Feb
The Ones We Can’t Forget
Thanks to a crazier-than-normal week, I haven’t finished reading the book I’d planned for today ( *hangs head in shame* ). But I can tell you this…I’m enjoying it tremendously!!!
Soooo, we’re going to try something a little different while I race to finish it in time for next week, okay? 
1) Who was your favorite fictional character as a child and why?
2) Has there been a book that stayed with you long after you finished reading it…simply because of its power? What was it and why?
3) Do you feel as if you’ve ever learned anything from a fictional piece? And if so, what?
4) If you could only recommend one book to a friend, what would it be?
Tough questions, I know. But if you’re a book lover as most of us are, they should be fun to answer!
~Elizabeth
P.S. If you’d be interested in leading a “Reading Tuesday” in the future, contact me at: ElizabethLCasey@aol.com for more details!
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:21 am
1) Who was your favorite fictional character as a child and why?
I really liked Dr. Dolittle, Alec Ramsey, Danny Pickett, and Nancy Drew. Sadly, in the 60s and early 70s, there didn’t seem to be many young girls in kid’s lit for me to be terribly interested in.
2) Has there been a book that stayed with you long after you finished reading it–simply because of its power? What was it and why?
East of Eden by John Steinbeck. As to why, just read Chapter 13, part 1 and Chapter 24, part 2 – that’s powerful writing.
3) Do you feel as if you’ve ever learned anything from a fictional piece? And if so, what?
I’ve learned a lot about antiques from Jonathan Gash’s Lovejoy mysteries.
4) If you could only recommend one book to a friend, what would it be? Non-fiction, it would be The Other End of the Leash, by Patricia McConnell. Fiction, let’s go with Parke Godwin’s, Waiting for the Galactic Bus.
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:58 am
1) Who was your favorite fictional character as a child and why?
– Encyclopedia Brown or the Hardy Boys. I don’t remember why them in particular, but mysteries were something I enjoyed as a kid.
2) Has there been a book that stayed with you long after you finished reading it–simply because of its power? What was it and why?
– A series I read as a kid: “The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever”. I think I remember them because they were long stories with lots of characters and painted a pretty good picture of the fantasy world. Plus I wanted to do magic
3) Do you feel as if you’ve ever learned anything from a fictional piece? And if so, what?
I think I’ve learned lots of things. Ways I want to behave. Ways I don’t. Things I’d never put up with (or do!) in a relationship. Unfortunately, despite lots of hard work I still haven’t learned to do magic from all the books I’ve read. Or met an Orc.
4) If you could only recommend one book to a friend, what would it be?
- Twilight. Just kidding. Unless he/she has a tweener that hates to read, then this book is addictive. One book I remember reading as a teenager that had a great story was “Mila 18″ by Leon Uris. It is about the Jewish resistance in the Warsaw ghetto. Shows a side of that time that I didn’t know about back then.
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:53 pm
1) Who was your favorite fictional character as a child and why?
Encylopedia Brown – because he liked to solve puzzles and so did I.
2) Has there been a book that stayed with you long after you finished reading it–simply because of its power? What was it and why?
To Kill A Mockingbird. It showed that there are good people even in times of discrimination.
3) Do you feel as if you’ve ever learned anything from a fictional piece? And if so, what?
I learn a lot from the books that I read. I had an incident recently and I recall from a book to trust your gut feeling and if something doesn’t feel right, move away.
4) If you could only recommend one book to a friend, what would it be?
Because I just read this book, “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:35 pm
Great answers so far!
Here’s mine…
1) Favorite fictional character as a child? Since I can’t say Laura Ingalls because she was just as much autobiographical…I’d say Nancy Drew. Because she was strong. And smart.
2) A book that’s stayed with me long after I read it? All The Numbers by Judy Merrill Larsen. It struck me how grief can overtake your life to the point where you stop appreciating what you have.
3) Have I ever learned anything from a fictional piece? Always. Case in point, Judy’s book made me realize that sometimes you have to live for someone else even if you can’t do it for yourself. It’s what love is.
4) If I could recommend one book to a friend, what would it be? I think I’m reading it right now. But will know more by next week.
February 2nd, 2010 at 4:39 pm
1) Who was your favorite fictional character as a child and why? Danny Dunn. He was a young adventurer (teen or tween) who ditched school to hang out with his inventor nutty-professor friend, and they had wonderful science-fictiony adventures that didn’t involve homework. Boy, I wanted to be him! Boy, I still do.
2) Has there been a book that stayed with you long after you finished reading it–simply because of its power? What was it and why? Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles. My daughter brought it home a few years ago. Lovely story with beautiful, quirky-strange Southern characters. Stories that bring tears to my eyes are few and far between. That one did.
3) Do you feel as if you’ve ever learned anything from a fictional piece? And if so, what? Sure. I learned: Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy gets girl.
It kept me going during those awkward, hopeless teenage years.
4) If you could only recommend one book to a friend, what would it be?
For me, recommending books is like recommending flavors. You just never know what people will like. But I do gently nudge folks toward things sometimes. I tell grown-ups to read kid lit, and encourage kids to sample Percy Jackson, if they haven’t, because it’s a new take on classic mythology, and it’s fun.
February 2nd, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Actually, reading your answers, Joe, reminded me of a book you recommended to me once. Something about bands and apple pie or something like that??? It was a “young adult” book that had struck you. I remember loving it.
Another “young adult” book I read a year ago was called, SPEAK. Absolutely amazing. That one has stayed with me…
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:15 pm
1) Who was your favorite fictional character as a child and why?I loved Cinderella – but I wanted to be swept off my feet and rescued too…My sister had the Disney books with the stories and the pictures. I loved reading those.
2) Has there been a book that stayed with you long after you finished reading it…simply because of its power? What was it and why?
There’s a very old book about a man who is from another demension and he comes and rescues this woman. (I’m seeing a trend here..)
3) Do you feel as if you’ve ever learned anything from a fictional piece? And if so, what?
Maybe how to be stronger? Maybe that there is love out there even if you have boundaries?
4) If you could only recommend one book to a friend, what would it be?
Steven Kings On Writing.
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:49 pm
That may have been ‘Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie’ by Jordan Sonnenblick.
Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse is also a heartbreaker, but beautifully written. Imagine Little House, only not so gentle, much more poetic, and more tragic.
Hmm…what was I saying earlier about flavors?
February 3rd, 2010 at 8:20 am
I just realized forgot to mention — A moveable Feast by Hemingway about his time in Paris… Wow.