If you read my blog, you may have caught my interview with Nik Perring lately (still excited about that one!). Well, if you hop over to his blog today there’s a great little post about spreading the word about books you love.
It’s a great idea, as I don’t know about you but I’m always on the lookout for something new to read, and love hearing what other people enjoy. And there is always a little part of me daydreaming about the time, at some point in the hazy future, when someone makes a list with “Something or Other by Rebecca Brown” on it. (Isn’t that a great book title? Think of all the times in the bookstore you’re trying to remember the name of the book; I’d always be top of the search results…)
So here’s my little contribution, and I’d love it if you could either give me a list in the comments, or even better do your own blog post and spread the love to your own followers. But let me know so I can go read it too!
Here’s a random 10 books that I love and would highly recommend to anyone:
1. Mere Christianity by C S Lewis
2. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by, er, C S Lewis (a caveat here – I love all the Chronicles of Narnia but this is my favourite. But I can’t recommend the series more highly)
3. The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge – another childhood favourite
4. Christina Rossetti (Everyman’s Poetry) – I love her poems
5. The Ode Less Travelled by Stephen Fry
6. Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
7. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
8. Men At Arms by Terry Pratchett
9. Mary Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser
10. Matilda by Roald Dahl – because various tweets etc yesterday reminded me how much I used to love Roald Dahl, and what better book to go on a list about book love?
So there you go. While I pop over to Amazon to leave reviews of these books, it’s over to you…
Loved this Rebecca! Was afraid it was going to be lots of very worthy books with depressing endings. I agree with loads of these, and I don’t know of anyone else who like “The Little White Horse” (I still burn pine cones after reading it).
Thanks for that! Although I do wonder what kind of picture you have of me that you think my list of books would be worthy and depressing…
The Little White Horse is a much under-estimated classic IMHO. As long as your first introduction to it is not the film, which was ok but could have been so much more.
What? No Dan Brown?
I was tempted to not approve that comment. Then I remembered about free speech etc, curse it. Just watch yourself, Brown. (Andrew, not Dan)
Great post, Becca. I read Nik’s post with his recommendations and came here to see what yours were. I love hearing about what books other people are reading and the books which are their all-time favourites.
My favourite Narnia book is The Silver Chair but I think that might have a lot to do with the fact that Jeremy Northam reads the audiobook version!
Loved Mark Haddon’s book, Jules Verne and Roald Dahl’s Matilda, but I’ve never read any Terry Pratchett, Antonia Fraser or Elizabeth Goudge.
I’m off to make my own list now!
Oh yes… The Little White Horse… Lovely
I’m off to look up Christina Rossetti’s poems now… Wikipedia says she wrote the words to In The Bleak Midwinter. I didn’t know that. I love that carol *goes off on a tangent* …………..
Sorry, I meant that in general people tend to put that kind of book on their list: I think this is a great idea and am going to borrow it, even though I don’t think my list will impress anyone!
Look out for The Birthday, that’s lovely and very poignant.
Borrow away – I borrowed it myself! And you’re forgiven 😉