of the plot. Dinosaurs created from DNA extracted from a mosquito? Sounds good to me.

And then there are others like Rosamunde Pilcher, who's been with me for a while, and Nicholas Sparks, who's a relatively new friend. Both of these authors tug at my heart a little bit, make me cry, and give me hope all at the same time.

I could go on and on...but I think the answer really is that each of the authors I count among my favorites are brilliant at creating life on the pages of their books, characters that breathe, cities I want to visit, and stories I want to hear over and over again. And I am so grateful that they've found their place in the world of literature.

So who makes you swoon?

Booking Through Thursday: TRENDS

Have your book-tastes changed over the years? More fiction? Less? Books that are darker and more serious? Lighter and more frivolous? Challenging? Easy? How-to books over novels? Mysteries over Romance?

You wouldn't think this would be a difficult set of questions to answer, but I'm honestly not sure. If my tastes have changed, it's been subtle differences. Of course, when I was a teenager, I preferred certain things that don't appeal as much now - teen romance novels come to mind. But even then I enjoyed authors like John Grisham, Michael Crichton, Sue Grafton, Ann Rice, and Mary Higgins Clark. But I also enjoyed Shakespeare, Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and other classics.

I do think my tastes have broadened to include more genres. I think perhaps I have more patience for books that don't 'fly' now than I did in my teens. I find I intersperse books that are really fast and action-packed (like The Da Vinci Code and The Bone Collector) with others that may be slower but with perhaps more depth (The Time Traveller's Wife, The Historian, and The Thirteenth Tale, to name a few). It was probably in my mid-twenties when I was really introduced to children's lit as a grown-up. It had never really occurred to me that I might enjoy books written toward young people - I assumed they wouldn't have enough substance to hold my attention, but J.K. Rowling changed my perspective, and I've since found a whole host of authors and books in that genre that I count among my favorites (Cornelia Funke's Inkheart books, anything by Kate Dicamillo, and the Artemis Fowl books, for example). I also got introduced to Nora Roberts around the same time. I had always found Harlequin type romance novels pretty awful - I don't enjoy the love scenes, and the plots were generally inane, if there was a plot at all (perhaps that was more perception than reality, because I don't really know that I'd read too many to make that judgment). But, about 7 or 8 years ago, a friend of mine told me I should read this book (I think it was Sea Swept, but I'm not positive) that she just loved. So, begrudgingly I did. And I was shocked at how much I enjoyed it. So, the plot was completely predictable, and it still had more references to groins that I would've liked, but Roberts' descriptions of the places captivated me. I was there, right along with the characters. So, I read another, and another, and have since read probably 2 dozen or more of her books. Not all of them were wonderfully terrific, but more often than not, I really enjoyed them.

One thing that has stayed fairly consistent, though, is my inability to put down a horrible book. I have done it on a few occasions (I could count them on one hand), but it's always been a struggle for me to leave a book unfinished. It's something I think I should work on, though, because there are just too many fantastic books out there to waste my time on one that's less than mediocre. I've finished far too many books that I shook my head in wonder at why I'd ever picked it up.

Booking Through Thursday: Manual Labor Redux

Following up last week’s question about reading writing/grammar guides, this week, we’re expanding the question….

Scenario: You’ve just bought some complicated gadget home . . . do you read the accompanying documentation? Or not?
Do you ever read manuals?
How-to books?
Self-help guides?
Anything at all?

As to the first question, the answer is no, probably not. I'm generally a find out as you go kind of girl. Although, I still don't know how to work our dvd player that we've had for a few years now. But, I've got a ten year old son who does, so I've never really had to figure it out. It took me months to figure out how to use my ipod and my cell phone, but I find that working things out myself helps me to better understand it (technological things anyway) than I would if I tried to read the manuals - which are generally so complicated that they confuse me more than I ever was. If I want to figure out how to do something specific, I'll ask my husband or my son, and usually they'll be able to direct me. If all else fails, I may look through the guide for specific answers to specific issues, but I won't sit down and read the whole thing. Usually, by the time I've come across a problem with a gadget, I've lost the manual anyway, and I'll just google the issue.
I have read how-to books and self help guides, and those are different. If it's something I'm interested in, I enjoy learning things from books, but I still don't read those types of books very often.