A Wednesday Top 10

This weekly meme is hosted by Jillian at Random Ramblings.  She poses this top 10 topic: 

Feel Good Books

"The books that will never fail to cheer me up, pick my mood up, get me out of a rut, and/or lift my spirits."

A good book never ages & can be revisited over again to be enjoyed on a different level of experience: finding things you didn't notice before, knowing the outcome & being able to feel the emotions expressed even deeper.

To be honest, I'm not much of a "re-reader" so choosing 10 books I have re-read, let alone re-read many times over as a comfort, is a challenge for me.  I guess movies are more of my comfort forte.  So, my choices may not be "comfort reading" to everyone, but they are books that have captivated me on more than 1 occasion & have stuck with me over time.

Here goes nothing...In no particular order, here's a list of 10, with some titles linked to my reviews:

1)  K-PAX- Gene Brewer

The captivating movie convinced me to try the book & I am still completely mystified and taken with it.  It's a blend of sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, and philosophy that may expand your thinking about the existence of life in the universe beyond Earth.

2)  Different Seasons- Stephen King

How creepy is that cover?!?  It looks like an homage to the 2001: A Space Odyssey star baby.  This collection of 4 novellas is a masterpiece, allowing King to return to his roots in the shorter genre.  Two, if not three, of the stories will sound familiar.  Rita Hayworth & the Shawshank Redemption was adapted into one of the greatest critical films ever and The Body became the beloved coming-of-age tale Stand By Me.  A third story of the same title became the less than reputable Apt Pupil.  The final chapter of this collection, The Breathing Method, leaves your spine tingling long after finishing it.  This set of short stories together can easily compete with King's other accomplished novels as his best work.

3)  The Green Mile- Stephen King

I'm not a cop-out (really, I'm not), but King is an addictive storyteller & The Green Mile is my favourite novel of his.  It is horrific (it's what he does best), but the blend of fantasy & mystery lays a foundation of purpose that makes up the core of the novel.  King claims the adapted movie is better, but I argue that they are two different takes on the same story and that they both go beyond comparison.

4)  The Firm- John Grisham

I'm not being very original with this list, I know, but I cannot bypass this book that remains my favourite Grisham novel and one of the best mystery yarns I've ever read.  The movie was good in his own right, but did not fully utilize all the twists & turns that Grisham gave the novel a quality of being more than just a pageturner, but proves once again that popular fiction can be thought-provoking.

...Wow, I'm completely stumped by this list (and I've bent the topic around enough)!  Let's change this around a bit & I'll list books I want to reread when the TBR stack is a little smaller (just a little...).

5)  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time- Mark Haddon

There has never been a novel written like this.  Period.  The perspective of Christopher, a British teenage boy with Asperger's syndrom investigating the death of his neighbour's dog while confronting the absence of his mother, is acutely visual, purposely rigid in detail, and supplemented by drawings that are both baffling & eye-opening about how his mind works.  I badly want to revisit this, but will settle for some insightful comments :o)

6)  One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest- Ken Kesey

The trippy, beat generation writing of Kesey is hippie poetry through the perspective of the Indian and his encounters at the mental hospital run by the evil Big Nurse, who is appalled by the reckless behaviour of the newest inmate, Randle MacMurphy.  I was stunned by the story and its take on the treatment of mental illness and how both aggressiveness and muteness can be misinterpreted and handled in a disturbing manner.

7)  The Lovely Bones- Alice Sebold

You may be wondering why I would choose a book that begins with a gruesome murder as a rereadable book.  I agree that there are mixed opinions about whether or not to even read it because of that very reason, but here's why I will reread it:  It is a fine piece of writing that reminds me of a china cup, ironically both brittle with its devastating scene that creates a wound in both the characters & reader, and built strong with its omniscent narration, fierce dedication to finding truth, if not justice, and a powerful will to allow for the story to end in peace.

8)  A Map of the World- Jane Hamilton

Because I recently read The Book of Ruth by the same author, I wanted to revisit an earlier book I read of hers.  I was immediately taken by the stark writing style and how harsh it came off, then how it build up to a point where the instigating incident causes everything to crumble, then go even deeper into the crux of the matter.  How the painstaking, slow rebuilding process is written will allow a new perspective on human nature's way of coping with trauma by, all at once, remembering what was yet not clinging to the "what ifs" that we habitually create.

9)  One True Thing- Anna Quindlen

I have recently penned a review & don't want to repeat it here, but I am very fond of Quindlen's writing and have every intention of re-reading this novel that takes a new perspective on mother-daughter relationships and how judgment is brought to bear against every character, only to be re-examined in light of a slow-building change and questions surrounding its end result.

10)  The Time Traveler's Wife- Audrey Niffenegger

This is likely on many readers' TBRR (to be re-read) list if you were as captured by the uniqueness of this fantasy tale as I was.  I had an inkling before seeing the adapted movie that it could not possibly capture all the intricacies of the writing, and I think most would agree that I predicted right.  The love story of Henry & Claire is tangled up in many complex ways by his uncontrollable, nearly lifelong ability/curse to time travel, yet you find yourself rooting for them to make it work despite or perhaps because of Henry's preview of the future & revisiting of the past.  When the time is right, I will feel drawn to this novel again, and I hope it sheds new light on it the second time around.

Please share with me your top 10 list on this week's topic.  I look forward to reading your responses, too :o)

Reading Questionnaire

I came across this on my book blog surfing (a new hobby I’m really enjoying & hoping to attract more traffic here, of course, LOL!):

1. Favorite childhood book?
I was into series: Babysitters Club, Nancy Drew, Bobbsey Twins; and read favourite authors, such as Ann M. Martin, Monica Hughes, Paula Popowich. As for individual titles, too many to name or remember!  Check out my blog post on books read in school.

2. What are you reading right now?
On Writing- Stephen King
The Bear Came Over the Mountain- Alice Munro (short story, adapted into the movie Away From Her)

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
None. Haven’t used the library since my local one downsized considerably :o(

4. Bad book habit?
Reading parts of the ending ahead of time! And spending too much money on them.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
None. See #3.

6. Do you have an e-reader?
No, and I don’t plan to until they stop printing books on paper. I’m an old-fashioned words-on-the-page reader!

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
Usually one at a time, though I’ve started books, put them down, and tried to start another while I let a more challenging one sink in, then decide which one to continue with. Only in university English courses did I have to read more than 1 book at a time :o)

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
I just started my blog this month, so it’s too soon to tell. I haven’t taken any recommendations yet, since I have a huge list to work off of, but time will tell!

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
Julie & Julia by Julie Powell.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
About 1/3 of the time. I try to take risks and it pays off about that much of the time. For example, I read Oliver Sacks out of interest and it was such a fascinating read (The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat).

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Anything from the 19th century on.

13. Can you read on the bus?
Yes, thank goodness. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to get any reading done in university on my hour-long commute each day (2 ways, 2 hours, lots of reading!) :oD

14. Favorite place to read?
In bed.  So comfy, and I rarely fall asleep while reading.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
Never done it, but I’ve lent DVDs and it often takes some nudging from me to get them back after several months!

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
No, I hate that. I’d rather use sticky tabs for passages or bookmarks to mark my place.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Rarely, unless I’m planning to teach the material.

18. Not even with text books?
Oh yes…highlighting & notes in the margin was my study guide for 4 years!

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English…that’s the only language I've learned.

20. What makes you love a book?
Unique writing style, favourite author, atypical characters, and fascinating setting & tone of the book.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
If it changed my perspective on something, profoundly affected me, or was simply a fantastic read.

22. Favorite genre?
Fiction! Ha ha…Coming-of-age is beautiful.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
Historical fiction and science fiction. Most of these tend to be either too dull, too weird, or classics that I simply love.

24. Favorite biography?
Ghosts of Mississippi by Maryanne Vollers.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
Sure, but not lately. They usually tell you what you already know.

26. Favorite cookbook?
A homemade book of dessert recipes from my mom’s school they sold as a fundraiser.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. An amazing eye-opener to the world of a young boy with Asperger’s.

28. Favorite reading snack?
I usually read before bed, so I tend not to eat then, but when I do, I love cheese (with or without wine)!

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
I’ve tried a couple of Oprah's book club choices and not liked them: She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb and The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I usually read reviews long before reading the book, so by then I’ve forgotten the critics!

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I’m comfortable with speaking my mind and remain fair to weigh the good & bad sides of a book, then rank my overall judgment of it. It’s just an opinion, so why be afraid to not voice it?

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
French. There are so many classic French works—Balzac, Baudelaire, de Laclos…ooh la la!

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Positively or negatively? I would say, positively, Times Square Red, Times Square Blue by Samuel R. Delany, which I read for a course called Gender & Sexuality.  Fascinating read, despite catching you totally off-guard at first! Negatively, it’s hard to think of one.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I’m stalling on starting it after hearing so many mixed reviews about it.  I bought it, so I'm determined to read it...eventually :oD

35. Favorite Poet?
Percy Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, John Keats, Robert Frost

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
I used to check out 4-5 because I was so indecisive about what to take home :oD

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
Only once or twice. I renew books to the maximum borrowing time first.

38. Favorite fictional character?
Wow…probably Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables because she was so carefree, feisty, and wonderfully imaginative. Morag Gunn in The Diviners by Margaret Laurence was also a keen storyteller, able to weave words, stay passionate about writing but also remain highly self-critical.

39. Favorite fictional villain?
The Big Nurse in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Anything new I want to read!

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
Probably 2 days.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
I’ve had a few I discuss in my blog.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
TV or phone

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
The Green Mile by Stephen King

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
Well, this isn't exactly a dissapointment since I knew it would not be as good as the novel from the beginning (that isn't exactly fair), but The Time Traveler's Wife.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
$100-200.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Rarely.  Only if it has pictures :oD

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
Boring characters or plot, jarring or confusing style of writing, uninteresting subject matter, or if it simply wasn’t what I thought it would be.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
Sort of. I shelve books by the same author or of a similar subject matter or genre together. If I gather a large collection over the years, I might organize them differently.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I keep any book I really liked. Any I don’t like get donated to charity or someone interested in them.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Early literature, such as Plato, Aristotle, Aeschylus…I want to read them, but I haven’t mustered the courage to attempt it yet.

52. Name a book that made you angry.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker. The book was an amazing read, but the hardships and the abuse Celie endured under Albert/Mr. riled me.  Danny Glover adapted him brilliantly in the film version.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton, because I heard the ending was shocking, and it was, but the character of Ruth was so captivating that it surprised me how much I liked it.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb. I heard so many positive reviews about it, that I figured I would ease into it, but I could not stay with it before giving up.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
People magazine :oD And John Grisham.