The Book Stacks

With J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince making its sensational debut last weekend I started thinking about children’s books. There have been a lot of wonderful ones over the years, The Cat in the Hat, Where the Wild Things Are, Bambi, the Mother Westwind stories, the Chronicles of Narnia, the Chronicles of Prydain, Nancy Drew, and on and on.

1. As an adult, do you own children’s books?
2. If you do, do you still read them even when there are no children around?
3. What were your favorites as a child? Now?

It depends where the line between young adult and children’s books is drawn, really. I have a couple books for about eight year olds and beyond. I do own quite a few that tread lines between young adult and adult.

Oh, but I do own a few younger books, having just looked at my shelves. My favourites from childhood.

I still read them now, yes, for many reasons. I still gain pleasure from them and they remind me to enjoy the simple things in life. However, they also serve a purpose in that they are the basics in storytelling. Basic themes, wants, problems, solutions… If you’re a beginning writer, it’s good to start from the basics.

My favourites were The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, The Lorax by Dr. Suess, The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein, and The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. There were, of course, many many more, but those are the ones that immediately come to mind.

Even now I still love those books because they teach bigger lessons for life than most of realize when we read them as children. We learn about unconditional love, taking care of the environment, fighting for what we love…

Does it get any better?

Prompt brought to you by the Booking Through Thursday archives

I’m taking inspiration from the archives of Booking Through Thursday once more here on The Book Stacks. If you’ve been with BTT since the beginning and have already answered this question, please leave me the link in the comments section.

In this blast from the past, BTT says:

Probably most books stand on their own. But a lot of them are part of a series. J.R.R. Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings trilogy comes immediately to mind, as well as Stephen R. Donaldson’s Gap series, Elizabeth Peters Amelia Peabody series, and lots more.

1. Do you read books that are part of a series?
2. Do you collect all the books in the series before starting?
3. What if the series is brand new, and the only book that’s been published so far is Book 1?
4. As subsequent books in the series are published, do you go back and re-read the preceding books?

I’m definitely someone who reads books in a series, but I have never collected (scratch that – I did once with the Sabriel books) all of the books before reading them. That takes too long, and often I find a series before all the books are out.

I’m certainly not going to wait years to read the next ones.

When I read a series, whether I go back and read the preceding books usually depends on how long it has been between one book getting published and the next. If it’s fairly quick then no.

However, I have done it before. I had one book for a couple years before getting the second one, so I went back and read the first one before reading the second one.

I can’t remember exactly where or when it was, but the topic of books people never finished came up. I became curious about what books people haven’t finished because I can honestly say I have finished every book (with the exception of school textbooks – Algebra is just not that interesting) I have ever read.

It doesn’t usually occur to me that I can just stop reading…

As a reviewer who puts up reviews every week, reading a bad book means I finish it so I can give a complete review even if it is a negative one. Before my reviewing days I suppose I held to the hope that the author of the horrid book would somehow figure out to pull it all together so slogging through the mud all that way was worth it.

Needless to say, I was disappointed every time.

Even when I read bad books as a young girl, I would finish it and sit back, wondering how in the world something like that got published. Even so, I always finished.

Maybe I’m just nosey. Maybe even in a bad book I need to know what happens to everyone. Or maybe I’m hopelessly optimistic. Who knows? If/when the time comes that I’m no longer a reviewer, we’ll see if I can wean myself away from wasting my time with bad books.

After all, life is too short to read bad books, right? Unless you’re a reviewer.

What about you? Have you ever not finished a book? Why or why not?

Some people like to be surrounded by books, and keep everything they’ve ever read. Others don’t like the clutter, and keep them long enough to read them. Most people seem to be somewhere in the middle…

1. Do you buy the books you read, or do you borrow them from the library or from friends or from somewhere else?
2. Do you prefer new or used books?
3. If you buy them, do you keep them?
4. If you don’t keep them, how long do you hold on to them before letting them go? What do you do with them?

I used to get all my books through the public library or my mother’s vast collection. I’d buy a book here and there when I could – which wasn’t often. Now I don’t buy books very often because my reading list is so big. Most of my books come in the mail for free because I get review copies through interviewing authors. My dream has come true…

There is nothing like the feel of a new book in your hands, but I don’t mind older books. I really don’t like it when old books smell, but otherwise… I like a good condition used book.

If I buy a book, I keep it. I don’t think I’ve ever given away a book I’ve bought unless I bought it for that specific purpose. I suppose that comes from being so careful about getting books in the past. I’m sure I’ll start coming across books I don’t like, though, and I’ll give those away.

How about you?

Post prompt courtesy of Booking Through Thursday

My taste in books haven’t changed all that much growing up. I didn’t have much of a liking for mysteries right from the beginning. Books like The Boxcar Children didn’t interest me very much.

I always had a love for wordplay and read a lot of Dr. Suess before moving on to Shel Silverstein. I spent many bus rides home reading Silverstein’s books. Later, when dealing with depression, I would come back to The Missing Piece and The Giving Tree and find joy in his books once again.

I read a lot of romances growing up because my mother had dozens of them lining the living room shelves. To this day I count romances as one of my indulgences – especially historical romances. Catherine Coulter comes to mind with her Sherbrooke family of characters.

I touched on slightly science fiction type books with K.A. Applegate’s Animorph series when I was about ten. I stuck with those for a long time before discovering books like the Dragonlance books and The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. I happily entered the world of fantasy books and never looked back.

I immersed myself in David and Leigh Eddings, Sara Douglass, and Anne McCaffrey’s books. I even began writing my own fantasy books. I wandered from ‘younger’ – Tamora Pierce – fantasy to ‘older’ fantasy – Eddings’ Polgara the Sorceress. I loved it all and couldn’t read enough of it.

Mixed in there I read a few biographies and horror novels, and I devoured any historical fiction books based around the Civil War, but my roots in fantasy ran deep.

These days I read just about any genre. By working with online book tours, I have read mainstream fiction, women’s fiction, horror, biographical, science fiction… I pretty much read whatever they send me these days, and I’m definitely the better for it. I’ve found a lot of books I like that I wouldn’t have read otherwise.

So what has your reading evolution been like?

Inspired by: Booking Through Thursday May 19, 2005

(Catslyn has been kind enough to write today’s guest post. Conveniently, she is discussing a book that I would *never* read. This blog is now that much more well rounded. Enjoy!)

Some houses are born bad. At least, that what one learns to believe when reading Shirley Jackson’s 1959 masterpiece, The Haunting of Hill House. The story of an ordinary but lonely woman named Eleanor and her sojourn in Hill House, the book is a true must-read-now! Eleanor is invited to spend the summer living in an abandoned, and supposed haunted, mansion that was built more than 130 years ago. It’s all part of a university professor’s attempt to prove the existence of the paranormal, and Eleanor isn’t alone in the experiment. The house, though old, is ordinary enough. Except… sometimes the doors close by themselves. The walls are too straight somehow, too perfect, yet the rooms are the wrong sizes. How can a house be bigger inside than out?

I know it all sounds like a modern day episode of Ghost Hunters or Most Haunted, but those shows are kid’s stuff by comparison. Stephen King, at his best, could never come close to matching Shirley Jackson’s ability inspire skin crawling terror with a simple cold draft of air. Perhaps most chilling to the reader is the story’s frightening finish. You find yourself wondering… could it happen to me?

Re-released by Penguin Classics on November 28, 2006, The Haunting of Hill House can be purchased at most any bookstore, including online at the links below.

Purchase from Amazon

Purchase from Barnes and Noble

You can also get a brand new copy from numerous sellers on eBay just by typing the title into their search engine. But right now, eBay also offers up a rare first edition. The book isn’t in mint condition, and the cost is high, but it’s worth a look.

First Edition on eBay

The Haunting of Hill House has inspired many movies over the years. The one which most closely resembles the story of the book was the 1963 film, The Haunting.

This movie, starring Julie Harris as Eleanor actually manages to capture some of the tingling terror of the book and is definitely worth watching, though I would read the book first, naturally.

The 1999 remake of The Haunting starred such big names as Catherine Zeta-Jones and Liam Neeson with the role of Eleanor played by Lili Taylor.

While this movie is entertaining in a modern, special effects laden way, it bears almost no resemblance to Shirley Jackson’s novel. Now, don’t get me wrong, it a fun movie or I wouldn’t own it. But the psychological unease, the gut churning disturbance of The Haunting of Hill House just isn’t there. If you like convoluted story lines and angst, watch it. Otherwise, pass it by. Your choice.

But never pass by the book. The Haunting of Hill House is a true horror classic, but it is so much more. Genres limit us. Even if you aren’t a fan of horror and ghost stories, don’t overlook this tale of longing, of a desperate need to belong. Though I suppose I should warn you, The Haunting of Hill House will resonate in your bones for years. It will come back to you at the oddest moments, and it will never be an easy memory to bear. And you’ll just keep wondering. Could it happen to me?

My Blogs:

SCA Life for all things medieval!

Housework Hater

Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting

(I’m off on vacation this week, so Allison was kind enough to put together some suggested reading for you all. Enjoy!)

My Top Five Beach Reads by Allison

There is a sandy spot along the Delaware shoreline that is calling my name. In a few short days, I’m heading off to beach for a relaxing vacation with my boyfriend and my best friends. Without a doubt, there will be lots of wine, lots of grilled burgers, lots of sunscreen, and (thank goodness) lots of reading. I’ve found myself so busy lately, that I haven’t had time to sit down with a good book, so catching up on my reading is something I’m really looking forward to doing on this vacation.

There are hundreds of thousands of novels that make great reads for beach vacations, but today, I’d like to share with you my top five. If you’re heading to a sandy shore this summer, consider one of these great choices:

5. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

This book reminds me of summer simply because it is set on the French Riviera, where the characters open the book by relaxing on the beach. If you loved Gatsby, this is a must-read. Fitzgerald gets very autobiographical in this book, and in my opinion, it’s his best book.

4. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Ok, ok…I know this is a book most of us read in junior high–but it is still a perfect summer read. It meets all of the requirements: short and fun to read, but still with substance, because it covers topics like racism.

3. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

Most people say that Tuesdays with Morrie is Albom’s best novel, and I’m not saying that they’re wrong, but Five People makes a nice beach book, seeing as the main character works at the traditional beach amusement park. The story is sweet, and really great for everyone.

2. Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

This is one of my favorite books of all time. You can actually check out other Jodi Picoult books if you’ve already read this one, but I simply picked Plain Truth because it was the first book I read by her. Her stories are easy to read, but touch on really difficult subjects that make you ask “what would I do?”. You may want to save this one for a longer beach vacation instead of just a long weekend, since it is a bit lengthy when compared to the rest on this list.

1. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

I’m making Angels and Demons the top book on this list because many people who enjoyed Da Vinci Code never actually gave this one a chance. It starts off slowly, but don’t give up–make it your vacation project. Even if you hate it and hated Da Vinci Code, this book makes you talk about interesting subjects and historical possibilities.

On my vacation I’m *probably* bringing Bridget Jones’ Diary, but I’m still deciding! What are your favorite beach reads?

My blogs: www.RealityonBravo.com and www.FindReligion.net
My company website: www.ABContentonline.com

Tender is the Night, F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom, Plain Truth, Jodi Picoult, Angels and Demons, Dan Brown

I know that most of the time the book is *far* better than the film. A good example of this is the second version of Escape to Witch Mountain, or as I like to call it: The Purple Monstrosity. The book was *so* much better than that film. (The book was better than the first movie, too, but by a much smaller margin.) Other times, the book and the movie complement each other quite well, each showing their own strengths, in effect making them *as good as* (or nearly as good as) the book. I like to use The Princess Diaries as my example for this sort of thing. The book and the movie had many of the same elements, but they really end up being more like two different versions of a similar story. (Which really worked for me. I like that kind of story.) Return from Witch Mountain is a good example of a film that was *very* faithful to the book, and actually managed to keep the spirit of the book intact too. That’s actually a very difficult balance to maintain. Of course, the rarest of all is the film that was better than the book. Which brings me to today’s question. I’m curious. How many of you out there have encountered a filmed version of a book that you thought was better than the book itself? I can only think of one example off of the top of my head, and that’s Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons. Yes, I really didn’t like the book, but I *loved* the film. (I’m not that big a fan of the mini-series, though.) What about you?

Escape to Witch Mountain, The Princess Diaries, Return from Witch Mountain, Cold Comfort Farm

Well, I finally have all of my Christmas Presents (I think) and I’ve spent my Border’s Gift Card. So, I thought that I would share my book haul with you. Yes, you are likely to see these on a Tuesday List soon.

Nancy Drew’s Guide to Life by Jennifer Worick is a tiny book featuring a bookmark with a small magnifying glass on its end. It features various pieces of advice from the classic Nancy Drew Series.

The Celtic Heroic Age edited by John T. Koch was on my Christmas list and is a dead giveaway what I want to get a Celtic Studies degree.

The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language by Melvyn Bragg is the companion volume to the History Channel series.

Doctor Who: Aliens and Enemies by Justin Richards I purchased with my Border’s Gift Card. I bought this one largely because I already had all of the other Doctor Who books there. Also, it looked really cool.

So, there you are. My Christmas books for the year.
Have a Happy New Year!!!!

Tuesday List, Nancy Drew’s Guide to Life, Jennifer Worick, The Celtic Heroic Age, John T. Koch, The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language, Melvyn Bragg, Doctor Who: Aliens and Enemies, Justin Richards