I don’t even remember where these song lyrics come from, but I do know they are somewhere from my childhood. And I think they’re appropriate for today because why would you read my blog if you don’t know anything about me.
So here it goes: The first thing you should know about me is I have blue eyes always covered by glasses. Glasses are the best fashion accessory a pasty pale white girl with blond hair can have-they bring colour to my face! Why that was important to know I do not know, but it is fundamental of who I am. I also love Hippos.
The third thing you should know is relevant-I really don’t like being asked what my favorite book is. What types of books, what are my favorites and why, those questions are OK. But many people ask what you favorite book is and expect a short, one title answer and that frustrates me for several reasons. First, I have too many favorites for completely different reasons. Second, I read so much my opinion often changes. Also, the one book that tops several of my “favorite lists” I don’t think represents me well to people who don’t know me. What is this book do you ask? Ha! You are going to have to wait to find out. Why? Because I enjoy discussing favorites as it allows people to get to know each other and what and why they read, of course!
And if I want a two way dialogue for this blog it is important we know about the types of books we like and about who we are. With that in mind, over the next 3 days I am going to make my first posts “favorites” lists. My Favorite books to read & re read; my favorite books thus far of 2010, and the books I cherish. And most importantly, I am going to explain why they’re my favorites. Hopefully you’ll find a new read and you will find out a little bit more about me.
I would love for you to post your favorites in the comment section so I can get to know you too!
My favorite books to read and reread:
1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
2. All Harry Potter books by J K Rowling.
3. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
4. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
5. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Wollstonecraft
All of these books share the ability to make me escape into a world I want to live in. They are packed full of tradition and expectations (maybe with the exception of Harry Potter) that I often wish would limit me, allowing me to focus my life. I am not an organized person. I dabble in everything. I think that is why I love to read. I can read one book and move on to something 100% different and still say reading is my hobby. This is different from say, my love for music- one day I am a singer the next I’m trying to teach myself piano and the next I’ve just settled on Wii Rockband (I own all Rockband renditions for Wii). The romanticized idea of limited choices is actually appealing, though I would be beyond frustrated to actually live under those conditions. Which leads into my next reason I love rereading these books.
All of these novels also are heavy on the strength of a woman. Yes, I am a feminist. And the F word is not a bad thing. It means I believe in strong women. It means I support their rights to equality, representation and choice. I know few women in this day and age who are not feminists, though I doubt they would ever call themselves that. And while many of you may question how Frankenstein has women’s rights, it is more in the author. I love Mary Shelley Wollstonecraft. She was independent; she wrote this story as a challenge among men and she is also the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft who wrote the Vindication on the Rights of Women.
I love re-reading these books because every time I do I get something new out of them. When I was a girl, Little Women was just a playful and adventurous story. As a teen it was a love story. Today, it is a discussion of women’s rights, of choice, of work and social ethics-so much of which can still apply today. Harry Potter series was a children’s fantasy, playful fluff; then it was a study of good versus evil; then the background for literary pop culture and the power of child marketing. Like Water for Chocolate was a love story steeped full of my favorite things- tradition & foods; then it was a university text that opened up my eyes to Hispanic history, magic realism, and more.
They of course all have well developed plots and characters because otherwise they wouldn’t be good stories that envelope me like they do. But above all else what I love about these books is that when I close them after the last page they make me reflect on the world around me today. Frankenstein particularly. Everything was fictitious when Ms. Wollstonecraft wrote it. It was a pure horror fantasy. But today, in the science fields, they talk of Frankenstein mythology and ethics. We now have the science to do exactly what Dr. Frankenstein did, which opens a whole new level of discussion when reading the book, and is a great example of how we can learn from the classics, even if it was in a way different from the author’s intention. Pride & Prejudice and Little Women make me think about social culture and women’s status today-how far we’ve come; how far we, in some ways, still have to go.
These books represent the best of why I love to read-the ability to escape and learn at the same time. To journey while staying on my couch with my dogs curled up on my legs but when the story is done, to feel empowered and inspired in some way to get off of that couch and make the world a better place.
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