Friday Five, or, How to Procrastinate Like a Mofo

[tjs_whatnot]

From thefridayfive Books

1. What was your favorite book during childhood?

I guess that depends on what age we're talking. I read A LOT once I learned where our local library was. I was determined to read every single book in the children's section--there wasn't much back then if I remember correctly, but still more than I ever accomplished reading, even when I took out the limit of 12 books a week. Because I was just pulling books off the shelf willy-nilly, there are a lot of classics I missed. Had I have had a mentor, a group of reading friends, I might have read "A Wrinkle in Time" or "The Phantom Tollbooth" at the proper age and not in my 30s where the magic was lost to me. I did find authors I liked and would devour their books, authors like Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary and Paula Danziger saved my life.

I had two book that stayed with me for a long time and while reading them I lived so much in the page that years later, I had convinced myself I created the world myself. When I met no one who could say they read the books themselves, the belief grew, until as an adult, I found them again. The first one, "From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konisburg cracks me up. Everyone knows it now, it seems to be required reading perhaps... but back in the 70s, it was pretty unknown--or at least unknown in my circle. The other one, "The Last of the Great Whangdoodles" took me longer to find because I couldn't describe anything about it except it was fantasy and was about a whangdoodle. It wasn't until my niece was 8 and I wanted to get this book for her that I really went looking, and was so embarrassed that I hadn't realized the book was written by Mary Freakin' Poppins herself! I read it again when I got it for her and it had lost a bit of its magic, but still... it helped me a lot when I was growing up and so it will always remain in my heart.

Of course the book that stuck with me the most, that helped me transition from child to teen and into adulthood was "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton, but I've gone on about that book rather a lot here on this journal already. Also, honorable mention goes to "The Hobbit" that was the best children's book read to me. I don't know if I ever read it myself until just recently. But the having it read to me was one of my favorite 4th grade memories (and the 4th grade was one of my best years of school.)

2. What is your favorite book now?

Man, this is a hard question. I guess the three books I re-read the most will have to do as My Favorites: "Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell and "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. And no, I still haven't read the sequel. Still working up the nerve.

3. What is your favorite movie adaptation of a book?

I'm not one of those people who think any book adaptation is a bad adaptation. I was lucky growing up that Francis Ford Coppala liked a lot of the books I loved as a child--The Black Stallion (producer), The Outsiders and Rumble Fish--and did an amazing job with them, I never felt cheated by what I imagined being destroyed on screen. In fact, with the exception of "The Sparrow" which I'm extremely anxious about being put on the big or small screen, I can say that most of my favorite books have been made into amazing movies. So, my first thought when I hear a well loved book is going to be made into a film isn't "OH NO, THE HORRRRROR!" Instead it's "YAY! Please don't fuck it up!" And while there a whole bunch of movies that test that (I'm looking at you, Hobbit), I still get sort of excited when something I like is made into a movie.

4. Do you prefer checking out books from the library or buying them?

I say checking them out, especially now that I know how to reserve books and also now that I can renew a book up to 4 times (slowest reader!). But, mostly my first instinct is to see if it's available on Kindle first... or it's an impulse buy... or library book sales, man, I love library book sales! ♥

5. Have you ever been let down by a book that was highly recommended to you?

Quite often. I don't hold it against them though, I often get super excited about a well-loved book that I think everyone will love without thinking of the persons actual likes and dislikes too. Just ask any of my friends I made read "The Confederacy of Dunces." They are only just beginning to speak to me again. But then, one of those friends made me read the Twilight series, so we're even... I guess. :)

And yes, I did just waste a whole day talking about books instead of, you know, writing them. :((

Comments

[kellychambliss.livejournal.com]

I love reading things like this; I think I'm going to have to steal this meme (I have a fic deadline to procrastinate on!)

Children's books -- You describe that feeling perfectly, of getting so lost in a book world that it feels as if you created it. I was a very bookish kid; used to have to be bribed to go out to play ("Go out for an hour now and you can read an extra chapter before bed.") I was not very discriminating, though -- I loved all the formulaic series books.

I am sorry to say that I never read Mrs Basil F. But I'll look for it now.

It's interesting, how subjective book preferences are. I think we can draw some reasonably objective conclusions about issues of literary quality in terms of style, construction, etc., but in the end, a lot of the stuff that speaks to me most is not what I'd call "good" in an artistic sense. That's why it so often happens that when someone says, "read this; it's the best book I've ever seen," my reaction doesn't always mirror theirs. I once directed an excellent student in an honors independent study, and as a thank-you, he gave me a copy of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. "This book has influenced me more than any other," he said. "I've read it five times. I think you'll love it."

So I gave it a try. Three tries, in fact. Once I even got to page 100. Every page was a struggle; I never felt connected to the story or the people; I kept finding critical nits to pick, and finally I just gave it up.

I love the picture of infant you deciding to read the entire children's section. Sounds likes you gave it a game try!

[tjs-whatnot.livejournal.com]

Haha, are we perhaps procrastinating on the same fest's fics? ♥ We WILL be triumphant! Eventually...

Ah man, I still prefer children's books tbh. I was ALWAYS reading. I don't think I was scolded for it though, in all honesty, I think my mom was very proud I read so much. Good readers are smart people who go on to college and do something with their lives, I imagine was her thinking. And haha, I LOVED all the formulaic series, Nancy Drew? Hardy Boys? Yes plz! The Sweet Valley High books are to this day, my guiltiest of kid-pleasures. The lives they lived, the problems the had, they were my fantasy world.

Right? To this day I will recommend books to people, but I no longer get hurt when they don't like them. Well, except The Sparrow. I've only had one person that I've recommended it to not like it and it sort of broke me for a while. Still, I go on pushing it on people (seriously, you would LOVE it! ♥ ) and am always pleased when people rave about it, put it on their Fave lists and whatnot.

Also, you should totally read From the Mixed Up FIles! I seriously thought I was living in the Met while reading and I still think of that book when I think of survival manuals. ♥

I love the picture of infant you deciding to read the entire children's section. Sounds likes you gave it a game try!

Haha, writing out this post, I realized that almost all my favorite authors of childhood start with A, B, C or D... clearly, I was going in alphabetical order. ♥

[luvscharlie.livejournal.com]

Books are pretty much my favorite topic.

I think A Wrinkle in Time was the book that truly started my love of books. I must have been in around the 3rd grade and I was just amazed at the journey I went on in that book.

[tjs-whatnot.livejournal.com]

I miss the crazy amount of books i used to read. :( I might try a technology free month soon and see if I can get it back. :(

There are two things I've had friends introduce me to in the last decade or so that I wish SO hard I had been introduced to way earlier. A Wrinkle in Time I wished I had read before I was dead inside. Labyrinth I wished I discovered when I was a self involved 12-13 year old and not a 30 something nanny. I've been told Bowie would have changed my life, instead of screaming at the screen throughout the movie "BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BABY!?!" ♥

[capitu]

I used to read a lot when I was a kid. I used to read all these "adult" books because my parents never saw a problem with that. Garcia Marquez was always one of my favourites.

But the first book I vividly remember reading is The Thorn Birds. I was so young, so young, maybe 12? And I fell in love with that book.

Heh, completely random comment, I know. But I love hearing you talking about this. <33

[timewithers.livejournal.com]

Talking about books is just as important as writing books, I think.

Aside from The Hobbit, I haven't read any of those books. Maybe if I ever get the chance I'll see if I can get them from the library.

Also, I'm sure we could compete for the slowest reader status. ♥