This blog is taking a new direction! I'm always coming up with little ideas that don't seem to have a place anywhere. That is, until today! I haven't had blogging energy lately (for years?) and I'm hoping this will change it up a bit.
To start out, here are some of my favorite books to read for enjoyment. When I was at BYU I went to a book talk with Shannon Hale, and she discussed the importance in reading for fun and not just to get all the classics under your belt or something. Since more than one book is published daily it's impossible to read everything or every good thing, so you might as well read what you want and read something good. I know you might be thinking how is a book list a tip? But seriously, who's not looking for a good book to read?
Twelve Little Cakes by Dominika Dery
The most charming little memoir of a surprisingly well-remembered young childhood in Czechoslovakia. I would give a copy of this book to everyone I know if it were good and proper and I could afford it.
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
This book is a little gem that leaves a burning place in the reader's heart saying you are brighter and stronger and more capable than you previously thought.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
This cute story has all the feel-good elements of a little fictional book and also intertwines true WWII facts and short experiences in a light way that doesn't come across as stark or painful. It is written in letter form and takes place in the real Guernsey Channel Islands.
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
A classic YA fiction adventure of girl meets boy.
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith
A strongly autobiographical and beautifully written book about growing up. Themes of family, poverty, and education. Well-written is an understatement.
North And South by Elizabeth Gaskill
Victorian romance classic in sometimes tedious wordiness. Good solid moral characters, moral dilemmas, and a neat and tidy ending.
The Strangeness Of Beauty by Lydia Minatoya
A strange book about motherhood and lovely and amazingly thorough and insightful descriptions of Japanese life and culture. It leaves you wondering if you liked it and feeling changed and renewed at the same time.
Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card
Science fiction classic save-the-world story. Ender's Shadow is more interesting to me.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Hard to escape reading this book in light of the recent movie release. I liked it more than I thought and I thought it was weird.
Anything by Jasper Fforde, especially the Thursday Next series. My favorite is book 4, Something Rotten
John and I both enjoy Jasper Fforde, he's an excellent author. His books are basically detective books but they cross multiple genres. It's annoying when people compare his books to Harry Potter because they are amazing in their own right and so very different.
Harry Potter by JK Rowling
It's Harry Potter. Re-reading all the books got me through the horrible morning sickness with Thomas. Sometimes you just need one good thing in your life to look forward to, to be distracted by, and good ol' HP is a good world to live in.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
My sister was such a crazy Austen fanatic that when I picked this up I didn't think I'd even enjoy it. I thought you'd have to be all lace and squeals to appreciate it. I was pleasantly surprised by the humor, and John appreciated the excerpts I read aloud to him. THIS book got me through the no-sleep period after Thomas was born. I think I love everything about it.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
I love Jane Eyre as a person so much and the book is also excellent. I was thrilled to hear her quoted in the Young Women General Broadcast not long after I had read it.
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
Also surprisingly humorous and sweet. Enjoyable for children and parents both before the children understand the jokes, and after.
The Witches, The BFG, Matilda and James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl is an extraordinary storyteller, and reading his books growing up made me very, very happy. I think each of these are good read-alouds as well.
Little Women by Louise May Alcott
Little Women. Sigh. My third grade teacher gave the girls little women as a gift at the end of the school year, and the boys, Little Men, and if I didn't already worship the ground she walked on that would have sealed the deal.
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
I cannot even begin to describe Scarlet O'hara's crazy desperate actions and passions but this book is most certainly a classic. After I finished reading it I couldn't sleep for a couple days until I settled my mind on what I thought became of the main characters.
You may notice that I primarily enjoy Young Adult fiction and Classic Literature. That is because I am old-fashioned, I have high standards both for myself and my main-characters and I don't enjoy reading "adult content." I used to wonder if I just can't grow up and I'm stuck reading kid's books because I'm immature, or perhaps because I majored in Elementary Education and I'm somehow stuck in grade-school land because of it. But I eventually discovered that I have little patience for scenes, however mildly written, that contain mature sexual themes and I don't mean a subtle hint that the husband and wife love each other. That seems to cut out most adult fantasy and quite a bit of adult fiction for me.
One of my main strategies for finding good books to read is to look on goodreads.com at my friend's book reviews. I have several goodreads friends and it took me some time to figure out which of them think most similarly to me, but now that I know I look at their 5 star reviews and know there's a good chance I'm going to enjoy those books.
Happy Reading! I hope one of these books catches your eye!
Love, Paige
To start out, here are some of my favorite books to read for enjoyment. When I was at BYU I went to a book talk with Shannon Hale, and she discussed the importance in reading for fun and not just to get all the classics under your belt or something. Since more than one book is published daily it's impossible to read everything or every good thing, so you might as well read what you want and read something good. I know you might be thinking how is a book list a tip? But seriously, who's not looking for a good book to read?
Twelve Little Cakes by Dominika Dery
The most charming little memoir of a surprisingly well-remembered young childhood in Czechoslovakia. I would give a copy of this book to everyone I know if it were good and proper and I could afford it.
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
This book is a little gem that leaves a burning place in the reader's heart saying you are brighter and stronger and more capable than you previously thought.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
This cute story has all the feel-good elements of a little fictional book and also intertwines true WWII facts and short experiences in a light way that doesn't come across as stark or painful. It is written in letter form and takes place in the real Guernsey Channel Islands.
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
A classic YA fiction adventure of girl meets boy.
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith
A strongly autobiographical and beautifully written book about growing up. Themes of family, poverty, and education. Well-written is an understatement.
North And South by Elizabeth Gaskill
Victorian romance classic in sometimes tedious wordiness. Good solid moral characters, moral dilemmas, and a neat and tidy ending.
The Strangeness Of Beauty by Lydia Minatoya
A strange book about motherhood and lovely and amazingly thorough and insightful descriptions of Japanese life and culture. It leaves you wondering if you liked it and feeling changed and renewed at the same time.
Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card
Science fiction classic save-the-world story. Ender's Shadow is more interesting to me.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Hard to escape reading this book in light of the recent movie release. I liked it more than I thought and I thought it was weird.
Anything by Jasper Fforde, especially the Thursday Next series. My favorite is book 4, Something Rotten
John and I both enjoy Jasper Fforde, he's an excellent author. His books are basically detective books but they cross multiple genres. It's annoying when people compare his books to Harry Potter because they are amazing in their own right and so very different.
Harry Potter by JK Rowling
It's Harry Potter. Re-reading all the books got me through the horrible morning sickness with Thomas. Sometimes you just need one good thing in your life to look forward to, to be distracted by, and good ol' HP is a good world to live in.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
My sister was such a crazy Austen fanatic that when I picked this up I didn't think I'd even enjoy it. I thought you'd have to be all lace and squeals to appreciate it. I was pleasantly surprised by the humor, and John appreciated the excerpts I read aloud to him. THIS book got me through the no-sleep period after Thomas was born. I think I love everything about it.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
I love Jane Eyre as a person so much and the book is also excellent. I was thrilled to hear her quoted in the Young Women General Broadcast not long after I had read it.
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
Also surprisingly humorous and sweet. Enjoyable for children and parents both before the children understand the jokes, and after.
The Witches, The BFG, Matilda and James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl is an extraordinary storyteller, and reading his books growing up made me very, very happy. I think each of these are good read-alouds as well.
Little Women by Louise May Alcott
Little Women. Sigh. My third grade teacher gave the girls little women as a gift at the end of the school year, and the boys, Little Men, and if I didn't already worship the ground she walked on that would have sealed the deal.
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
I cannot even begin to describe Scarlet O'hara's crazy desperate actions and passions but this book is most certainly a classic. After I finished reading it I couldn't sleep for a couple days until I settled my mind on what I thought became of the main characters.
You may notice that I primarily enjoy Young Adult fiction and Classic Literature. That is because I am old-fashioned, I have high standards both for myself and my main-characters and I don't enjoy reading "adult content." I used to wonder if I just can't grow up and I'm stuck reading kid's books because I'm immature, or perhaps because I majored in Elementary Education and I'm somehow stuck in grade-school land because of it. But I eventually discovered that I have little patience for scenes, however mildly written, that contain mature sexual themes and I don't mean a subtle hint that the husband and wife love each other. That seems to cut out most adult fantasy and quite a bit of adult fiction for me.
One of my main strategies for finding good books to read is to look on goodreads.com at my friend's book reviews. I have several goodreads friends and it took me some time to figure out which of them think most similarly to me, but now that I know I look at their 5 star reviews and know there's a good chance I'm going to enjoy those books.
Happy Reading! I hope one of these books catches your eye!
Love, Paige
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