Some books and their inhabitants are more like good friends than anything else. They may or may not change your life, but they are there for you when you really need them.
The Complete Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; Douglas Adams, first read 1979, last 2010.
Follow two confused earthlings as they travel across space with two unconventional alien men, a suicidal robot, and a ship with its own mind and meet with bizarre misadventures.
Clever and acerbic British comedy, I laughed uproariously more over these books than any others I've ever encountered.
The Vampire Chronicles; Anne Rice. First read 1982, last 2010. Parts 1-3.
Peel back the layers of the onion and find treasure every step of the way with this historical trilogy that actually improves on the original mythos.
One of the rare stories that is work to read but more than worth it, travel thousands of years and miles in the intimate company of sublime characters.
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood; Rebecca Wells. First read 2000, last 2011.
Explore the deep hearts of the women of the bayou as you return to War Era America and its modern-day survivors.
A small sisterhood of four live through surprising and sometimes tragic lives, never stopping to count the cost of authentic friendship.
Salem's Lot; Stephen King, '90s foreword. First read 1978, last 2011.
A twist on Bram Stoker finds the suave count making a comeback in a rural American town, as you intimately experience the death of a small town's inhabitants through the eyes of a small band of unlikely but intrepid heros.
King takes you into the story personally, causes genuine fear, and gives you characters and imagery you will always want to visit.
The books I haven't read yet.
Oooh, I forgot about Divine Secrets - great choice!
ReplyDeleteHmmm...
ReplyDeleteI've heard of all of them; I've read none of them.
First, I was surprised that you were only listing five when you were allowed to list ten. Then I was doubly-surprised to find that you really listed only four. And finally, I was tresly-surprised to find that you listed only fiction.
No C.S. Lewis makes the Top Fi— er… Four? Hmmm… Hmmm, I say.
No surprise, however, to find Stephen King here. (He’s got a great “given name” :-)
~ Stephen T. McDogg
‘Loyal American Underground’
I really had to narrow the topic in order to do it at all. And yes, it still leaves out far more than it puts in, even with the limited scope I approached it from. If I were to start including books that have other purposes (like nonfiction) that broadens up the category again, and that wasn't going to work. However, I was getting ideas for some other like posts; some other categories in which to do the same thing. And I knew you didn't care for fiction lol (and knew you'd be covering non-fiction). You should give it a try for light reading, though - Hitchhiker's is genuinely hilarious and that doesn't happen often.
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, C.S. Lewis is his own post. I can't shove just one Lewis into a post like this, even if it were the entire Narnia Chronicles.
Lady Gwen, I really went for things that I turn to over and over, so I didn't even need to look at the bookshelves, heh. And Divine Secrets is certainly a perennial favorite of mine. The scope and depth are pretty stunning for a sort of one-hit-wonder. (For another excellent one-hit-wonder I suggest The Nanny Diaries, if you haven't read it.)
Besides, even the Shredder likes to make positive comments when the topic is as serious as reading. ;)
ReplyDeleteI loved the Divine Sisterhood and the Vampire Chrnilces - the others I'll have to sit down and read. :)
ReplyDeleteOkay, found your entry! :) I added some of these to my TBR list - others were already there. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful, you two. I sincerely hope you enjoy them; I tried to represent them as they are.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately with only five entries I didn't have time to post the opening line from Bulwer-Lytton, even though it fit the requirements.
Visitors To This Blog:
ReplyDelete"THE SHREDDER" passed away on July 5th, 2011.
She was a good person and a good friend of mine.
A heartfelt memorial tribute to her can be found here --> HERE<--.
Rest In Peace, my dear friend SHREDDER!
As you said: “It'll be a grand celebration when we meet on that glorious shore.”
~ D-FensDogg
‘Loyal American Underground’
LINDANNIEE ~
ReplyDeleteA 'Happy Baby Jesus Day' to you, my gone friend.
Are you watching me type this from wherever you are?
It's been half a year and I'm still in shock. You still come to my mind weekly. Too soon - we had so much yet to discuss. However...
.....God really does know best.
I'm thinking of you today, and thinking of your family - cognizant of the fact that this is their first Christmas without you, and wherever they are today, and whatever they're doing... they're hurting.
And I'm hurting too.
Usually, I feel only jealousy toward those who have passed on, but in your case, it's different. I wasn't prepared for the suddenness of your departure. And, you know, when you spoke of your health condition... I sometimes thought you were maybe exaggerating things a bit.
Obviously, I was as wrong as a human being can possibly be about something.
I'm sorry. And... I wish... had I known there was so little time left, I would have done things differently; I would have elevated our dialogue on various subjects to prime importance.
I'll pray for your family later today when we place Baby Jesus into the Nativity scene. Please put in a good word with Him for me, if you can.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'