A List of Favourites

If I had been smart, I would have written down every book I’ve ever read starting way back in kindergarten.

Sigh. One cannot expect such foresight from a five year old.

If I had kept such a list, however, early reads would have included:

• A Baby Sister for Frances by Russell Hoban. Given to me when I was two years old in prep for the arrival of my lovely sister.
• How Fletcher Was Hatched! by Wende and Harry Devlin. A Christmas present at six.
• The Bobbsey Twins penned under the pseudonym, Laura Lee Hope. I know I haven’t read the whole series, but I certainly read much of it. I believe I was given my first Bobbsey Twins while in hospital getting my tonsils removed. Great kid mysteries.
• Nancy Drew also written by a number of authors under the name Carolyn Keene. I think I actually have read most of these books. One summer I made it my goal to read the whole series. I can’t remember how far I got. Great older kid mysteries.

Many of these books take up space on dusty shelves in our home library today. And I stress dusty due to a recent basement reno. While our family has read about Fletcher and his hatching abilities many times over, I am still trying to convince Boy #1 the Bobbsey Twins are a worthwhile read. He’s not quite there yet.

As for Nancy Drew and A Baby Sister for Frances, I am going to have to wait a few years until my girls are just a bit older. Or, a lot older.

Now, going back to my non-existent list... If it did exist I’m sure it would take up several volumes in itself. For as long as I can remember I have always been in the middle of a book and my hubby and I are encouraging the very same literary habit in our kids.

So, for fun, a few books that I have great emotional attachments to:

The Pinkish, Purplish, Bluish Egg

by Bill Peet.

This picture book, published in 1963, is about a mother bird that experiences empty-nest syndrome (literally) and ends up raising a griffin, named Zeke, as her own. Not liked at first by the forest creatures, Zeke ends up saving the day which quickly redeems him to all. 

What is especially amazing about this book is that it’s written in rhyme. And not just attempted rhyme. Really good rhyme. This is extremely hard to do. I can speak from experience on this one.

The Fourth King

by Ted Sieger

There are reasons why this is my favourite Christmas book: the story is beautiful, it makes me cry, the illustrations are catchy, and it’s been brought to life as a Christmas Special.

Our family discovered this story a number of years ago in Christmas Special form and I ordered the book soon after. Basically, it’s about a fourth king who tries to catch up with his colleagues, “The Three Kings”, but keeps missing them because he stops to help others in need.

I believe this tardy, yet helpful, king truly reflects the heart of Jesus.

My unsolicited advice: If you ever buy a Christmas book or Christmas Special on DVD, buy this one.

King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub

by Audrey & Don Wood.

For those of you who are well read in kid’s books, you are probably familiar with this husband and wife team. Audrey has written, and Don illustrated, a bunch of books including The Napping House and The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear. Also favourites!

The story of King Bidgood is basically that he is shirking his kingly duties because he is in the bathtub. Very cute. However, it’s the illustrations that are remarkable – detailed and unique. And just so you don’t have to take my word for it, this book won a Caldecott Honor award  in 1986. 

War and Peace

by Leo Tolstoy  

Phew! That’s all I can say!

This book took me six months to read and, at the end, I could recall absolutely nothing about what happened in the first 400 pages. To this day, I have no idea what this book is about, however, I can go by what the dust jacket says, “War and Peace is a vast epic centered on Napoleon’s war with Russia.”

Finishing the 946 pages of tiny print was the vast epic!

I have to say, it was with conflicting emotions that I shoved this book back on the shelf. After all, it had been a constant companion for half a year and, since waiting is always easier with a book, it came with me almost everywhere. Those, of course, were the days without kids – now reading while waiting rare and an almost negligible occurrence.

The Far Pavilions

by M.M. Kaye.

The Far Pavilions is an amazing book and a terrific read. It’s described on Wikipedia as a “storytelling masterpiece.”

First published in 1978, The Far Pavilions tells the story of an English officer in India during the 19^th century. Intrigue, romance, war, history - this book has it all. Truly, The Far Pavilions is probably one of the best novels I’ve ever read.

Despite all that good stuff, however, once I’d finished I couldn’t pick up another book for weeks. I was completely done.

Mark of the Lion series (A Voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness, As Sure as the Dawn) 

by Francine Rivers.

This series consists of three books, though the third is almost a stand-alone. It is a great story beginning in A.D. 70 with the fall of Jerusalem then continuing on in Rome and Ephesus. The protagonist is a young Christian slave named Hadassah who suffers horribly at the hands of her owners yet conquers her fears and wins others to Christ. To make a very long and detailed story short.

I have read these books at least three times and am very tempted to start reading them again.

The Painted Veil

by W. Somerset Maugham

This book, written in 1925, has the distinction of making me so incredibly irritated! Likely quite provocative at the time, it tells the story of a bacteriologist who takes his wife to a cholera-ridden village in rural China as revenge for her unfaithfulness.

I actually watched the 2006 Hollywood movie, starring Edward Norton and Naomi Watts, first and found the plot to be full of forgiveness and redemption. I loved it. Needless to say, and without being a spoiler, I did not find the book to have the same endearing qualities.

Usually, I wish Hollywood didn’t rewrite endings when bringing a book to life on the big screen. However, in the case of The Painted Veil, I am ever so glad it did.

Pride and Prejudice

By Jane Austen

I have actually only read the book once, but it truly is my favourite of all time. What more can be said!

I do have to put a plug in for the six hour BBC movie version of Pride & Prejudice, starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. It is totally keeping with the book (unlike the more recent Hollywood version).

So there you have it, some recommended reading!