Tuesday, December 03, 2013

These are a few of my favorite ...




... books!

First of all, are any of you going to watch the live! Sound of Music special?  I am going to watch the SH*T out of that.   I loved that movie as a kid, and I cannot wait to see the new staged version.  Singing! Dancing! That pretty blond country singer! Let me at it! 

Now.  I was clearing out a dresser in the foster room the other night when I came upon a book stash.  Books that  I had forgotten I even had - how does that happen?  They were actually duplicates of some of my all-time favorites.  Am I the only one who does that?  Buys copies of favorite books to give away to friends?  I guess maybe it's a book nerd thing, wanting to give away favorites. An, "I loved this book, so you will, too" kind of thing.  But, you know, you never give away the ONLY COPY you have of a favorite, because that would be crazy.  You have to save one copy, for when you need to read it again.

Here's the books I uncovered:

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski (two duplicates)

Growing up by Russell Baker

All Over But the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg

Boy's Life by Robert McCammon

Different Seasons by Stephen King

Fanny and Sue by Karen Stoltz

When Angels Rest by Donald Harington (I have three! duplicates of this one)

You know what's funny?  Looking at that list, it's almost all male authors.  And I would say that probably ninety-five percent of the books I read are written by women.  Hmmmm.

And the crazy thing is, I keep buying new (used) books - just picked up eleven more at a Better World Books sale yesterday - and taking books out of the library - and I will never, ever have time to go back and read my favorites over again if I keep getting more books, dammit.  I'm like that dude in the ruined library in the Twilight Zone episode, except minus all the time in the world and the busted glasses.

How about you?  Any favorites, the books that you'd read over and over again?  Do you save them?  Or am I the only crazy crackpot who stockpiles great books?




  p.s.  Not too late to get a Christmas card! Email me!

3 comments:

Domestic Kate said...

Oddly enough, I do not stockpile books. I believe I am the only English/Lit major in the world with, like, two full shelves of books and no more. I give them away all the time! I used to hang on to my favorites thinking I'd re-read them or use them for my classes. Then reality set in: I don't have time to read much for fun, and I don't teach lit classes. So there you have it.

Becs said...

I've had at least ten copies of I Capture the Castle over the years. It's by Dodie Smith, the same person who wrote 101 Dalmatians. I first read it when I was about 15 and every now and then I'll pull out my one remaining copy and start reading.

rockygrace said...

Kate, good for you! I admire anyone with the fortitude to pare down.

And Becs, I read I Capture the Castle (maybe on your recommendation?) and really enjoyed it. I had no idea that the same person wrote 101 Dalmatians. Honestly? I didn't know 101 Dalmatians WAS a book.