"For books are more than books. They are the life, the very heart and core of ages past, the reason why men lived and worked and died, the essence and quintessence of their lives."
Amy Lowell
My Ideal Dream Home would be filled with books, a library on the stairs/walls/what have you, even at the cost of a bedroom all four walls being top to bottom of books (colour quordinated would be highly desirable, because its one of my obsessions).
Dream Stair Bookcase
Dream Wall Bookcase
I often have a love affair with books, though the books I read do vary depending on the season. In the winter I often curl up with an intense, philosophical or ethical book while in the summer the trashy novel or horror that are effortlessly addictive for sunning. Spring and autumn tend to be cook book novels, murder mysteries or biographies, don’t ask me why lol.
Going down memory lane;
Childhood highlights include Narnia series by CS Lewis (sitting class the teacher would read a chapter to us every Friday, with us sitting at our desk facing down so we could picture the story... fond memories).
Animal Farm by George Orwell was given to me by my mother, it really did make me think of the complicities of behaviour and the power relations at a young age.
Christopher Pike series... yes I believe I read them all (a guilty pleasure at a young age).
And of course Ronald Dahl books such as The Witches, Matilda and The BFG are very much a part of my childhood.
Teenage years includes Sophie’s World an amazing book, must be read (can get a bit loaded for some in the middle when it come up to the religion section,) highly recommend it for adults as well.
For people who enjoy dark humour Tim Burton’s The melancholy death of oyster by and other short stories... always made me smile, and still does.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, 1984 by George Orwell and Lord of the flies by William Goldingare all very intense book and reflect diverse ways of looking at life/society and left you without knowing if there was (the gratification of) a happy ending, a real sense of unknown the reader is left in... refreshed, sometimes frustrated, but a greater sense of enlightenment.
And of course the Harry Potter Series (for my fluffy, teenage angst, and semi fantasy world which would happily read for fun). Also Lemony Snicket’s Series of unfortunate events for a little bit more quirky and dark light reading (the endings of each book did get a bit repetitive... always unfortunate).
Books that have made me cry
Little women by Louisa May Alcott (I think we all know when)
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell ... one word (Ginger)
And... the (original) little mermaid, which I read as a small child and was so upset as the little mermaid basically committed suicide as the prince married another woman (she then apparently turned into an angel of sorts and dances along the sea foam)... not the Disney version obliviously.
To be read...
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
These are some great choices - both for the shelves and the books themselves.
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