![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
So, I love books, and everyone who knows me knows I'm a reader. In grade school, I was the type of kid who pulled out a book after finishing tests. In high school, I was the type of kid who occasionally walked down the hallway reading. There are a whole lot of books I could list today. (And I will probably list quite a few.) However, I will leave out any manga because ... well, there's something different there. (Anyway, I think most/all of you already know my favorite manga is Please Save My Earth.) This is gonna be EPIC.
Day 4 - Your Favorite Book
It should come as no surprise to anyone that I list Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine first. Even the children's librarian knew it was one of my favorites because of how often I checked it out as a kid.
Ella Enchanted is something of a Cinderella retelling. A misguided fairy named Lucinda bestowed the dubious gift of perfect obedience to Ella, our bright and clever heroine, at birth. More important to Ella than bucking her nasty stepfamily or attending the ball (though both are present) is the breaking of this curse -- if someone told Ella to kill herself, she would physically have to, after all. Though the curse is serious business, this book isn't. There's humor and plenty of magic -- ogres, fairy godmothers, elves, et al. Ella is a delightful protagonist, and her love interest Prince Char *tee hee* actually has a memorable personality (unlike virtually all other Prince Charmings in Cinderella stories), with both strengths and flaws. Ella's curse also makes her situation more interesting; just having the prince fall for her doesn't solve her biggest problem. I also like what Levine does with Ella's father -- instead of making him a good man who just happened to marry a wicked lady (and then died tragically, as usually happens in Cinderella stories), he's a living but distant, money-minded man who weds the nasty Dame Olga for her fortune. His cruelty is the passive kind; although he never injures his daughter physically, he never reaches out to help her either.
I've enjoyed reading all of Gail Carson Levine's fairy tale retellings (her Princess Tales series are hilarious, and Fairest, set in the same world as Ella to the tune of Snow White is very good too), but Ella Enchanted is still my favorite.
Another book that I am quick to call a favorite is The Only Alien on the Planet by Kristen Randle, which I picked up by chance from the thrift store probably a decade ago (or more? or a little less? I have no clue -- it was actually republished last year). Despite the title and trippy cover, Only Alien is not sci-fi. The book follows Ginny, a girl who just moved into town, in her efforts to draw Smitty, a strange, smart boy who refuses to speak or let others touch him, out of his shell. I don't know how realistic Smitty's situation is, but it's a compelling story with just the right amount of romance and drama (not DRAMA!!, just human drama), and Ginny and Smitty are interesting and likable characters.
And now for something completely different ... The Abhorsen Trilogy, composed of Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen (and a novella in Across the Wall), by Garth Nix is a saga that contains much death and darkness but manages not to be consumed by them. The trilogy is set in a land divided in two -- Ancelstierre, a land of technology much like ours (maybe some years in the past), and the Old Kingdom, a land of (good) charter magic and dark necromancy. The Abhorsen is a title for one who is both necromancer and charter mage, tasked with laying the fearful creatures of death to rest with the power of seven bells.
It's kind of hard to summarize three books ... Sabriel is the daughter of the Abhorsen, raised apart from him in Ancelstierre, who must take on the mantle of her father and face the dangers of the Old Kingdom when he is trapped in Death. Lirael is one of the Clayr, women who see visions of the future, who lacks the powers of her kinswomen. She also has a connection to the Abhorsen.
Aside from my lame summary ... Nix creates a really fascinating and complex world in these books. I didn't love Sabriel the first time I read it (possibly I was too young for some of it), but it was interesting enough for me to pick up Lirael when it was released, and from then on I was hooked. (I should say, a recent re-read of Sabriel has made me like it more.) There is history and backstory to this world. And of course, the characters are awesome too.
(By the way, if you choose to read Lirael, have Abhorsen available immediately after. They are basically one book, and waiting for Abhorsen's release was thus very frustrating.)
And instead of going on like this forever, I'll just briefly list a few more books that I love.
Boogiepop series - Crazy good light novel series about people who have "evolved" past the limits of humanity.
The Secret Garden - The classic children's story of a contrary little girl who finds a secret garden.
Pride and Prejudice - Adored by millions of women who would marry Mr. Darcy in an instant. Yes, it is a great romance, but I really love this one because it's so witty and hilarious.
Alice in Wonderland - Ridiculous and whimsical and wonderful.
Villette - By Charlotte Bronte. Similar in some ways to Jane Eyre, but trippier, perhaps more pyschological, and in my humble opinion, better.
Kissing Doorknobs - A YA book about a girl growing up with undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Aaaaand a few authors that I read a lot of (or mean to read more of), with a few of their books in parenthesis behind.
Patricia C. Wrede (Mairelon the Magician, Dealing with Dragons [Enchanted Forest Chronicles], Sorcery and Cecilia)
Sherwood Smith (Crown Duel, A Posse of Princesses)
Ursula Le Guin (Wizard of Earthsea, Gifts)
Madeline L'Engle (A Wrinkle in Time, A Ring of Endless Light)
Patrice Kindl (Goose Chase, Owl in Love)
L.J. Smith (Secret Vampire, Daughters of Darkness)
Diana Wynne Jones (Howl's Moving Castle, Dark Lord of Derkholm)
Megan Whalen Turner (The Thief, The Queen of Attolia)
Scott Westerfeld (Peeps, Uglies series)
Patricia McKillip (The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, In the Forests of Serre)
Robin McKinley (The Hero and the Crown, The Blue Sword)
Barbara Pym (Excellent Women)
.... Yeah, that got a little bit out of hand. It's still not all I could put here, but ... I'll hold myself back from here on o.o; (Kind of interesting that of all the authors I list and the authors of the books I listed, only three are male ... hmm.)
Still to go:
Day 05 - Your favorite quote
Day 06 - Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 07 - A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 - A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 09 - A photo you took
Day 10 - A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11 - A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 - Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 13 - A fictional book
Day 14 - A non-fictional book
Day 15 - A fanfic
Day 16 - A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 - An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 - Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19 - A talent of yours
Day 20 - A hobby of yours
Day 21 - A recipe
Day 22 - A website
Day 23 - A YouTube video
Day 24 - Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 25 - Your day, in great detail
Day 26 - Your week, in great detail
Day 27 - This month, in great detail
Day 28 - This year, in great detail
Day 29 - Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 - Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 4 - Your Favorite Book
It should come as no surprise to anyone that I list Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine first. Even the children's librarian knew it was one of my favorites because of how often I checked it out as a kid.
Ella Enchanted is something of a Cinderella retelling. A misguided fairy named Lucinda bestowed the dubious gift of perfect obedience to Ella, our bright and clever heroine, at birth. More important to Ella than bucking her nasty stepfamily or attending the ball (though both are present) is the breaking of this curse -- if someone told Ella to kill herself, she would physically have to, after all. Though the curse is serious business, this book isn't. There's humor and plenty of magic -- ogres, fairy godmothers, elves, et al. Ella is a delightful protagonist, and her love interest Prince Char *tee hee* actually has a memorable personality (unlike virtually all other Prince Charmings in Cinderella stories), with both strengths and flaws. Ella's curse also makes her situation more interesting; just having the prince fall for her doesn't solve her biggest problem. I also like what Levine does with Ella's father -- instead of making him a good man who just happened to marry a wicked lady (and then died tragically, as usually happens in Cinderella stories), he's a living but distant, money-minded man who weds the nasty Dame Olga for her fortune. His cruelty is the passive kind; although he never injures his daughter physically, he never reaches out to help her either.
I've enjoyed reading all of Gail Carson Levine's fairy tale retellings (her Princess Tales series are hilarious, and Fairest, set in the same world as Ella to the tune of Snow White is very good too), but Ella Enchanted is still my favorite.
Another book that I am quick to call a favorite is The Only Alien on the Planet by Kristen Randle, which I picked up by chance from the thrift store probably a decade ago (or more? or a little less? I have no clue -- it was actually republished last year). Despite the title and trippy cover, Only Alien is not sci-fi. The book follows Ginny, a girl who just moved into town, in her efforts to draw Smitty, a strange, smart boy who refuses to speak or let others touch him, out of his shell. I don't know how realistic Smitty's situation is, but it's a compelling story with just the right amount of romance and drama (not DRAMA!!, just human drama), and Ginny and Smitty are interesting and likable characters.
And now for something completely different ... The Abhorsen Trilogy, composed of Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen (and a novella in Across the Wall), by Garth Nix is a saga that contains much death and darkness but manages not to be consumed by them. The trilogy is set in a land divided in two -- Ancelstierre, a land of technology much like ours (maybe some years in the past), and the Old Kingdom, a land of (good) charter magic and dark necromancy. The Abhorsen is a title for one who is both necromancer and charter mage, tasked with laying the fearful creatures of death to rest with the power of seven bells.
It's kind of hard to summarize three books ... Sabriel is the daughter of the Abhorsen, raised apart from him in Ancelstierre, who must take on the mantle of her father and face the dangers of the Old Kingdom when he is trapped in Death. Lirael is one of the Clayr, women who see visions of the future, who lacks the powers of her kinswomen. She also has a connection to the Abhorsen.
Aside from my lame summary ... Nix creates a really fascinating and complex world in these books. I didn't love Sabriel the first time I read it (possibly I was too young for some of it), but it was interesting enough for me to pick up Lirael when it was released, and from then on I was hooked. (I should say, a recent re-read of Sabriel has made me like it more.) There is history and backstory to this world. And of course, the characters are awesome too.
(By the way, if you choose to read Lirael, have Abhorsen available immediately after. They are basically one book, and waiting for Abhorsen's release was thus very frustrating.)
And instead of going on like this forever, I'll just briefly list a few more books that I love.
Boogiepop series - Crazy good light novel series about people who have "evolved" past the limits of humanity.
The Secret Garden - The classic children's story of a contrary little girl who finds a secret garden.
Pride and Prejudice - Adored by millions of women who would marry Mr. Darcy in an instant. Yes, it is a great romance, but I really love this one because it's so witty and hilarious.
Alice in Wonderland - Ridiculous and whimsical and wonderful.
Villette - By Charlotte Bronte. Similar in some ways to Jane Eyre, but trippier, perhaps more pyschological, and in my humble opinion, better.
Kissing Doorknobs - A YA book about a girl growing up with undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Aaaaand a few authors that I read a lot of (or mean to read more of), with a few of their books in parenthesis behind.
Patricia C. Wrede (Mairelon the Magician, Dealing with Dragons [Enchanted Forest Chronicles], Sorcery and Cecilia)
Sherwood Smith (Crown Duel, A Posse of Princesses)
Ursula Le Guin (Wizard of Earthsea, Gifts)
Madeline L'Engle (A Wrinkle in Time, A Ring of Endless Light)
Patrice Kindl (Goose Chase, Owl in Love)
L.J. Smith (Secret Vampire, Daughters of Darkness)
Diana Wynne Jones (Howl's Moving Castle, Dark Lord of Derkholm)
Megan Whalen Turner (The Thief, The Queen of Attolia)
Scott Westerfeld (Peeps, Uglies series)
Patricia McKillip (The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, In the Forests of Serre)
Robin McKinley (The Hero and the Crown, The Blue Sword)
Barbara Pym (Excellent Women)
.... Yeah, that got a little bit out of hand. It's still not all I could put here, but ... I'll hold myself back from here on o.o; (Kind of interesting that of all the authors I list and the authors of the books I listed, only three are male ... hmm.)
Still to go:
Day 05 - Your favorite quote
Day 06 - Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 07 - A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 - A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 09 - A photo you took
Day 10 - A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11 - A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 - Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 13 - A fictional book
Day 14 - A non-fictional book
Day 15 - A fanfic
Day 16 - A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 - An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 - Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19 - A talent of yours
Day 20 - A hobby of yours
Day 21 - A recipe
Day 22 - A website
Day 23 - A YouTube video
Day 24 - Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 25 - Your day, in great detail
Day 26 - Your week, in great detail
Day 27 - This month, in great detail
Day 28 - This year, in great detail
Day 29 - Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 - Whatever tickles your fancy
Tags: