Okay, so I finally got around to filling out my profile here and I was going all gung-ho and then I previewed my Profile and saw all the fun little links it was attempting to make out of my incessant ramblings (because, say, take Books for instance - I can't just list some books and be done with that - oh no - I need to communicate a bit about the book and why it is meaningful to me) and realized that what was really supposed to be entered into that area was a mere list - not a full-blown explanation as to why the books actually made said list...
So now, I have decided to do an individual blog about my Top 5 books (which may automatically categorize me as a nerd to some of you, but if you're reading this, at least now you know why its here.) Now that I know not to be so thorough in those Profile boxes, I will keep things short from here on out. I just can't stand the thought of deleting my "precious book info" altogether without giving it a home somewhere. So that's that.
Top 5: (Not necessarily in that order since that changes with each of my ever-so-passionate moods. Nevertheless, these remain the top 5):
So now, I have decided to do an individual blog about my Top 5 books (which may automatically categorize me as a nerd to some of you, but if you're reading this, at least now you know why its here.) Now that I know not to be so thorough in those Profile boxes, I will keep things short from here on out. I just can't stand the thought of deleting my "precious book info" altogether without giving it a home somewhere. So that's that.
Top 5: (Not necessarily in that order since that changes with each of my ever-so-passionate moods. Nevertheless, these remain the top 5):
Into the Wild
by Jon Krakauer
(was given to me by a friend - read it in one night - changed my outlook on life forever and really pissed me off at the same time... It still kind of pisses me off, but it goes much deeper than that after the initial anger subsides.)
From the cover: "In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter..."
Note: This book contains a true account of actual events and is technically classified as a Travel Essay. But, trust me... it is so much more! Take a chance, read it, and get back to me...
Bridge to Terabithia
by Katherine Paterson
Winner of the John Newberry Medal
(read it originally in 7th grade - never forgot it - now I read it every year - it reminds me of who I am now and who I have always been all along)
by Jon Krakauer
(was given to me by a friend - read it in one night - changed my outlook on life forever and really pissed me off at the same time... It still kind of pisses me off, but it goes much deeper than that after the initial anger subsides.)
From the cover: "In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter..."
Note: This book contains a true account of actual events and is technically classified as a Travel Essay. But, trust me... it is so much more! Take a chance, read it, and get back to me...
Bridge to Terabithiaby Katherine Paterson
Winner of the John Newberry Medal
(read it originally in 7th grade - never forgot it - now I read it every year - it reminds me of who I am now and who I have always been all along)
The Once and Future King
by T.H. White
(was forced to read it in high-school - have read it every year since)
Yes, this is the grand epic of King Arthur and his shining Camelot; of Merlyn and Owl and Guinevere; of beasts who talk and men who fly, of wizardry and war. It is the book of all things lost and wonderful and sad. That's why I read it over and over again. Because life is full of things lost and is wonderful and sad. It helps me to enter the world of Wart on an annual basis and struggle with the same timeless issues over and again as it forces me to evaluate my life, my choices, my sacrifices, mistakes, and gives me the courage to accept the changes in what I thought was "the plan". Sometimes that means going against the "self" that I think I know and to do the things that I once thought that I would never do. It forces me to be "that girl" when I always thought "I don't ever want to be "that girl."" It's tough, it's painful... but I've made it this far right?
by T.H. White
(was forced to read it in high-school - have read it every year since)
Yes, this is the grand epic of King Arthur and his shining Camelot; of Merlyn and Owl and Guinevere; of beasts who talk and men who fly, of wizardry and war. It is the book of all things lost and wonderful and sad. That's why I read it over and over again. Because life is full of things lost and is wonderful and sad. It helps me to enter the world of Wart on an annual basis and struggle with the same timeless issues over and again as it forces me to evaluate my life, my choices, my sacrifices, mistakes, and gives me the courage to accept the changes in what I thought was "the plan". Sometimes that means going against the "self" that I think I know and to do the things that I once thought that I would never do. It forces me to be "that girl" when I always thought "I don't ever want to be "that girl."" It's tough, it's painful... but I've made it this far right?
The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince)Written and Illustrated by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
(had to read this in high school as well - but in French, not English. This one is also read annually and on an as needed basis as well)
Ever get really sad? Ever feel like you're not only just lonely, but truly alone in this world and you just want to connect, to understand something, anything, about why, and just why, where, when, why, why, what for, and why? That is when you need The Little Prince. It's a dinky little $3.95 book that I can find no words to capture the way in which it can touch, find, feel, and locate that hole within you when you need it most. I can't say it will fill that hole. But it will keep you from falling in alone.
The Celestine Prophecy: An Adventureby James Redfield
(was given this book by a friend - pissed me off too... only because I started reading it late at night and I couldn't put it down so I read until morning, finishing just in time for work and my friend failed to warn me that that would happen)
Yeah, yeah. You might remember this book as one of those "hokey new age wanna be self-help inspirational books" - forget that! Or not, it's really up to you. For me, this book was/is everything it claimed to be.
From the back: "The Celestine Prophecy contains secrets that are currently changing our world. The story it tells is a gripping one of adventure and discovery, but it is also a guidebook that has the power to crystallize your perception of why you are where you are in life... and to direct your steps with a new energy and optimism as you head into tomorrow." I know. Blah, blah, blah, right? Wrong. It makes sense. That's all I can say.
Now go get a book!
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