Sunday, April 27, 2008

This is my favourite book(s)

When it comes to books, I love nothing more than browsing through bookshops, looking at new books, finding treasures hidden at the back, flipping through cookbooks, fawning over photography books, wistfully looking at the travel books. I actually have to limit myself from visiting bookstores because I inevitably spend hours in there. Despite this, I don't actually own that many books. This primarily stems from the fact that I can only read books during holidays otherwise I'd never get any sleep/homework done, and also the fact that books are expensive and I only ever buy one that I know I am going to love and read over and over again.

And I've actually been pretty spot on with most of my book purchases, I have a couple which I read once a year every year without fail. Despite how many times I've read it I still get caught up in the story and I still forget little details which surprise me each time I read them. So without further ado, here is a book I bought in America on exchange in year 11 and have read once a year every year: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.

I don't know what it is about this book, but I just love the way the narrative is written, it obviously has a good storyline and it just gets me everytime. I still cry at the same points throughout the book that I did the first time I read it.

Now my second book is one that I've only read once, and this is because I only bought it last year. But I am so looking forward to my next set of holidays so I can re-devour this book, cover to cover in less than three sittings like I did the first time I read it. I present: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

To me this book is just amazing, it is so completely out there and yet you totally believe every word of it, and this is a story that sucks you in so much that when I finished it I was actually sad because I wanted the story to keep going. Also, there is one part in this book, which you totally see coming, and yet I still absolutely balled my eyes out over, like seriously, I cried more over this part of the book than I did about my breakup. Well not really, but it was comparable.

Oh and the third one (I'm bad at deciding!) I almost forgot about because my friend has been holding this book hostage for 6 months now because she is also too busy to read it. The third one is Atonement, and before you ask, I bought this book back in Year 10, so it has nothing to do with the fact that it is now a movie with Keira Knightley in it. In fact the movie totally ruined the book in my eyes, plus it cut out 90% of the storyline.

Ok back to the much less exciting reading I have to do for my lab report, I hope you try reading these books one day, then again I guess what you're taste in books are!

9 comments:

Dees said...

Thank you for sharing!!!I am going to look up your books and see if they have been translated into dutch!xoxo Dees

Kirsty said...

The Lovely Bones - such a good book. Did you also read her biography?

Bird Bath said...

I am SO enjoying the Time Traveller's Wife. I know it will be at a loss when I finish it - so I'm savouring every little bit.

Lesley-Ann said...

Yes atonement is so beautiful... But I loved the movie as well actually... The pictures are too beautiful and perfect. Movies and books shouldn't be compared because there always different and I guess that lovers of the book, always hate the movie because it doesn't match which is not a problem in my opinion... The other books look really great as well! Such a hard thing to choose just one right? Great photograph of Venice by the way... I really want to go there soon, it must be so beautiful! xxxxx Have a lovely Sunday

Fibo said...

you're right Lesley-Anne, I did love the movie still to a degree because of the fantastic cinematography and music and everything, but I found that if I had not previously read the book I wouldn't have understood and appreciated the story nearly as much. I think I need to watch it again to be honest to decide.
Oh and Kirsty no I haven't read her biography, I really should, there's a lot of her other books that I've been meaning to buy lately, like The Almost Moon.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the recommendations! I've read Lovely Bones and it is wonderful! I've put the others on my list :)

Maureen Reynolds said...

Good selection; I realize now that I've never read The Time Traveller's Wife. Sounds like one to put on the library list.

Ian McEwan is one of my favorite authors...never read a book of his I didn't like, tho Saturday is my favorite.

Stacey said...

The Lovely Bones is a great book, isn't it?
I love Atonement, definitely one of the favourites. Although I liked the film, it didn't do justice to the book.
The Time Traveller's Wife is on my to be read list.

Tara said...

Thanks for the recommendations... I've added all 3 to my library list and hopefully I can read a couple these holidays :)