Let's take a break from our regularly scheduled blogging and talk about books! Have you ever read a book that surprised you? A book that drew you in in a way that you never would have expected? A book you had doubts about, but then ending up loving?
Here is a list of books that have suprised me.
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm, by Nancy Farmer. This book has a really weird, cheesy cover and title. Plus, it's kind of a mystery and I'm not a big mystery fan. But it is also science fiction, which I like, and my daughter loved it. So I read it. And loved it!
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, by Kate DiCamillo. This book is about a toy. A china rabbit. That alone kept it off my must-read list. But, again, my daughter bought it with birthday money and she loved it so much that she insisted I read it. It really is a wonderful, moving story. Kate DiCamillo made me care about a china rabbit. Go figure.
The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster. It just struck me as odd, and I finally picked it up one day when I needed something to read. It's funny and clever (and odd).
Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale. I'll admit it. I was judging this book by its title. It just seemed cutesy and juvenile (not that that's a bad thing). But it is very imaginative and has surprising depth. It's just a darn good book. I'm a HUGE Shannon Hale fan now.
Which Witch? by Eva Ibbotson. I'm generally not into books about witches, but I had read The Secret of Platform 13 (which I loved) so when we saw Which Witch at a yard sale and my daughter begged me to get it, I couldn't say no. I was surprised by the clever and sweet love story.
The availability for complete literary exposure and immersion is on the top five things I miss from the United States. Surfing and sifting through Amazon (or any other .com for that matter) is just not the same as a fragrant visit to the library or a trip through time browsing a crowded used book store. Even the garage sale element is missing down here. Enjoy your bounty of treasures my friend and I will continue to live that part of my soul vicariously through you and your privileged children.
ReplyDelete(I totally just figured out how to add a comment feed from Blogger users to my feed reader and I am so excited! So now I can sign in with my site identity and still be able to follow your comments threads. I feel like Sid on Ice Age when he discovers fire. In Spanish it is hilarious! He says, "Que brillante soy!")
I especially love a book when it surprises me while reading. Like I start it and want to put it down but force myself to stick with it and end up LOVING LOVING LOVING it.
ReplyDeleteAngie, the next time we manage to get together, we have got to go book store browsing!
ReplyDeleteYour comment makes me wish I could send you a box full of books.
PJ, yes, I know what you mean.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I forgot to add at the end of that post the all-important question: What books surprised you?
I was that persuasive huh? I should be a writer or something. :-) If the mail was actually coming into Bolivia from the U.S. right now then you could send me a book in a manila envelope. Those boxes get expensive on both ends.
ReplyDeleteSo, for now, we can just cling to the hope that one day we will be together again and we will do some major book store browsing. :-)
As for a surprising book... hm... "Pride & Prejudice" was more shallow than I thought it would be, so that is going in the negative direction. For an example of something I thought I wouldn't like but ended up liking I would have to say "Peter Pan". I thought it would be Disneyish but Barrie really hits some deep chords of human existence.