Looks like we get two posts today, despite the limited time I have. As I wrote and posted my previous entry, I totally forgot something!* It is Great Books Week. The National Association of Independent Writers and Editors is sponsoring a week long blog tour in honor of Great Books Week; it looked too fun to pass up, so I am participating. Every day this week, I will be posting a prompted blog dealing with great books (and my love of them).
Today’s Prompt:
If I were stranded alone on a deserted island with only seven books to read over the next few years, I would like to have…
- The Scriptures
I would definitely cheat on this one and bring my quad set. Can’t use up any of my seven on separate scripture books, no matter how convenient they are for cross-referencing. The reasoning behind this choice is pretty obvious. - Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
This is my favorite book. Ever. I have read it in four different translations, and will soon be able to read it in the original Russian. The psychology of Raskolnikov is haunting; the philosophy of crime intriguing. I find something new and profound in Crime and Punishment every time I read it. I absolutely love this book. - East of Eden by John Steinbeck
East of Eden is a close contender for the title of my favorite book. I am a huge Steinbeck fan, and I consider this to be his best book. It tells a familiar story (that of Cain and Abel) in a compelling and thrilling way. Even after spending 600 pages with the Trask and Hamilton families, I always finish this book wanting more. - Oddkins by Dean Koontz
My mom read this book to my sister and I when we were kids. I loved it so much that I felt I needed a copy of my own. I searched and searched but could not find it anywhere. Eventually I decided I would have to order one online. If you follow the link above, you will see that a new copy of this book is not cheap! Anyway, long story short: my mom gave me the very copy she read to me as a kid for my birthday one year. It was one of the first books Bubba and I ever read together; I loved it just as much then as I did as a kid. The story is captivating. The illustrations are grand. This is a wonderful book! - The Thief of Always by Clive Barker
My mom gave me this book (her own copy again) the same birthday she gave me Oddkins. I must have borrowed The Thief of Always from her ten times when I was growing up. The story is odd, dark, and twisted. And lovely. This is a great book to get lost in. - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
I didn’t particularly care for Jane Eyre the first time I read it. I had to read it (and journal about it) for a summer assignment before my sophomore year in high school. I was not impressed and could not figure out what all the hype was about. Then, a couple of years ago, I had a major surgery. Before I went in, I bought a couple books. I don’t know what prompted me, but I picked up a copy of Jane Eyre, thinking I should give it another try. I am so glad I did! Even in my drugged state, I finished it in 2 days. It has been on my list of favorites ever since. - The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White (tucked into a giant notebook)
The great thing about being a writer is: if I am ever stuck on a deserted island, even if I can only have seven books, I have an unlimited number of stories. A few years with no distractions would be great for writing! So, my last book is one of my own. One not yet written. One probably not yet imagined. Of course, The Elements of Style gets to stowaway in my notebook. Being stranded alone on an island is no excuse to get lazy in my writing.
*Oops. I guess my new blog feature will begin next Tuesday, after Great Books Week.
