I love the power of a good book. It lingers with you like a dream you cannot let go. Sometimes a passage might tinker with your mind, pushing you to reflect. Other times, you laugh hard, the same way a child releases a giggle from her belly. Books offer hearty conversations and a place to seek refuge.
I adored this book meme from blogger and writer, Jackie Cangro. I discovered her musings a few months ago and admire the rhythm of her pieces. Her writing is always insightful. She writes pieces that push you to reflect and also blends humor and wit in her posts. Jackie definitely has range in her writing. You will love her site.
Here are my answers to the same questions:
My favorite childhood books
I loved Nancy Drew books as a kid. Carolyn Keene’s mysteries kept me locked in my room for hours. I also remember checking out a pile of Nancy Drew books from the library and trying to balance them as I reached for the car door. There is a particular kind of nostalgia when I see a Nancy Drew cover. It reminds me of my childhood home.
A book I read in secret
I read Go Ask Alice in secret – mainly because I thought reading an Anonymous author made me a rebel and also I don’t think my parents approved of this book when I read it.
The books I’ve read over and over
These books help me gain clarity on writing, spirituality, life and loss. That is why I keep returning to these books:
The Razor’s Edge by Somerset Maugham, The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald, Walden by Thoreau, The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
A classic I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never read
Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy. I love Tolstoy and his short pieces, but Anna Karenina is daunting in its page count.
A book I consider to be overrated
Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese. My book club read it and the majority loved it. I failed to see its appeal.
The books I wish I’d written
Awww, difficult question. The honesty in Flannery O’Connor’s work and the universality in Raymond Carver’s prose gets me every time. Their short stories are layered with so many emotions and epiphanies that whenI read their work, I learn something new about myself.
The novels people might be surprised to learn I love
People might be surprised to learn that I read young adult novels and that I can also sink into Sophia Kinsella’s Shopaholic series. I think its because they are light and fun and I can also discuss these books with my mom.
The last book that made me laugh…and the last one that made me cry
I laughed out loud reading Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling and This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper.
I cried when reading Fault in Our Stars by John Green, Wonder by R.J. Palacio and Me Before You by JoJo Moyes.
My favorite movie versions of books
Gone Girl – In my opinion, the screenplay kept my attention and moved with the perfect cadence. Other movie favorites, Gone With the Wind and Atonement.
What I’m reading right now
Stacks of books greet me everywhere I turn in my house. I usually read several books at once. Currently, I am reading, All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr and Untamed State by Roxane Gay.
Why I read
Reading offers comfort and a safe passage. I understand the world better, as well as myself, by reading. Perhaps Maurice Sendak says it best: “There’s so much more to a book than just the reading.”
Please share some of your responses to these questions. Would love to hear your answers.
Image: “book collection” by Chronon6.97 via Flickr.
Welcome! I am a lawyer turned freelance writer, essayist, and editor. On staff at Literary Mama and the co-founder and co-editor of the literary journal, The Sunlight Press, my essays and reported work have appeared in The Washington Post, The Lily, Saveur, Civil Eats, Brain, Child, ESPN and elsewhere. I am currently at work on a memoir on grief and culture and how it provides perspective on life’s ordinary graces. I invite you to appreciate the ordinary with me. I hope my daily practice of seeing the magic in the mundane helps you celebrate and find more of these moments in your life too.
Thank you so much for the kind words, Rudri. I loved reading your answers! We definitely have similar taste in books.
This Is Where I Leave You was a funny read in that it was easy to identify with the main character and his family. I laughed out loud also. Did you see the movie?
Speaking of movie, I agree that Atonement was a terrific adaptation. It was riveting scene by scene.
I’ll be reading All the Light We Cannot See as soon as I’ve finished The News from Spain (a collection of short stories from Joan Wickersham). I look forward to your thoughts on it.
Jackie:
Thanks again for the inspiration. I really enjoyed answering these questions.
I’ve held off in watching the movie version of This Is Where I Leave You because I definitely didn’t want to spoil my book experience. Did you enjoy it?
I look forward to commiserating with you on All the Light We Cannot See.
Have a good weekend filled with books.
I haven’t seen the movie This Is Where I Leave You. I completely relate about not wanting to spoil the book experience. Sometimes the movie images overtake the images I’ve created in my mind from the book, which is disappointing. Still I might check it out when the DVD is released. I’ll keep you posted.
I might check it out on DVD as well. We should definitely discuss after watching.
This is so lovely. Books offering a safe passage … that is such a beautiful expression and image. They accompany us and make us feel less alone as we make our way through this world, don’t they? xox
I always feel less lonely when I read a good book. There is nothing like it.
I cried at those same books, except Wonder as I haven’t read it, will have to check it out. I love reading!
Reading is such an enriching experience. Check out Wonder. I think you will like it.
I saw a lot of similarities with us, and a lot of recommendations.
I also love the Shopaholic series and I actually have the new one on hand from the library. I know they’re fluffy, but they’re truly well-written. And it’s always so nice to sink into one of her books by the fire.
I agree, Tamara. The Shopaholic series is a nice escape. Fire, hot cocoa and a good book sounds like a perfect evening to me. Have a good weekend!
I love books and I love this post.
Thanks, Ayala. Glad you enjoyed this post. I loved walking down memory lane with some of the books of my past.
Great share! I love books too great selections Rudri
Glad you liked it, Mari. Books do make the world go round, don’t they?
What a great meme. I haven’t read some of the books you mention so I’m adding them to my queue. Do you ever feel like you’ll never get to all the books you want to read in your lifetime? It can be overwhelming. Still, I keep adding them faster than I can read them. They are pure magic, and I love the sentiment of books as a safe passage. They are, aren’t they?
Books are such a lifeline. You raise such a good point – I will never read all the books on my list. I feel such sadness when I think about that fact. But somehow I find an odd comfort that my list keeps growing. It reminds me of the Whitman quote, Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes.”
Thanks for adding your insights.
You answered these in such a way that I felt like the meme was secondary, sometimes they overpower the answers. Lovely.
Amanda,
What a wonderful compliment. Thank you.
Wonderful recommendations Rudri 🙂 I loved Go Ask Alice when I was in high school – all the turmoil and mental problems just further drew my curiosity of the mind. As a kid I loved Garfield comics though, always made me laugh and smile. 🙂 Have a great weekend Rudri! -Iva
Thanks, Iva. Go Ask Alice offered a compelling premise and reading it as a teenager gave more gravity to the main character and the plot. I also loved Garfield, Family Circus and Blondie as a kid. Such nostalgia comes to mind when thinking about these comic strips.
I loved this. It was like a window into you through the books in your life. Books are like songs in that way, aren’t they? They take you back to a certain place and time, or mark a moment or memory of where and who you were when you were reading them. You wrote so beautifully here of the books that make up you. Also, “Reading offers comfort and a safe passage.” — just gorgeous. xo
Thanks, Dina. I love how you compared books to songs.
Certain passages push buried memories to the surface. The nostalgia and emotions that emanate from that tiny sliver is so potent and enduring.