Literal Confession September 30, 2007
Posted by Jen in : Bits and Pieces , trackbackI usually quite like being tagged for memes so I thought some jolly thoughts when JJ tagged me for a booky one. And then I looked at my bookshelves and flushed with shame. Oh, bugger - why aren’t I highbrow and clever and learned? My shelves overflow with books on cookery, meditation, Reiki, poetry, writing, grammar – where are my weighty tomes of classics? Oh dear… confession time…
Total number of books
Um… a few hundred, I guess. I really am a book junkie but I can’t bear to leave fab books on the shelf. When I’ve particularly loved a book, I tend to pass it on to someone I hope will enjoy it as much as I did. ‘In Search of Adam’ has just winged (wung?) its way to my sis in Holland. At least that always means there’s room on the bookshelves for more. I really should join the library but then there’s always the worry that I’ll dunk their books in the bath or, even worse, someone else has read the book in the bath, equally naked. The ‘old lady’ smell of library books is also off-putting too. Ugh.
Last book read
Oh God, I’m awful. Once I’ve finished a book, that’s it – gone from memory! Kate Harrison’s The Self-Preservation Society was a recent one that I enjoyed (and remember!). I’m currently alternating between Paulo Coelho’s Like the Flowing River and Lisa Jewell’s Vince and Joy. I’m looking forward to reading Toast by Nigel Slater next. I like biographies and, until I started writing myself, read very little in the way of fiction for years.
Last book bought
Gordon Ramsey’s ‘Sunday Lunch’, yesterday in WHSmith. I didn’t mean to visit WHSmiths or buy books. It was an accident.
5 meaningful books
Enid Blyton’s Famous Five series was a biggie for me. I desperately wanted to be George. Best of all, Number 1 son enjoyed the Famous Five and I managed to find the entire series in the same 70s paperback covers that I’d read, complete with curling, brown, fusty pages (that smelt of old ladies).
‘Heidi’ by Johanna Spyrie. And ‘What Katy Did’ by Susan Coolridge. I liked stories about girls in strange places. I suppose that, as a very shy child living on the small rock of Jersey, everything seemed exciting. I was rarely naughty as a child which would explain my adoration of the ‘Just William’ books (Richmal Crompton) too.
One book that I’ve read and re-read many times since I was a teenager is ‘Roots‘ by Alex Haley. I guess it was one of the first adult books I tackled. It just struck me as really powerful and honest. Must read it again one day soon.
‘The Five People You Meet in Heaven‘ – Mitch Albom. Kind of conveyed lots of things that I believed but had never seen put into story form before. Everyone should read this book, I think.
Ok, you can have a good laugh now but, well, I am something of a closet hippy. And on that note, I’m going to round off this bizarre list with The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield). Yes. I really do believe in all that stuff. Yes. I am a total flake.
So now you know.
I’m going to tag… Betamum, La Que Sabe and Rebecca.
Comments»
I love this meme. I always wanted to read Famous Five when I was a kid, but the local library didn’t have any (crap library). I knew someone who had them, but she was mean and wouldn’t let me read them. Sob sob sob. I read them ALL when I was studying my ALevels. I love love love Enid Blyton.
x
Jen - I had that same moment when I looked at my shelves and felt shame. For me I saw that there were lots of classics…but I hadn’t yet got round to starting them. There is so much to read that the classics are fighting with the contemporary stuff. Mind you if Enid Blyton is a classic I would reread her (The Famous Five) over and over and over. Love it. And Heidi. Loved that too.
yay! I was hoping to get tagged with this one. Thanks!
you big hippy, celestine-prophecy-reading flake, you.
gosh - everytime I visit you your word count grows……You’re making me feel bad. Must go write now.
‘has grown’ - didn’t mean to make it sound like I was making your word count grow -
Loved the Mitch Alborn books:))
I’ve had to overcome my repulsion at ‘old lady smelling library books’. Luckily they don’t seem to read the ones I go for. I dread to think about where some of the Catherine Cookson’s have been. Near commodes?
Re: Like A River Flowing. I was a bit disappointed. I think some of the old hippy in me is turning a bit cynical in old age.
Got a title yet for your blossoming word count?
Oooh, thank you honey! I will do this later. I love this one. Aaah, books. It’s such a happy word!
I’ll happily join you in at the Fabulously And Flaky Females party. But, the thing is that once you start learning all this ‘fluffy’ stuff, it becomes more and more obvious, and less and less flaky. I have decided to embrace my inner flakiness and fight against the horrendous cynicism that my parents handed down to me. Life is much more fun as a flake anyway.
x
Caroline - there’s something inherently fab about Enid Blyton books. I wish I’d read more of them.
Helen - I’ve decided to give up being ashamed. Loads of contemporary writing is just as good as the classics - classics of the future, I guess. Obviously, I HAVE read some classics but, to be honest, they don’t fill me with as much joy as more up-to-date stuff. That’s my excuse, anyway!
Rebecca - pleasure! I really don’t mind being a flake at all. I just, erm, don’t tell many people…
Lane - Catherine Cookson dipped in the contents of a commode has put me off more than ever. Ugh. Can’t decide about River Flowing - it’s a bit like reading a hippy’s blog posts really. I don’t think it’s going to change my life or anything, sadly.
LQS - Mmm, books are treasure aren’t they? Flakiness does seem less flaky, the more you learn. I can still be a screaming cynic but it’s generally aimed in different directions to normal people. At least we’re in the gang together
Fab list Jen. God I love books. I am so impressed that when you love a book you can give it to someone else to enjoy. I so can’t. I can only give a book away that I didn’t really like, and then no-one, surprisingly, wants it.
I’m reading To Kill a Mockingbird at the moment because I have a gaping hole in my classic books read pile, despite having done English A Level!
JJx
Yes I enjoyed all by Mitch Albom - a great read. I love reading other people’s choices too. Toast is another goodie.
I loved Tuesday’s with Morrie……cried my eyes out!!
C x
JJ - I did To Kill a Mockingbird for ‘O’ Level… fab book. Crumbs, I really should read it properly now that I’m not a sulking teenager.
Flowerpot - I love Nigel Slater, he’s such an oddbod!
Carol - his books are great, aren’t they? So simple but hugely touching…
Hello!
I’m also a big Paulo Coelho fan and I don’t know if you’ve heard about his blog
http://www.paulocoelhoblog.com
I started as a fan and now I’m collaborating with him and thought that you would like to enter his universe.
Check out the blog, if you want, or subscribe to his newsletter
http://www.warriorofthelight.com/engl/index.html
You’ll see a community of warriors of light sharing ideas, dreams and most importantly following their personal legend.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Wherever you want to see the face of God you will see it.”
See you there and have a great day!
Jorge
Another Famous Five fan here! George was so coooool. Enid Blyton has stood the test of time. Secret Mountain, anyone? Still a great read.
A friend gave me the Mitch Albom book, and I really liked it.
I feel no shame about the contents of my bookshelf. I read all kinds, highbrow and low, juvenile and racy, serious and not. The most unlikely books sit cheek to jowl on my shelf.
If you want lots and lots of books and to be able to look forward to the arrival of the postman, and are prepared to give some away in order to get them, try bookmooch.com - it’s amazing!