Reading Writes {Chapter Three} Favourite Books // Reading
I'm not going to list my all-time favourite books here today, but if want to know what they are, you can find my original list from 2009 here, and the updated list I wrote in 2012 here.When it comes to my all-time fave books, I've realised that the ones I chose were for what was previously a subconscious reason: they are all books that I could read and re-read. If I was stuck on a desert island, those are the books I would want with me.
The thing is, I have a lot of 'favourite' books. There is my Top 10, and then there are the others that I love in different genres or for different reasons. There are books on my lists that I have to add because, while I may not have totally enjoyed the story, and probably wouldn't want to read again, they have stuck with me, sat in my mind for weeks, sometimes even years after reading them.
Books like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. It's probably been 10 years now since I first read Mark Haddon's excellent book and even now I sometimes think of it, and it's main character Christopher. Christopher has an undisclosed disability, however many reviewers have likened it to an Austism spectrum disorder, Asperger Syndrome, which I think is a pretty good guess. It's written from Christopher's perspective, and what a fascinating and strangely insightful perspective it is.
I've read it a couple of times over the years since that first reading, and while it may not be one that I could read over and over, it has stuck with me and I could never discard Christopher completely.
Similarly, The Girls by Lori Lansens (you can read my review of that here) was one of those books I thought about for weeks afterwards, and that still pops in to my mind from time to time. It's compelling, and there are more than a few really uncomfortable and confronting scenes in the book. It made me think, and it's it's for that reason that I would have to include it in books that I recommend to people.
The Pact by Jodi Piccoult is another good example of a book that, while it's not one I would want to read over and over again, is one that I would also recommend to people because of the way the story affected me. If you are familiar with Jodi Piccoult's work in any way, then you would know she tackles issues that a lot of writers would be a little shy to deal with.
Anything written by Margaret Atwood has had a huge impact on my mind, and her books are the ones that I always have to wait a few days after finishing, before I can start a new book. She packs so much in to her stories that I have to let them percolate a little in my mind before I can move on and comprehend anything else.
Good books and favourite books have so many things in common, but the thing with good books, is that you can have a book on your good list that you might not have actually enjoyed at the time. It's through the impact they have on your thoughts that they become what you call a 'good' book. Every one has different criteria and lists of good books and favourite books and I would love to know what it is that helps you determine good books and favourite books.
And like everything, just as we have favourite books, we also have books that we just can't stand, and I reckon they warrant a bit of discussion to, so that's what next month's chapter will be all about!
So tell me, what are your favourite books, the ones you can read over and over again? And what are the books that make your 'good' list, and why?
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Comments
I am wanting to revisit Monkeygrip by Helen Garner, though I haven't read it for years. For my year 12 English Lit main project I had to write a piece in Norah's voice. That kind of put me in Helen Garner's shoes (ok, as if! But for an 18 year old it seemed that way) and firmly cemented that book into my imagination. It is an important book in my life.
Also, and you may find me strange, but I feel as though I could not have made it through the last 23 or so years without the poetry of Leonard Cohen.
And, tangent over....
Thank you for sending me off on it Kylie, and for the link up x
Dani @ sand has no home
Also The Hunger Games always stays with me for weeks after reading it. I just love those books.
I recently finished reading Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. That one would go straight on to any favourites list of mine! Recommend!
Leanne @ Deep Fried Fruit
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