Tabs! :D

Friday, April 2, 2010

B is for Books, Duh

Okay, so this one is kinda' obvious. Who knows how many other people are going to write about Books? Okay, so I could probably go find out how many people are, but there is no way I have time for that. So today I am going to just post about some of the few books that I will actually read more than once.

Yes, that's right. I very rarely re-read books. *waits while book lovers across the world throw rocks at me* But I already know what happens, so you have to be real super good for me to read a book again.

The first is the Silmarillion. Yup. Even die-hard Tolkien fans haven't been able to get through this even once, but it is definitely something I would read again, and again, and again. Why? Well, because I'm insane. I thought I had already proven that? I kid, I kid.

I love it and would read it again because Tolkien has created his very own mythology. He was a philologist, a linguist, so many things that I would love to be if I had the time, money, or patience. Which, right now I don't have any of those.

Anyway, Tolkien is masterful in the way he writes this book, making it seem like a true history book. I know some of you are thinking *yawn* and usually I would be with you. I am very picky about history books. If they even have a scent of being boring, I can't even pick it up. I'm terrible when it comes to the whole "don't judge a book by its cover." Are you kidding? I don't only judge books by their covers, I sentence them to jail, refuse parole, and stick 'em in a dungeon based on their covers alone.

Ahem. Moving on.

Drool... This is just a fantastic pic of them all. Well. All but one.

Another series of books that I will re-read numerous times are The Series of Unfortunate Events. They are hilarious, well written, and have big words in them. There is an underlying mystery and mythos that leaves one intrigued. There are just not enough words to explain how amazing these books are. I have no idea how Lemony Snickette/Daniel Handler can write about death, dying, destruction, and a vicious serial killer while still being riotously funny.

The Hunger Games.

You probably have heard the hype, and for some people this is reason alone not to read it. I can't really blame you, because I usually don't like reading books if they're hyped up all over the place. So pretend this book has never been mentioned before except by me, because I'm writing about it right now and it would be hard to pretend you haven't heard about it from even me. It is fantastic. She draws you, makes you care, in the first chapter. You are already hooked. You are a worm, you are so hooked. And yes, it is a fast read (Catching Fire was worse) and that is kinda' sad because it's so good and it's over with so quickly... But that's one of the reasons I love it. Books I have to wade through are good, but they take effort, and sometimes I just don't want to exert effort to read a book.

So there you go, three books that I would re-read time and time again.

19 comments:

Arlee Bird said...

I rarely reread books. Actually I don't read as many books as I'd like to, period. Besides the Bible, books that I've reread more than once are Huckleberry Finn and a few of my old science fiction books that are at my mother's house (40 years between readers makes you forget a lot).
Posting about books makes sense to me -- there are a lot of book lovers in the audience.

Lee

Shannon O'Donnell said...

I'm with you on Hunger Games. I've already re-read that one a few times. Others I would re-read are the Inkheart series, the Fablehavens, and of course, Harry Potter.

Unknown said...

@arlee bird: I've actually never gotten around to read Huckleberry Finn Nice to know I'm not the only one that doesn't re-read books. :)

@Shannon: Ooh! Fablehaven! I love those books too :D

Arlee Bird said...

I strongly encourage you to read Huckleberry Finn, which is often considered the greatest American novel. I reread it recently at the same time as my wife, for whom English is her second language and some of the dialect would have been difficult for her. I actually caught things I hadn't seen previously and was often laughing out loud. I find it amazing that some have tried to take the book out of schools and libraries calling it offensive because of the racial terms used, when in actuallity it is one of the finest books against racism ever written.
Lee

Lisa said...

I've read The Hunger Games and really enjoyed it! I've yet to read Catching Fire and I know she has a third book coming out in less than a year.

I'm like you and don't care to read books over and over. The one exception was "Summer of my German soldier" by Betty Greene.

Nice to meet you via Blogging from A to Z!

Mel Chesley said...

I'll stand next to you while they throw rocks because I rarely, if ever, re-read books.
However, I may have to stand far enough away from you to chuck rocks in my general direction because I never read the Tolkien books until the first movie came out. And I write fantasy. ::Runs and hides::

I also judge books by their covers as well. If the synopsis on the back isn't remotely intriguing, I pass. Cover art sometimes turns me off as does title. I have yet to work my way through the Silmarillion, though I want to. I do have it on my bookshelf. I'll read it if you don't throw rocks, okay?

Rebecca T. said...

Infidel! How dare you not read books over and over?! I shall go get my stones!

Sarah Ahiers said...

i re-read books ALL THE TIME!
When you do, you know for sure it's going to be a good read. I've read Harry Potter Azkaban about twelve times and i used to read the harper hall trilogy every christmas.
WHY, if you don't reread books, do you keep so many?(honest question, because i only keep ones i plan on reading again some day (most of the good ones))

Sarah Ahiers said...

unless you don't keep that many books?
But judging by your sister's bookshelf i bet you do...

Unknown said...

@Lisa: Nice to meet you too *curtsies* I will go check out your blog :)

@Caledonia Lass: Don't worry I won't throw rocks. Even if I did try I wouldn't be able to hit you because my aim is THAT bad.

@Sonshine: I don't know whether to laugh or cower in fear.

@Falen: Um, well *clears throat* I do have quite a few books. Not as many as Sonshine (that would be impossible, she is a library). My "I will read again" books have grown larger, but some of them I keep around for if I have kids someday. I know, that's really ridiculous because I'm not even close to being involved with a guy, let alone being married and having kids. I'm just a little weirdo.

Wanda said...

Now I'm a big book lover but I rarely re-read them so no rock throwing from me. Good luck on the challenge.

Talli Roland said...

I haven't read any of these books!

I am a big book re-reader. It's comforting for me to know how a story ends.

Happy Easter!

Anonymous said...

First, I love your blog title!

I agree... I'll take any chance I get to write about books. :) I have not read any of those that you mentioned yet. A Series of Unfortunate Events will get read at some point (probably in a few years when my little boy is old enough for them)... and I'm intrigued by Hunger Games. Not quite up to Tolkien right now, that would require time and concentration that I don't have at the moment!

Kaitlyn said...

Your blog is fantastic. Especially with my Illustration of the Mermaid and the Sea Star! One of the many wonderful gifts from a up and coming new YA author Christine Danek! My name is Kaitlyn McCane. If you notice the Mermaid has Seaweed for a tail...
I just love that. You have great recommendations on your blog. Good Luck hope you get my illustration!

Kaitlyn said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kaitlyn said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

@Wanda: Yay! I'm glad there will be no rock throwing ;) Thanks for stopping by.

@Talli: Huh, that's an interesting look on it. I suppose it is comforting to know that books will stay the same, even when life is all a-whirl

@melodygreen: Aw, thanks. And yes, Tolkien does take time and concentration. I still haven't gotten through Children of Hurin, I just don't have the time. I hope you do have a chance to read the Hunger Games, and if you do I hope you like it.

@Kaitlyn: Thank you so much! I do love how the tail is seaweed. It's just so cute and adorable.

Blam said...


I already know what happens, so you have to be real super good for me to read a book again.

An equal if not greater reason for me (I suspect all of us) is that there are so many books out there to be read. But I have re-read several books — in fact, now that I think about it, I bet that most of the books I've re-read I've re-read more than once.

Tolkien has created his very own mythology. He was a philologist, a linguist, so many things that I would love to be if I had the time, money, or patience.

You are, I say as noncreepily as possible, a gal after my own heart.

Unknown said...

I'm beginning to believe that either a book is read once and eventually forgotten, or it is read over, and over, and over again. Just an idea.