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<  Flourish and Blotts  ~  What are your three favourite books (excluding HP)?

memory
Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2006 7:04 am Reply with quote
Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 40 Location: Italy
Hi Lady!

I found your answer very interesting for three main reasons.
1) You are Catholic (as I am too) and it is not easy to find people declaring their religious status these days. (Anyway I had already guessed it from "Quaestio Pacis"... by the way, I loved "Reverto ut obscurum", I think I left a review)
2) The Da Vinci Code: an excellent Italian literary critic made a review of the book on tv and he found so many historical and literary mistakes that he completely destroyed my will to take a look... anyway, the book's theory is a very old and misused one, so I didn't think I'd lost too much. Now you say you liked it from a literary perspective. Could I ask you some details more? I think I can trust you, so I would be glad if you could answer me.
3) The Erma Bombeck books: how I love that woman! But I thought I was too old and that nobody else was now reading her books. Did you read the one about "motherhood, the second oldest (but honest) job on the earth" (my translation of title, of course)? I found it simply brilliant, lovely and decisely true. I know you are a mother too, so if have read it, you should have appreciated it!

Hoping in a reply
Mariaemilia
PS: what about the chocolate?

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abyt42
Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2006 5:40 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 16
Persuasion by Jane Austen (even more than the hugely popular P&P),
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, because everytime I read it I am impressed with his use of language (and I read it at least once a year because I use it in my American Literature classes), and Sacred Dust by David Hill (even though I haven't read it for years, because it's the only book in recent years that I've HAD to complete before sleeping.)

(Three is a difficult limiter-- Beloved, Stones from the River and Benet's Readers Encyclopedia are all books I like more than the HP novels. . .)
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SevsAngel
Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:49 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 10 Location: Grissom's Bed
1. "Misery" - Stephen King. No matter how many times I read this, I am intrigued everytime. It's as if you are reading an extended entry in Stephen's private journal. It's widely known that most of his stories come from his own nightmares and this book proves it.

2. "The Handmaiden's Tale: A Novel" - Margaret Atwood. I read this for a project in High School. It was one of the only books that I was required to read that I actually enjoyed. A truly scary and gut wrenching portrayel of a possible future in which women have no rights and are treated as slaves.

3. "A Child Called 'It'" - Dave Pelzer. The story of one of the worst cases of child abuse in California history as told by the abused. I bought this in the airport in Chicago to occupy my time on the flight home to Washington after I graduated Navy "A" School. I couldn't put it down. At times it made me cry, other times I wanted to hurl and at the end I wanted to seriously hurt the woman who had put this child through so much agony and hell.

Honorable Mention. "The Devil Wears Prada" - Lauren Weisberger. I saw the movie first, which usually is a bad thing, but not so in this case. The book is almost entirely different than the movie, but not in a bad way. I think almost anyone could relate to the heroine of the story, Andrea, which makes it a truly delightful story. Highly commical most of the time, especially when Miranda goes on one of her tangents and Andrea's inner dialouge explains what she would actually *like* to say.

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Pennfana
Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:47 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 07 Dec 2004 Posts: 216 Location: Ontario, Canada
I've got to agree with SevsAngel about The Handmaid's Tale; I was never actually required to read it in school, but I picked it up on a friend's recommendation (and believe me, I have a great deal of faith in that friend's taste, since I had to read Atwood's The Edible Woman in Grade 12 and most definitely did not like it). There's a decent (but difficult to find) film adaptation of it and I hear that it's been made into an opera (eep!) as well, but I've developed a certain fondness for the book itself.

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VelvetMouse
Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:56 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 09 May 2006 Posts: 69 Location: NYC
I'll third the love of Handmaid's Tale. I, too, had to read it for a class, proceeded to read it in one sitting and then go on a massive Margaret Atwood kick. I really enjoyed Robber Bride as well.

Other favorites -

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I've read this book countless times since I was 10.

Any of the Deryni books by Katherine Kurtz.

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Nichalia
Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:54 am Reply with quote
Joined: 08 Dec 2005 Posts: 5 Location: South Carolina, U.S.A.
Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov, Cyrano de Bergerac by some French guy, and.... maybe The Giver by Lois Lowry???

Lolita-- about a lovably horrible man named Humbert Humbert, and his obsession with nymphets. The real gem, though, is in how the book was written. Nabakov is absolutely enthusiastic, and the entire book was a joy to read! Please, just forget what you've heard about the whole "Lolita" nonsense, and read this!

Cyrano de Bergerac-- I'm going to pretend it's a book... though actually it's a play. The main character (Cyrano) with his enormous nose and rapier wit is a joy to read about. I have a translation, and I can only hope the original is as amusing as the translated version!

The Giver-- Deceptively easy to read. This is one of those books that you read in 4th grade and enjoy... then read as a teenager and enjoy but get something different out of it... and then read again as an adult and see yet another picture. Whatever your age, though, this is a gem. I could give you a generic description of the plot, but I'm worried it might discourage you from reading it if you haven't already.


How difficult it is to pick just three!!

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im2sleepy2
Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 12:47 am Reply with quote
Moderator Joined: 19 Nov 2005 Posts: 207 Location: Illinois, USA
After skimming through all the posts here, I have a few books that I have read and do enjoy and a couple I would include on my favorites.... Aside from HARRY of course.

1. Misery, and The Green Mile by Stephen King ( who is my all time favorite author along with J.K. Rowling, of course) In addition to these there are a couple others i like by him .... Dolores Claiborne, Dreamcatcher, Needful Things, The Stand, and the list could go on, and on, and on, and on!!
2. Little Women and all the other books to go along with it by Louisa May Alcott
3. A Child Called It .. this story, a true one I may add for those of you that haven't read or otherwise unfamiliar with ut, is very moving and emotional and quite difficult to describe adequately, especially without ruining it or possibly deterring one from reading it.

Those are just a few from what everyone has posted thus far.

To add my own favorites I think I have a few that others might find interesting

1. On a Pale Horse by PIERS ANTHONY this is the first book of a collection of 7 called "The Incarnations of Immortality" which are classified, I believe as SciFi/Fantasy. With the first book, and I am sure that after the first you will be hooked and have to read all the way through each and every one to find out what happens (unless you just don't care for this genre), you meet Aane, The Man Who Murdered Death! In doing so Zane must take over where Death left off. From here the Incarnations life (death??) is explored in how he must learn to do his "job" with the aid of his staff in "purgatory" and form a "working relationship" with the other Incarnations in order to foil "Satan's" grand plan. Ok, so not a very good sounding review but a FANTASTIC read especially when partnered with the other 6 books. All which are written from the view point of the other 4 Immortals and 2 eternals.

2.The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. I am guessing that by this point you may have figured out that I kinda like the Supernatural in one shape or form or another. Vampires, Lestat and Louie are just my cuppa tea.

3. The Chronicles Of Pern by Anne McCaffrey. What more could someone want.... Dragons, A brand new world without all the mess of the old one(s), all the wars, overpopulation, racism, technology way beyond their years and or knowledge. The people of Pern are put into a deep sleep lasting about 15 years (with their consent, of course) while transported from their home planet to PERN, where they start their lives in a minimal technological world, (kind of like they were back in the 1600 or 1700's maybe... but not as socially backward) kind of a futuristic type thing.


Anyhow I hope that what I have written peaks interest and not make you think that they are horrible.... I know that what was asked is why they are our favorites, and I think that the main reason for all of them is because of the different world/universe that they portray. A kind of what if .... reality, they are all ideas that I would kind of like to experience but am only able to through reading them. ( I know I am really strange....lol at least that is what everyone I know keeps telling me.)
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Lie
Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 7:18 am Reply with quote
Joined: 10 Aug 2005 Posts: 7
I'm just a little late on this thread... okay, a few months late... but I was tempted to share my favorites as well. Smile

Vanity Fair -- It's my understanding that when Thackeray wrote this novel, it was supposed to be a sort of sarcastic portrayal of society at large. He dislikes all of the characters within it, with only one exception, Amelia. Now, the main character is Rebecca (Becky) Sharp, who I absolutely adored. She's charismatic, clever, and willing to go to any lengths to make her place in the world. It's an engaging read and there are all kinds of witty comments within the prose and writing itself that made it a thought provoking and at times, hilarious read. The movie did the book justice, I thought, which was surprising.

The Three Musketeers -- What can I say? I'm a sucker for the classics.

Pride and Prejudice -- Timeless. I've even went out and bought some of the "after the book ends" fanfictions from Barnes and Noble, I was that hooked.

As far as series go, I have to mention the following:

The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix -- Magic, sword fights, undead monsters, shady pasts... c'mon, it doesn't get much better. It's amazing and full of interesting tidbits.

The Pellinor Series by Alison Croggon -- Alison takes a different stance on how magic should work, focusing on music, art, and the like. It's actually a fascinating perspective and it constantly kept me thinking.

And... that's all I have as far as things that haven't been mentioned yet.

/edited to add:

You know, I'm surprised to see A Handmaiden's Tale read in so many schools. It's number 37 on the ALA's list of most challenged books. But then again, "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou" is at number 3, so just goes to show that some people have no idea what they're talking about.

Here's the link, should anyone be interested at looking at that list. I know some of the titles on there surprised me.

http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/100mostfrequently.htm
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Pennfana
Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 2:12 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 07 Dec 2004 Posts: 216 Location: Ontario, Canada
What's really sad is that a lot of the challenges to books seem to come from people who haven't actually bothered to read them. There are so many books on that list that I'd actually want my kids (if I ever have them) to read, though of course there are some on the list that I'd hope they wouldn't read until they were a bit older. The "Earth's Children" series by Jean M. Auel comes to mind.

Anyway, back to the topic of this thread...I'm very fond of the "Mrs. Murphy" series by Rita Mae Brown. It's a somewhat different take on the mystery genre, with the main detectives being two cats and a dog. Their owner, Mary Minor Harristeen (better known as "Harry") always ends up involved in the investigations as well. I've been following the series since the first book, Wish You Were Here, and I've found all of the books to be very entertaining and even humorous at times.

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Lie
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:46 am Reply with quote
Joined: 10 Aug 2005 Posts: 7
At the risk of getting off topic, I agree with you. And I do think many of the books listed are in very poor taste. But the majority of books there were children's books that I loved when I was younger. I mean, really, why is Of Mice and Men more contested than The Anarchist's Cookbook? Very odd.

The Earth's Children series is amazing, I can't believe I hadn't thought to mention it. In fact, I think it merits a re-read for me. I first read it back in my senior year of high school when my English teacher recommended it.

And, I'll toss in a few other titles that I enjoyed:

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini -- This Afghan novel really gave me a lot of insight into the prejudices, cultural difference, and everyday life of that country. The story itself was poignant and bittersweet, to the point where I was crying. An excellent read.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden -- It's so easy to get drawn into the world that Arthur Golden creates, sucked into the novel. This book wasn't something I would usually read, but I was surprised by the author's ability to introduce me to an entirely different culture. Though, I've heard discussions on the actual truth of everything he's portrayed in the novel. Forbidden love, bitter rivalries, and throughout it all, one girl's determination to overcome everything in her path. The movie really didn't do the book justice.
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Pennfana
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 5:07 am Reply with quote
Joined: 07 Dec 2004 Posts: 216 Location: Ontario, Canada
I agree with you about Memoirs of a Geisha. Though I wouldn't be so hard on the movie; so much of the book takes place inside of Chiyo/Sayuri's mind, and though that's wonderful in print, it can be awfully boring on film. There are indeed some factual errors in the book—I read somewhere that the mizuaage thing, for example, has never been a tradition for Geisha—but the story is indeed a great one.

I suspect that Of Mice and Men is probably more challenged than The Anarchist's Cookbook simply because it's more widely available. That, and there's more room for interpretation in Steinbeck's work; we wouldn't want kids to start thinking too critically, now, would we? Confused

And it just occurred to me that every single book that I had to read in high school is on the list of the 100 most-challenged books, except for the three plays by Shakespeare that I had to study. There's actually more objectionable material in those plays than in many of the books on that list (with the possible exceptions of The Chocolate War, Catcher in the Rye and Lord of the Flies, all of which I found to be pretty awful). Perhaps "objectionable" isn't as bad when it's written in Elizabethan English. *sigh*

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tonksinger
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:20 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 02 Apr 2008 Posts: 15
This is tough...

1. Jane Eyre. Just wonderful in every way, and I maintain that whomever started HG/SS shipping had to have been a fan of this book. I won't say why because it would be a spoiler for those who haven't read it, but those who have may see my point.

2. Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman. Anything by Neil Gaiman, actually, but this collection of his short works is incredible. He has a range that I have yet to see paralleled.

3. Hamlet Need I say more?

Also, everything by Terry Pratchett, Charles de Lint, Jane Austen, or Peter S. Beagle. I love The Last Unicorn; it is one of the only instances in which a unicorn is an interesting character, not a cheesy fantasy cliche.
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Overhill
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 4:01 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 263 Location: Central Oregon, near a wyer, but the dragons are downstairs....
Have you read his "sequel" to "The Last Unicorn"? It's a short story that he never intended to write, but was asked to. I think it's called "Four Hearts".

I've recently found "The Young Folks Shelf of Books", ten volumes of children's literture, published by Collier. My parents had a set in their home, and I enjoyed reading them as a child. I found this set at a friend's home, as she was getting ready to give them away. They're filled with the best of children's literature for the time (up to 1949), and they're divided up into catagories (I'm currently re-reading volume 8, "Stories from History"). So no current stuff (Dr. Suess, etc.) but lots of beautiful classics.

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Snarkykitty824
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 7:47 am Reply with quote
Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Posts: 5
Yeah, this is about a year or two late, but who cares? "Not I," said the Snarky Cat! Very Happy

I consider myself an avid reader, so I agree with pretty much all the books listed so far (especially Pratchett and Piers Anthony ones). However, I was slightly disturbed to not see one of my all-time favorite series among these books: David Eddings' The Belgariad (and The Malloreon, the sequel series). These books recount the epic tale of a boy named Garion who goes on a quest with a troupe of characters (sorcerers (his family), acrobats, knights, gods, etc.) to reunite destiny, which had split into two possibilities (good and evil, if you will). It's your basic fantasy quest tale, but I love the interactions between the characters. These books never fail to make me smile.

Other than that, there are way too many good books from which to choose a favorite. However, I just remembered a beloved children's book by Julie Andrews: The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles. I don't remember the plot exactly, but three children (whose last name I believe is Potter. Coincidence?) visit a professor who tells them of the fantastic creatures that live in "Whangdoodleland", and they have several adventures on their way to find the last Whangdoodle. It's a very cute read.

And, since we're doing this in threes, one last one: George Orwell's 1984 and Aldous Huxley's [i[Brave New World[/i]. Okay, so that was two. Whatever. They're two of the best dystopian society books out there, a topic which for some reason is morbidly fascinating to read about. About which to read? There's no fixing that sentence. Embarassed Anyway...

That's my list! Even if it is here a bit late. Story of my life. Very Happy

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saraband16
Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 4:20 am Reply with quote
Joined: 30 Jan 2010 Posts: 3
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - This has to be the bedrock of all great gothic/romance stories. t's timeless and beautifully written. Plus who can resist a little madness?

Phantom by Susan Kay - This story has become near canon for Phantom of the Opera fans. It's the story of Erik, the Phantom from his birth to death, how he became the Phantom and what happened to him prior to that. Heartbreaking and horrifying, this isn't for the faint of heart.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - A thought-provoking story of hypocrisy and redemption in early America.
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