"And to this purpose"

"If people like to read their books, it is all very well, but to be at so much trouble in filling great volumes, which, as I used to think, nobody would willingly ever look into, to be labouring only for the torment of little boys and girls, always struck me as a hard fate; and though I know it is all very right and necessary, I have often wondered at the person's courage that could sit down on purpose to do it." (In other words: rambling analyses, opinions, ideas, views, and comments from an English major, Essay/paper-writing enthusiastic, Austen-loving Master Librarian on, well, Jane Austen...and a whole lot of other things, too.)

"Celebrated Passages are Quoted"

Heidi's favorite quotes


"What is it really like to be engaged?" asked Anne curiously. "Well, that all depends on who you're engaged to," answered Diana, with that maddening air of superior wisdom always assumed by those who are engaged over those who are not."— L.M. Montgomery

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Time Again!

It's poll time! I wanted to come up with a good one, but also a fast one. Ha ha. Good one on me. Well, it was certainly quite enjoyable to create. I listed just a few books that I really love. It took longer than I thought because, well, it's hard: "I could no sooner choose a star from the heavens" than to list all the books I love, let alone only some of them. And in this poll I wanted to include some from my recent reading, my all-time favorites, and my childhood.

Of course, we know each book has an automatic vote from me for making it on the list. But I still need to put in some votes just so that, well, there are votes! I'm going to restrict myself and only pick my very top 3. No, no. Make that, uh, 5. OK. I can pare down to 5. I can. Truly.

Here's what you get to do to add to the joy:
  1. Vote for the books that you have loved as well.
  2. Make comments about the books from the list that you love.
  3. Make comments about books that you wish you saw on the list but I either didn't want to put them on or didn't think to put them on.
  4. Have fun!

And for those wondering, yes--I love all of the Anne and Little House series. But if I have to pick a favorite within the series, those are the books that ended up on the list. Perhaps next poll will be favorite series.

8 comments:

Sara Lyn said...

I voted for These Happy Golden Years, Persuasion, Speak, Ella Enchanted, The Blue Castle, The Story of My Life, Tuck Everlasting, Guernsey Literary..., P&P, As the Ward Turns, Northanger Abbey, Anne of the Island and The Book of Mormon. I liked some of the other books on there, but you missed a few of my favorites. First of all, I was slightly surprised you picked Anne of the Island over Rilla. I like them both, but I might have to go with Rilla instead. The Story of My Life was a book I read over and over as a child.

You missed some of my very favorites. I'm sure I've told you a million times. Eight Cousins and Rose in Bloom. Betsy-Tacy series, my favorites of which is probably... Boy that's a hard one. Maybe Betsy and Joe? Love them all. I would also probably have put Jane Eyre. And The Ordinary Princess. Not to mention Beauty. And The Continuous Atonement. And HP, of which I cannot pick a favorite. Daddy-Long-Legs and Dear Enemy would make the list. Oh, I could add another 50 or so, but these were the first to come to mind.

Great poll!

ldsjaneite said...

Oh, if only I'd allowed myself more than 5 votes. :-) Island vs. Rilla--it is a very close competition for me with those 2. And I read my favorite scenes from Rilla as much as I do A.o.t.I. But I think it's the whole college roommates, the "dating scene," and Anne finally getting sense in her head. Plus I LOVE the end--from the revelation through Hester's Garden. I guess it's just one that I 1) connected to more and 2) hoped to connect to more! :-)

I knew what some of your favorites would be, and I have yet to read any of them. My library only has 1 Betsy-Tacy book. And you know I can't start a series with only one at my disposal. I may have to trek over to a used bookstore and search. I'd have to read Jane Eyre a 2nd time to see if I love it as much as I vaguely remember doing in 7th grade. I know it was worth going back to finish even after I'd written the book report. ha ha!

And I did enjoy borrowing Ordinary Princess from you. I just wish I could have read it at an age when it was more magical to me. Who wrote Beauty?

And I almost put down an HP. But I didn't want to pick a favorite in the series until I've gone through it all this second time. Maybe it will change for me, maybe it won't. Or I could be like CK and my favorite one depends on what's occurring in my life at the time.

I'm glad you liked the poll. And please--add as many more as you like! :-)

MARY IN SCOTLAND said...

OK, so I voted for SO many! You always make the best lists.

The most recent book that really had an impact on me was The Book Thief! Holy cow! It really touched me...

ldsjaneite said...

Thank you, Mary. Such a nice compliment. I'll gladly accept it, since I often worry about my poll lists.

Sara Lyn said...

I know what you mean about AotI. Love the college friends. Phillipa Gordon is, of course, my favorite. What a riot! And the ending is wonderful...

I have all of the Betsy-Tacy books and just read them all. Do you want me to read to you on the way down from NC? :) Oh, by the way, I just saw in Borders that they rereleased at least the last six books. I'm dying to get them as they have new random information. Hooray!

Robin McKinley wrote Beauty. She later wrote another Beauty and the Beast retelling called Rose Daughter which Amy and I both think is just weird. Whatever. She also did a retelling of Sleeping Beauty that I loved called Spindle's End. It's also weird, but like-ably so.

Okay. You asked for more books. Here goes. I loved J. Kirk Richard's I'll Be There with Belzon. I'm Proud of You: My Friendship with Fred Rogers. Glimpses into the Life and Heart of Majorie Pay Hinckley. Daughter of a King. Harold and the Purple Crayon. The Mozart Season. The Good Master and its sequel The Singing Tree.(Move those two to near that very top!) Goodnight Gorilla. The Peacegiver and The Holy Secret. Hurty Feelings by Helen Lester. The Chronicles of Prydain with either Taran Wanderer or The High King being my favorite. Christy. The Trumpet of the Swan. The Lion's Paw. Belles on Their Toes (sequel to Cheaper by the dozen.) And There Was Light. The Scarlet Pimpernel. Les Miserables. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. Dealing with Dragons.(Love the rest of that series too.) The Secret Journal of Brett Colton. The Only Alien on the Planet. (!!!) Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands. The Mother Tongue. In a Sunburned Country. I'm a Stranger Here Myself. Almost anything Sherlock Holmes. Half Magic. The Lemonade Trick. These Three Remain. The Christmas Sweater. The Total Money Makeover. The Princess Knight. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. The Stars for a Light. The Whitney Chronicles...

Okay, I've got to go get some work done. Boy, this is fun! (Remember, you did ask.) :)

ldsjaneite said...

Robin McKinley--I knew that. She's on my to-read list. And the offer to read Betsy-Tacy--maybe that would work. Because while we can talk about "Anthem," I think I may want some light stuff. I've had to deal with enough brain-involved things. A break on my vacation would be fantastic! And who better to read them with than the biggest fan?

I did ask. And I'm glad I did. I love seeing lists of books. It's either a reminder of ones I've read or a reminder of all there is still left to BE read! :-)

Here are a few more of my own:
The Story of Ping, The Stupids Step Out, Bedtime for Francis, The Snowy Day, Daniel and Nephi, We: Understanding the Psychology of Romantic Love, The Bee There series (not great books, but I loved them as a Beehive), Runaway Bunny, Number the Stars, The Boy Who was Raised by Librarians (for many reasons).... There's more, but I'll wait. :-)

Meredith said...

Well, the only one I really disagreed with was Great Expectations. Gag! I did not enjoy that book at all.

However, we had many others in common! And I have just added a bunch of books to my too-read list!

My very favorite series of all time is The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. I'm beyond psyched that the 4th book is coming out in March! But, not everyone that I've recommended the books to has liked them as much as me, so who knows?

ldsjaneite said...

Meredith - I know I'd heard you mention that series once or twice. I hadn't heard of it before you, so I've added it to my to-read list so I can give it a shot.

I know many don't like Charles Dickens. That that was my first honest to goodness adult classic--and I read it in 5th grade. I loved it! And every time I've picked it up, I'm completely enthralled again. I have only seen one decent movie adaptation (and, for all to know, I will NEVER watch the Ethan Hawke version). And it had Ioan Gruffudd as Pip. How could I pass it up?!?! :-)

Glad we have others in common! While it can be fun to talk about books with others when there are differing opinions, I still prefer shared favorites!