Favorite Books from my Childhood

Inspired by the facebook 30 Books in 30 Days challenge, I loved the idea of thinking through my favorite books. I am not typically someone who re-reads books, so it's usually just one really impactful read that I remember for years. I find that I can't normally remember the whole story end to end, but there are moments and passages that resonate with me. In no particular order, here are my top books/series from my childhood. Keep your eyes peeled soon for my top list for adult reads.

• The Phantom Tollbooth by Jules Feffier - I read vividly remember reading this book in EPP class in elementary school. I loved the cities of Digitopolis and Dictionopolis, the literalness of the reasoning in the towns. I can practically still taste the letters the main character Milo bought at the market. I remember the slow bummer of the Doldrums, thinking how easy it can be to slip into a major case of the dumps. The characters represented many different personalities, like main character "everyman" Milo, the princesses Rhyme and Reason, the watchdog Tock, and the Humbug. This is one book I have read over and over, it's all tattered. Early in our relationship Kevin and I asked each other to read our favorite books. This was what I gave him, he gave me Moneyball. Needless to say, neither of us finished either book since our styles are so different.
• Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery - This was a book series that I actually saw first as a TV movie that I loved. My friend Amanda and I would watch this repeatedly on summer vacations. Once I learned that the story was initially a book series, I devoured my mom's copy of book #4 Anne of Windy Poplars. Just looking this book up for a link, I discovered that there are actually 13 books about the precocious orphan, Anne. I may have to check a few of those out of the library. The main character has such spunk and confidence, I can't help but think that a bit of her rubbed off on me.
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum - Another book from elementary school, I remember sitting in my forth grade teacher's reading circle. She would read to us every day, funny kid books like Bunnicula and one about a terrible teacher the kids always outsmarted. But my favorite she read was Oz. I would disappear into the story, not feeling connected to my body (even though girls used this time to braid each other's hair and draw on backs) and being in awe of this magical place. I read several of the other books in the series as well, but none captured me the way The Wonderful Wizard of Oz did.
• Andrew Lang's Fairy Books - The Brothers Grimm were a bit to intense for me as a child, so I developed my love of fairy tales by reading Andrew Lang's "colored books". My school library had the Red Book and the Yellow Book, and I remember checking these books out repeatedly to lose myself in the tales of animals, kings and queens, and witches. I always have a place in my heart for this genre, and it led me to The Once and Future King, about King Arthur and the Sword in the Stone.
• Miss Hickory by Carol Sherwin Bailey - This was a random book I checked out many times, and I found it a couple years ago at a bookstore going out of business sale. I instantly remembered the cover, and couldn't wait to read the book again. But then I remembered, it's such a crazy book! The main character is a stick doll who gets her nut-head plucked off and eaten by a squirrel! Check out the link to the book, it's a really funny review by someone who obviously read this book and remembered the quirkiness in a rosy light, just like I did!
• Shel Silverstein poetry books - Who didn't love The Giving Tree, Where the Sidewalk Ends or A Light in the Attic? I read these books many times with a reading light late at night. Some of my favorite poems include Jimmy Jet and his TV Set, Hector the Collector, Sick, The Crocodile's Toothache, Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out, Melinda Mae, The Meehoo with an Exactlywatt, It's Hot, Little Abigail and the Beautiful Pony, Twistable Turnable Man, Deaf Donald, Skin Stealer, Ladies First, and Almost Perfect. Silverstein's drawings are unforgettable and add so much to the silly poems.
• Berenstein Bears books - My favorites were Too Much Junk Food, Get the Gimmies, The Truth. Good morals, characters I could relate to, and you could even meet them in person at the amusement park Cedar Point! Berenstein Bear Country was open from 1985-98, and how now been replaced by Camp Snoopy, an even more wonderful cast of characters.
• Matilda and The BFG by Roahl Dahl - Dahl's books are magical. I know a lot of people probably loved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or James and the Giant Peach more, but my favorites were these. The books are empowering to children, full of interesting characters and zainy storylines. I have even read some of his adult stories, including Henry Sugar and Six More and Boy. He's a gifted writer who takes us away from normal life and into a fantasy land. The drawings added so much to the story too, that is exactly how you envisioned the story taking place.

So that's the list. Any one else fall in love with these books? What are your favorites?

The Poisonwood Bible

Have you ever been to Africa? Have you ever wanted to? It isn't a country I wanted to see, other than the Pyramids in Egypt. But after reading The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, I was transfixed by the vivid colors, scents, and sounds of Central Africa.

This was an amazing read set in the Congo from 1960s-1980s. It's about the Baptist Price family that goes to the Congo for a mission. The Price family is overwhelmed by changes from their lifestyle in Georgia, for seemingly simple things like shopping at the market and preparing meals, to dealing with more dramatic events such as droughts, floods, and ant plagues. Add in Father Price's incessant "my way or the highway" preaching, things just don't go right for the family.

The country breaks free of Belgium rule during the mission, and this changes life for all. There is civil unrest in the country and all whites are encouraged to leave. But most of the Price family stays, and their lives are forever changed by the pivotal events that follow.

I really liked how the narrators of the book were the mother and four children (all girls). Each chapter was told from the perspective of one of these women. I found it really interesting how as the girls grew into women, their voice maintained the same confidence, but their perspective changed based on all that they had experienced. I resonated with Leah the most when she was a girl, and with the mother as all of her chapters were written after she left Africa.

I'd rank this is one of the best books I have read in the last six months, maybe even the last year. It was a great read and I'd recommend it to anyone who is looking to learn about a new part of the world.

I'm reading Catching Fire, the second in the series about The Hunger Games. Nest post coming soon!

Vacation Reading

Kevin and I just got back from an 8 day trip to Mexico with my family. It was awesome to relax, sightsee, spend time with my parents, and eat and drink lots of wonderful things. Check out Kevin's blog for photos from our trip. Many photos are posted on facebook too.

On the trip, I had lots of time for reading! Here are the books I was able to get through...

The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston
This non-fiction account of the serial killer in Florence for over two decades was a pretty good read. I can't believe that the real killer hasn't been caught! The book was written by fiction writer Preston and the primary reporter of the story. I was more drawn in for the first half of the book, than the second half. Who dunnit? We don't know.

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafini
There are a lot of books about women's plights in the Middle East, but I thought this memoir had an interesting point of view. The author is a professor (in Islamic Republic of Iran for the story, currently in the US). She tells of the life of herself and her students during the tumultuous time of the Iranian revolution and Iraq/Iran war in the 1980s-90s. I loved how she broke the book into four sections, based on the books she taught in class: Lolita by Nabokov, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry James books, and Jane Austen books. I have ready Lolita (see my blog post on it here) and The Great Gatsby in high school. I found the writing a bit over my head, she does a very intellectual deep dive on the novels. But I enjoyed the comparisons of Iranian life to the novels and all the wonderful character description Nafini did.

Madame Tussaud: A Life in Wax by Kate Berridge
This biography felt like stepping into time in France in England during the times of Marie Antoinette. I was captivated by the first third of the book, learning about the life and times in France and England in the late 1700s to early 1800s. The book is quite a deep study on Madame Tussaud, but I remember seeing the museum in college, and being amazed at how life-like the models looked. In Madame's time, she touted her show as anatomical replicas, not wax figures, and she used the show to illustrate the prominent figures and news of the time. I thought this was an interesting read, out of my normal zone.

Room by Emma Donoghue
We read this for July's book club (my pick). I am really underwhelmed. I thought this was going to be a fantastic eye-opening read. I correctly guessed the reason the boy Jack was in his situation before even starting the book, and the whole story lacked the deep emotion I was expecting. I liked how the story was told through the voice of five-year-old Jack, that was a nice take. Overall, I'm pretty disappointed, since this book is a top seller.

I just started The Poisonwood Bible today (our flight got cancelled from Chicago to Minneapolis yesterday, sop I had ample reading time today). I'm enjoying it a lot so far.

Keep your eyes peeled for a guest blog soon - Kevin just read The Hunger Games and can't wait to discuss!