451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?

Today, I'm happy to welcome author Jake Black to 451 Fridays. Jake is the author of The Authorized Ender Companion: The Indispensable Guide to the Universe of Ender's Game. You can read my review of Jake's book here.

Jake's official bio:

JAKE BLACK has written for several popular franchises and characters including Smallville, Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Twilight, Star Trek, and many others. He is also the author of Marvel Comics’ Ender-series comic books “Gold Bug,” “Cheater,” and “Recruiting Valentine.” He lives in a quiet Utah town with his wife and son.


Welcome, Jake!

What 5 books do you believe are important enough to be saved?

1. Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell

2. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

3. The Bible

4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

5. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

Of those 5, which book would you choose to "become"?

If I could "become" any of these, it would be Shakespeare. The impact that the writing had on language, as well as its prolific nature, make this book the most significant to me. The others are on the list because of similar reasons--primarily their impact on society and culture. Sarah Vowell's "Wordy Shipmates" is a brilliant work that examines our modern American society from its roots. Consequently, to me, it has had as much of an impact as these classic works of literature.

Jake, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us YOUR list of books which must be saved.

451 Fridays

Yikes! I feel like the entire month of January just disappeared - where did it go? It's been hard to find time to spend here, but I'm hoping that will change in the next few weeks. Most especially, I am excited to share some fantastic 451 Fridays posts with you! So, without further ado....

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?

When I started the 451 Challenge, I invited all the participants to create a 451 Fridays post to share, and I'm thrilled that several of them took me up on the offer! Today, I'm happy to welcome Rachel to 451 Fridays. Rachel blogs at Jacobs Beloved, and shares book reviews, recipes, and lots of other fun things. She also has two adorable little girls - really, aren't they cute! Welcome, Rachel!

What 5 books do you believe are important enough to be saved, and why?

Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

This book takes a feminist look at the classic story of King Arthur by telling it purely through the eyes of the females in Arthur's life. While I don't consider myself a feminist, I am a huge fan of understanding the stories I grew up with from the female's point of view. This book is also a great representation of all of Bradley's works and an excellent representation of the fantasy genre.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

As a Christian, any novel that retells stories of the Bible has definite appeal to me. This novel not only retells the dramatic story of Jacob and his four wives, but also sheds light on the customs and traditions of the culture, and all through the eyes of Jacob's only daughter Dinah. While another title that could be considered a feminist work, even my husband loved it.

Life of Pi by Pi Patel

I admit I avoided this book like the plague when it first hit the Bestseller's Lists merely as a matter of principle. Years later when my husband read it and would not stop pestering me about it, even going so far as to read passages out loud to me against my will, I finally gave in and read it. After reading it, I couldn't remember why I originally was so against reading it! Written like an autobiography, I still find the story hard to believe as only a work of fiction. As an unparalleled story of survival told through the framework of religion and philosophy, Pi Patel's book is worth remembering.

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

I chose this work because the plot takes place in Louisiana, where I am from. The author is also from there, and unfortunately he committed suicide before he ever saw its publication. It has since won a Pulitzer Prize. The main character of the story possesses an originality that can be a bit much for some to stomach, but whether one hates it or loves it, the book is unforgettable.

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey

I had to consult my Goodreads list of books to pick a fifth title, and then from a list of hundreds! While it may not be the best idea to pick a book from a series, I felt I had to put this in since I love, love, LOVE the Kushiel's Legacy series by Jacqueline Carey, even with some of its very "adult" themes. The beginning title of the series marks the beginning of Phedre's life, a girl marked by her god to experience pain and pleasure simultaneously.The thoroughness of character development and world-building in this series I find intensely fascinating and rather addicting.

Of those 5, which book would you choose to "become"?

Though it is hard to narrow my choices down to just one, I think I would choose to become The Red Tent. In a world without books, I think it would be important to remember the culture of the Holy Book of the most wide-spread religion in the world, Christianity. The book explores all the female aspects of that culture, from being a daughter, a sister, a mother, a lover, to a wife, as well as how the Hebrew people began as one family. Dinah is neither great heroine nor remarkably memorable, but her story is replete with love and loss that would be both familiar and appreciated by any woman of modern times.

Do you have any favorite quotes from that book, so we know why you love it so much?

"We have been lost to each other for so long.

My name means nothing to you. My memory is dust.

This is not your fault, or mine. The chain connecting mother to daughter was broken and the word passed to the keeping of men, who had no way of knowing. That is why I became a footnote, my story a brief detour between the well-known history of my father, Jacob, and the celebrated chronicle of Joseph, my brother. On those rare occasions when I was remembered, it was as a victim."

"And now you come to me - women with hands and feet as soft as a queen's, with more cooking pots than you need, so safe in childbed and so free with your tongues. You come hungry for the story that was lost. You crave words to fill the great silence that swallowed me, and my mothers, and my grandmothers before them.

I wish I had more to tell of my grandmothers. It is terrible how much has been forgotten, which is why, I suppose, remembering seems a holy thing.

I am so grateful that you have come. I will pour out everything inside me so you may leave this table satisfied and fortified. Blessings on your eyes. Blessings on your children. Blessings on the ground beneath you. My heart is a ladle of sweet water, brimming over.

Selah."

"Why had no one told me that my body would become a battlefield, a sacrifice, a test? Why did I not know that birth is the pinnacle where women discover the courage to become mothers? But of course, there is no way to tell this or to hear it. Until you are a woman on the bricks, you have no idea how death stands in the corner, ready to play his part."

"Just as there is no warning for childbirth, there is no preparation for the sight of the first child. I studied his face, fingers, the folds in his boneless little legs, the whorls of his ears, the tiny nipples on his chest. I held my breath as he sighed, laughed when he yarned, wondered at his grasp on my thumb. I could not get my fill of looking.

"There should be a song for women to sing at this moment, or a prayer to recite. But perhaps there is none because there are no words strong enough to name that moment. Like every mother since the first mother, I was overcome and bereft, exalted and ravaged. I have crossed over from girlhood. I beheld myself as an infant in my mother's arms, and caught a glimpse of my own death. I wept, without knowing whether I rejoiced or mourned. My mothers and theirs mothers were with me as I held my baby."



Rachel, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us YOUR list of books which must be saved.

I'm always looking for more participants - if you'd like to join to fun, let me know!

451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?

For our first 451 Fridays feature of 2010, I'm happy to welcome Jeanne, of Necromancy Never Pays. (Yep, that's really her blog name. To find out why, pay her a visit.) Jeanne can just about always talk me into reading whatever she's most recently reviewed, and she occasionally does Trivial Pursuit for Book Lovers posts, which are a lot of fun. Welcome, Jeanne!

What 5 books do you believe are important enough to be saved, and why?


Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

This is one of the first books I ever loved so deeply that the love has remained untarnished by sentimentalism into my adulthood. I named my first child Eleanor after both the 12th century Queen of Aquitaine and the flower of Lorien (also Sam Gamgee’s daughter).


Tyler, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant

I identify strongly with all the characters in this novel, in turn. The ridiculousness of the Pearl’s desire to have “extra” children is so pathetic, for instance, and seems to me so true to life.



Kingsolver, Animal Dreams

Because I can’t forget Codi’s question “Didn’t you ever fly in your dreams?” and Loyd’s reply “Only when I was real close to flying in real life.”


Shakespeare, Othello

Can there be any more impassioned and deluded utterance in the entire English language than Othello’s “It is the cause”?


Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

Through ridicule and absurdity it makes some serious points, but its readers are laughing too hard to mind.


Of those 5, which book would you choose to "become"?


The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.


Favorite quotes from that book, so we know why you love it so much?


The Restaurant at the End of the Universe is one of the most extraordinary ventures in the entire history of catering. It has been built on the fragmented remains of…it will be built on the fragmented…that is to say it will have been built by this time, and indeed has been—

One of the major problems encountered in time travel is not that of accidentally becoming your own father or mother. There is no problem involved in becoming your own father or mother that a broad-minded and well-adjusted family can’t cope with. There is no problem about changing the course of history—the course of history does not change because it all fits together like a jigsaw. All the important changes have happened before the things they were supposed to change and it all sorts itself out in the end.

The major problem is quite simply one of grammar, and the main work to consult in this matter is Dr. Dan Streetmentioner’s Time Traveler’s Handbook of 1001 Tense Formations. It will tell you, for instance, how to describe something that was about to happen to you in the past before you avoided it by time-jumping forward two days in order to avoid it. The event will be described differently according to whether you are talking about it from the standpoint of your own natural time, from a time in the further future, or a time in the further past and is further complicated by the possibility of conducting conversations while you are actually traveling from one time to another with the intention of becoming your own mother or father.

Most readers get as far as the Future Seminconditionally Modified Subinverted Plagal Past Subjunctive Intentional before giving up; and in fact in later editions of the book all the pages beyond this point have been left blank to save on printing costs.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy skips lightly over this tangle of academic abstraction, pausing only to note that the term “Future Perfect” has been abandoned since it was discovered not to be.




Jeanne, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us YOUR list of books which must be saved.


I've decided to make 451 Fridays a bi-weekly feature; my well of participants is running a little dry, and this will allow me to keep the feature running as long as possible. As always, if you or someone you know is interested in participating, please let me know!

451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?


Today, I'm so happy to welcome Tif to 451 Fridays. Tif blogs at Tif Talks Books - have you visited her there? She hosts a very cool feature called Literary Locals, where she invites readers to highlight the local authors from their community that might not get as much press as the "big guys" - cool, right? Welcome, Tif!


What 5 books do you believe are important enough to be saved, and why?

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire


The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon


Blindness by Jose Saramago

Maus & Maus II by Art Spiegelman


Of those 5, which book would you choose to "become"?

This is a really hard question for me, but I think I will have to go with Harry Potter. It has fun, romance, and most importantly adventure.....all a girl really wants in life! =)


Do you have any favorite quotes from that book, so we know why you love it so much?

"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." (Albus Dumbledore)

"If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." (Sirius Black)


Tif, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us YOUR list of books which must be saved!


451 Fridays is taking a hiatus until the New Year - I'm hoping to have lots more great lists of books to share - I'd even love to have YOURS! Contact me if you'd like to participate!

Did you know I'm hosting the first annual 451 Challenge? Visit the challenge blog, look at the list of great books, and JOIN US!!

451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?


Today, I'm so excited to welcome Robyn to 451 Fridays! Robyn has TWO related blogs - I'm So Not a Blogger, and The Book Club Blog. She shares The Book Club Blog with her sister, which I think would be so much fun (hint, hint, Carolynn). They are a fairly new blog, so please go give them some love! Also, she is from South Africa, which is just about as far away from me in Iowa as I can think of - I love making friends from all around the world! Welcome, Robyn!

In no particular order, these are the 5 books I would save:

Jitterbug Perfume - Tom Robbins

Jitterbug Perfume is full of wonderful insights and a host of wonderful characters, including the animal god, Pan. It shows how belief is a strange and fantastic thing and if there is no belief then things become faded and forgotten. It is the story between a man and a women, searching for truth and eternal life, and also, perfume. It is a love story and a story about beetroots. It has everything that a book needs in order to get you thinking and wondering at the beauty of life, at the complexities of the human spirit and adventure of the soul.

Rasero - Francisco Rebolledo

This novel is fantastic, it is set in the 18th century and the characters include Voltaire, Madame Pompadour, Roussea and Mozart. This book contains a heady mix of magic realism as well as politics, science and art of the times. It contains what none of us today could even begin to imagine and contrasts it with our world. The main character, Rasero is orgasmically clairvoyant, given at the moment of carnal release to apocalyptic visions in which he beholds what we recognize as the horrors of our own century: the Holocaust, the atomic bomb, the Vietnam War. And seeing as though I am saving a book, the past in this book is written so beautifully that one can almost vividly be there,within the pages. History at its best;-)

Calvin and Hobbes - Bill Watterson

Calvin and Hobbes encompasses such humour, sadness, true to life thoughts it makes my heart sing. It is a comic strip which never fails to lift my spirits and def would save any of his books, but have to say that 'Its a magical world' would be my favourite to keep.

The Family from One End Street - Eve Garnett

This is one of my all time favourite books and I often reread it. It is about a working class family living in the 1930's in a town called Otwell. It is very simply written, the father is a dustman and the mother is a washerwoman with 7 children so life is hard, but they are happy. It depicts their day to day life with the personalities of each character shining through. It truly is a magical children's book and the adventures of the characters are believable and amusing. It also shows a community which I dont think is quite alive in this day and age.

Perfume - Patrick Suskind

I know this is probably a bit of an odd book to save, but I found it a very compelling book to read. In a way I felt for the main character because he had no smell, he had no aroma and this was brought across as being almost as bad as having no soul, which ultimately one wonders about as you read it. I found that it was written extremely well and when they made it into a movie, I was quite keen to see how they would depict the sense of smell through sight. I have to say that it wasn't done too badly at all, but would still favour the book over the movie.


The book that I would choose to become is Jitterbug Perfume.
I think the world would be a poorer place without Tom Robbins in it. Without his humourous wisdom and uncanny ability to state the world as it is. It provides food for thought and love and laughter and the way that he constructs his sentences are brilliant.

Quotes:
‘The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious’

‘The highest function of love is that it makes the loved one a unique and irreplaceable being. Still, lovers quarrel. Frequently, they quarrel simply to recharge the air between them, to sharpen the aliveness of their relationship. To precipitate such a quarrel, the sweaty kimono of sexual jealousy is usually dragged out of the hamper, although almost any excuse will do. Only rarely is the spat rooted in the beet-deep soil of serious issue, but when it is, a special sadness attends it, for the mind is slower to heal than the heart, and such quarrels can doom a union, even one that has prospered for a very long time.’


Robyn, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us YOUR list of books which must be saved!

Do you have a list you'd like to share? I'd love to have you participate - please let me know!

Did you know I'm starting a 451 Challenge? Take a look and join us - we have lots of good books to read!

451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?


Today, I am so happy to welcome Lahni to 451 Fridays. Lahni blogs at Nose in a Book, which is one of the newest blogs in my google reader, although she's not new to the blogging world. She reads a wide variety of genres, and seems to have similar taste in reading material to me, so I've been enjoying getting to know her. Welome, Lahni!

The 5 books I would save are:


1. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Mostly because I love this book, but I also think it says a lot about how children (and people in general) have the potential to behave. We like to think that children are so innocent and loving, but I think the will to survive is strong in all of us. I think this book has a very similar message to The Lord of the Flies, but is a much more interesting read!

2. We The Living by Ayn Rand. This actually isn't my favourite Rand novel, but I think it's the most important. I read this when I was a young idealistic university student and it taught me a lot about how destructive that particular brand of communism is.


3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Because if we only have 5 books left, we need something fun and romantic to read, right?


4. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. This is a great story, with a great message - the triumph of good over evil.

5. The Diary of Anne Frank. We cannot forget the ability of human beings to hurt others because of differences perceived or real because this is when we start to allow it to happen again. There are many, many books that illustrate this, but I just love Anne Frank because it's so real. We need to read books like this that make us furious that fellow human beings were treated so inhumanely so we can prevent it from happening. (I almost chose The Book of Negroes for this last option, which is about slavery, but I decided that Anne Frank was just that much more poignant because it's real.)


Which of the five would I choose to become? Pride and Prejudice of course. Who doesn't want to be Elizabeth Bennet?

I think my favourite quote is Darcy's first proposal when he tells her how "ardently" he admires and loves her and then goes on to tell her how unsuitable and inferior she and her connections are. I love the way this scene is portrayed in the newest movie version of the novel. It's so funny but so sad at the same time!



Lahni, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us YOUR list of books which must be saved.

I'm always looking for more participants - if you are interested, please let me know!

451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?


Today, I'm so thankful to welcome Anna to 451 Fridays. Anna blogs at Diary of an Eccentric, where there is always something interesting going on. I love the articles she writes for Examiner.com, and the joint reviews she does with her daughter, The Girl. Anna is also the co-host of the War Through the Generations challenge, which I am looking forward to participating in next year. Welcome, Anna!

What 5 books do you believe are important enough to be saved, and why?


The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan -- Amy Tan tells such beautiful stories and her understanding of the complex mother-daughter dynamic and ability to put it into words is awesome.


Night by Elie Wiesel -- A must-read for those interested in learning about the Holocaust.


Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen -- Austen's humorous commentary on society, manners, and relationships is the original chick lit.


Anne of Green Gables (series) by L.M. Montgomery -- It's impossible not to fall in love with Anne, the free-spirited child, and watching her grow into a women, wife, and mother was a high-point of my childhood reading.


Sea Glass by Anita Shreve -- Shreve has a way of making her characters come to life, and she brilliantly throws in a final twist that leaves you shocked and emotionally drained.


Of those 5, which book would you choose to "become"?


The Joy Luck Club. It's been my favorite book since I first read it in college, and one of the few books I've read more than once. It makes me cry every time.


Do you have any favorite quotes from that book, so we know why you love it so much?

"And then my mother cut a piece of meat from her arm. Tears poured from her face and blood spilled to the floor.

My mother took her flesh and put it in the soup. She cooked magic in the ancient tradition to try to cure her mother this one last time. She opened Popo's mouth, already too tight from trying to keep her spirit in. She fed her this soup, but that night Popo flew away with her illness.

Even though I was young, I could see the pain of the flesh and the worth of the pain.

This is how a daughter honors her mother. It is shou so deep it is in your bones. The pain of the flesh is nothing. The pain you must forget. Because sometimes that is the only way to remember what is in your bones. You must peel off your skin, and that of your mother, and her mother before her. Until there is nothing. No scar, no skin, no flesh." (page 41 in my paperback copy)



Anna, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us YOUR list of books which must be saved.

If you have a list you are burning to share, please let me know - I'd love to have you!

451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?

Today, I'm so happy to welcome Booklogged to 451 Fridays! Booklogged blogs at A Reader's Journal, where there is always something interesting going on. One of my favorite features on her blog is Blogging Around the States, where she is working her way through the 50 states, interviewing bloggers that live in each. What fun! Welcome, Booklogged! (Also, this might be my favorite 451 picture yet - love reading to the little ones!)

What 5 books do you believe are important enough to be saved, and why?

All the ones I've listed are engaging, well- written and teach us something important.

1. The Giver by Louis Lowry - Reminds us that it's good that we are different.

2. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - Our way isn't necessarily the best way for everyone throughout the world.

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - War is ugly, watch out for megalomaniacs and there is kindness to be found in humble hearts.

4. Atlas Shrugged - Socialism is scary and we need to be aware of it's sneaky entanglements.

5. Anne of Green Gables - Keeping a child-like outlook on the world and looking for the good in people and moments can bring wonder into our lives.


Of those 5, which book would you choose to "become?"

Anne of Green Gables - I think if I 'became' that book I would be a pleasure to be around and my outlook on life would be honest, child-like, refreshing and I would be filled with delight. Also, people would like to hear my story over and over again.


Do you have any favorite quotes from that book, so we know why you love it so much?

"What a splendid day! I pity people who aren't born yet for missing it. They may have good days, of course, but they can never have this one." - Anne

"I'd rather walk calmly along and do without the flying and the thud." - Marilla

"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There'd be no scope for imagination then, would there?" - Anne

"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?" - Anne

"Next to trying and winning, the best thing is trying and failing." - Anne



Thanks so much, Booklogged, for sharing with us YOUR list of books which must be saved. (And YAY for another Anne fan!!)

Do you have a list you'd like to share? Please let me know - I'd love to have you!

451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?

Today, I am so honored to welcome author Garret Freymann-Weyr to 451 Fridays! Here's the official bio:

Garret Freymann-Weyr (née Weyr) was born and raised in New York City. She inexplicably went to college in North Carolina (UNC-Chapel Hill) and, just as inexplicably, got an MFA in film (NYU). She now lives outside Washington, D.C. with her husband. She has written five books for young adults, one of which, somewhat inexplicably, won a Printz honor. Her work has been sold to countries including the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, and China. Her next book, French Ducks in Venice, is a picture book for a younger audience.

Here's what I know - she writes great books, as you can tell from my review of After the Moment. Also, she is a very cool lady. She sent me a card - an actual card! via snailmail! - to introduce herself to me when I agreed to be on this blog tour. And she's been so gracious in the emails we've exchanged for the 451 post - really, I'm a fan. I'll definitely be out looking for more of her work. She also has a website where you can read more about her, including essays like this one I especially like about reading above your grade level. (You'll probably have to scroll down to find it, but it's worth it. Of course, you could just read all of them, which wouldn't be a bad way to spend some time, but make sure you read the one with Great Expectations!)

Welcome, Garret!

What 5 books do you believe are important enough to be saved, and why?

The part of me that believes ‘Western Civilization Is Important’ wants to give you a list full of achingly gorgeous and precious works. You know the gang of The Iliad, Inferno, The Aeneid, etc. But the part of me that fervently believes that books are a passport to pleasure is going to go in another direction.

1. Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers because it is about the magic that lies within childhood, but it never ever talks down to children or presumes to teach them anything.

2. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton because it is a love story and a comedy of manners that doesn’t amuse its readers so much as it transforms them.

3. Middlemarch by George Eliot because people no longer even think the way Eliot writes and her characters will break your heart. I tended to skip over the stuff about land reform because I am not a Proper Reader. But it is my belief that stepping into this novel will bring as close as you can get to time travel (backwards that is).

4. Pitch Dark by Renata Adler because it is unlike any other modern novel. Adler uses fragments to build her narrative, which sounds annoying and should be annoying, but isn’t. When you are lost and not sure of what life will allow you, this novel illuminates how to be lost and found at the same time.

5. Parthian Stations by John Ash because his poems allow you to step into another person’s soul. Ash, born in Manchester, lived in NY from 1985 -96. He now lives in Istanbul, and his work is full of longing, grief, memory, and joy. It is everything you think of when you imagine what beauty really is.

Of those 5, which would you choose to become?

Mary Poppins, because who wouldn’t want to spend eternity in a British nursery? I wouldn’t mind being the elusive and sad Countess Olenska in The Age of Innocence or Dorothea Brooks in Middlemarch, but if I were to become a book, it would have to be Mary Poppins. Hands down.

Are there any quotes from the book(s) you'd like to share?

From Mary Poppins:

“It was the first day of Spring. Jane and Michael knew this at once, because they heard Mr. Banks singing in his bath, and there was only one day in the year when he did that.”

From The Age of Innocence:

“He longed to ask Madame Olenska if she did not have the same feeling: the feeling that they were starting on some long voyage from which they might never return.”

Garret, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us YOUR list of books which must be saved!!

451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?

This week, I'm happy to welcome Tasha to 451 Fridays. Tasha blogs at Heidenkind's Hideaway, which is a newer blog to me, but quickly becoming a must visit. She reads quite a bit of romance, which frankly is a genre that makes me a little nervous, so I've been jotting down several titles based on her recommendations. Also, she is running what sounds like a REALLY fun challenge - the Art History Challenge - that I wish I had noticed when it first started. I'm hoping she'll host another when this one is over. (hint, hint.) Welcome, Tasha!


5 books I would save are:

Jane Eyre
1001 Arabian Nights
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
The Scarlet Letter
Dr. Zhivago

The book I would become would be Jane Eyre. Of course. :) (It's my favorite novel.)

A favorite quote:

"I sometimes have a queer feeling with regard to you--especially when you are near me, as now: it is as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and inextricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame. And if that boisterous channel, and two hundred miles or so of land come broad between us, I am afraid that cord of communion will be snapt; and then I've a nervous notion I should take to bleeding inwardly." -Mr. Rochester, Chapter 23, pg. 221

So romantic. :)


Thanks, Tasha, for taking the time to share with us YOUR list of books which must be saved.

I'm always looking for more participants. If you have a list you'd like to share, please let me know!

451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?

Today I am thrilled to welcome Heather, better known to the blogging world as Zibilee, to 451 Fridays. Heather blogs at Raging Bibliomania, and is one of the blogs I've been following since the very beginnings of my own blogging journey. She reads a fantastic variety of books, and is also one of the best commenters in the blogosphere. I'm so glad she's here today - welcome, Heather!


Elizabeth, thanks so much for welcoming me here today. I love this feature and hope to be able to do it justice with my choices. There are many books I think worthy of saving, so I had a little trouble picking the top five that I thought would be most important not to lose. My list reflects the books that have changed my life in some way, and have impacted and shaped my tastes in my further reading.

Atonement by Ian McEwan

Not only was the writing hypnotic, the complex and intricate story in this book tells the tragic tale of what can happen when someone's preconceived notions and mistaken perceptions cloud an otherwise innocent exchange, and the horrible consequences of that mistake. Certain sections dealt with the atrocities and unexplainable evil of war and the madness that the circumstances of combat can inspire. This book was an emotional powerhouse and it's conclusion was heartbreaking. Even thinking about it now makes me a little teary. I think it was amazing what McEwan was able to do with this short book: essentially, he took one incident and tracked how it ruined so may lives, in so many differing ways, and he was able to invoke tremendously powerful emotions. I think this book should definitely be saved because of the heart-rending quality of the writing and the inexpressible sadness and beauty of it's story. It also has one of the most unforeseen and devastating conclusions that I have ever read, and for the ending alone, it deserves a place on this list.


Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Fingersmith is the story of two girls. The first, Sue is convinced by her band of outcasts to help cheat a young woman out of her fortune, and when that is done,to throw her into a madhouse. Maud, the bookish young woman whose fortune is at stake, finds herself drawn to Sue, which makes Sue have second thoughts about her plan. This book had one of the most fantastic twists I have ever read in literature, and there was not an inkling to give it way. It was moving and filled with drama, and had a most unconventional love story within it's pages. The writing was bold and the circumstances of the plot were not only unusual, but highly convincing. Waters managed to capture both tremendous darkness and chaos in this unpredictable tale, and her characters in this novel were schemers of the first order.


Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

I think Dickens is a master at storytelling and character creation, and I consider this one of Dickens' best. Great Expectations tells the story of Pip, the poor boy who wants to be a gentleman, and the mysterious benefactor that makes this dream come true for him. But although Pip becomes a gentleman on the outside, he has trouble becoming one on the inside. I think this book had the most amazing cast of characters I have ever seen in one place, from the violent Magwitch to the seriously disturbed Miss Havisham. In terms of character portrayal, this book excelled. There were some amazing twists and turns in this story, and I was left puzzling it all out until I turned the final page. I should also mention that the book was raucously funny at times, and it's ironies, satires, and symbolism make it not only a great read, but one that can be dissected and discussed at great length... if you're into that sort of thing. :)


A Confederacy of Dunces by John O'Toole

A Confederacy of Dunces seems to be a very polarizing book. Most either love it or hate it. I fall into the former category. This is the story of man who may possibly be the most annoying character in all of literature, Ignatius Reilly. Ignatius is a grown man who lives at home with his mother and spends most of his days, well, being annoying and filling up his personal notebooks with endless tirades against almost everything. All his mother really wants is for Ignatius to get a job and be a normal man, something that he can never seem to do. This book had spectacular moments of humor and some rather startling insights, and I thought Ignatius was a magnificent character. It was an interesting experience to both loathe and love him throughout his unlikely set of adventures. It's a stunningly original work of fiction that dealt craftily with a most unsavory man. This book was found and published posthumously, after the author took his own life, which I find incredibly sad, and which makes this book all the more precious. An astonishingly clever book.


Geek Love by Katerine Dunne

A book that continually startled and amazed, Geek Love tells the story of a family of circus freaks that will do anything to ensure their strangeness, including imposing genetic modifications on their unborn offspring. At times dark and incredibly twisted, this story was a melting pot of the fantastically bizarre, and had some really unparalleled characters. It also had a hell of a villain, in the form of a devilish boy born with flippers instead of feet. It was a malevolent story, rich with with weirdness, and I have never read anything quite like it. It is an incredibly well crafted book, both suspenseful and frightening. Geek Love is a book that I don't think many people have been exposed to, and it's been one of my favorite books for years now.


If I could choose to be one book, it would be A Confederacy of Dunces, because a world without Ignatius Reilly would be a little smaller, and a little colder.

Some quotes from A Confederacy of Dunces: "It's not your fate to be well treated," Ignatius cried. "You're an overt masochist. Nice treatment will confuse and destroy you."

"My respiratory system, unfortunately, is below par. I suspect that I am the result of particularly weak conception on the part of my father. His sperm was probably emitted in a rather offhand manner."

"How old is he?" the policeman asked Mrs. Reilly. "I am thirty," Ignatius said condescendingly. "You got a job?" "Ignatius hasta help me at home," Mrs. Reilly said. Her initial courage was failing a little, and she began to twist the lute string with the cord on the cake boxes. "I got terrible arthuritis." "I dust a bit," Ignatius told the policeman. "In addition, I am at the moment writing a lengthy indictment against our century. When my brain begins to reel from my literary labors, I make an occasional cheese dip."



Heather, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us YOUR list of books which must be saved.

I'm always looking for more participants - if you are reading this and would like to share your 451 list, please let me know!

451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?

Today, I am so happy to welcome Serena to 451 Fridays! Serena blogs at Savvy Verse and Wit, where there is always something fun going on. One of my favorite features on her blog is the weekly Poetry Circle, where she offers up a poem for participants to read and comment on. She's introduced me to some poets I was completely unaware of - it's a great way to dip your feet into the world of poetry. Also, I LOVE this picture of Serena, her book, and her dog. It just reminds me of how things usually go at my house! Welcome, Serena!


What 5 books do you believe are important enough to be saved, and why?


1. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen: Austen's work is a classic assessment of society through the eyes of her strong female protagonists. While highlighting the faults of convention, Austen shows how those conventions can be circumvented through dedications and triumph of individual spirit.

2. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaton Leroux: Leroux's journalistic writing style breathed life into this "ghost" story. It is horror in its purest form, uncovering the dark side of humanity in more ways than one.

3. Long Days Journey into Night by Eugene O'Neill: O'Neill's play examines familial secrets, which during the 1940s and 1950s when the play was written was considered the best time in history in which fathers worked and mothers stayed home. Semi-autobiographical in nature, this play touches about familial dysfunction and addiction.

4. Paco's Story by Larry Heinemann: Heinemann, a Vietnam veteran himself, uses fiction as a catalyst for all of the ways in which war is dangerous, both mentally and physically. Paco is the only survivor of his unit that makes it back from Vietnam, but does he really make it back?

5. Blake's Poetry & Designs (Norton Critical Edition): While Blake's poetry defies what we consider "romantic" poetry, his greatest poems, his sketches, and his letters are highly creative and defied convention.

Which of these books would I become?

Tortured souls are my specialty; I just love these kinds of stories, which is why it is a toss up between Paco's Story and The Phantom of the Opera.

Quotes from these books:

From Paco's Story:

"Paco is in constant motion, trying to get settled and comfortable with that nagging, warm tingling in his legs and hips." (Page 35)

"'For a day and a half I thought that the very next breath I drew was going to be my last; and I was going to fucking die. And shit, what's funny is that goddamn Fire Base Harriette was supposed to be a fucking piece of cake, the same as going home and spending the night in the house where you fucking grew up.'" (Page 73)

"She sees herself drawing on his scars as if they were Braille, as if each scar has its own story." (Page 101)

From The Phantom of the Opera:

"The Opera ghost really existed. He was not, as was long believed, a creature of the imagination of the artists, the superstition of the managers, or a product of the absurd and impressionable brains of the young ladies of the ballet, their mothers, the box keepers, the cloak-room attendants or the concierge." (Page 1)

"With one accord, they raised their eyes to the ceiling and uttered a terrible cry. The chandelier, the immense mass of the chandelier was slipping down, coming toward them, at the call of that fiendish voice. Released from its hook, it plunged from the ceiling and came smashing into the middle of the stalls, amid a thousand shouts of terror." (Page 80)

"'When my own father never saw me and when my mother, so as not to see me, made me a present of my first mask!' He had let go of me at last and was dragging himself about on the floor, uttering terrible sobs. And then he crawled away like a snake, went into his room, closed the door and left me alone to my reflections." (Page 129)


Serena, thanks so much for taking the time to share with us YOUR list of books which must be saved.

If you are reading this, I'd love to have you participate! Leave me a comment to let me know you are interested, and I'll get you the details.

451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?

Today, I'm so excited to welcome author Victoria Hislop to 451 Fridays! I reviewed her novel, The Return, yesterday, and am thrilled she agreed to join us here!

About Victoria

Victoria Hislop read English at St Hilda’s College, Oxford, and writes travel features for The Sunday Telegraph, The Mail on Sunday, House & Garden and Woman & Home.

Her first novel The Island was published by Headline Review and held the number 1 slot in the paperback charts for eight consecutive weeks, selling over a million copies in the UK.

The book has also been published in over twenty languages and has also been a number 1 bestseller in Greece.

Victoria was the Newcomer of the Year at the Galaxy British Book Awards 2007 and won the Richard & Judy Summer Read competition.

She lives in Kent, with her husband and their two children.

Visit Victoria’s website at www.victoriahislop.com.

What 5 books do you believe are important enough to be saved, and why?

That's a really challenging task - out of all the books that one has read and loved, the ones I would definitely plea to be saved:

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The Hours by Michael Cunningham
I am David by Anne Holm
1984 by George Orwell
Complete Works of Shakespeare


Of those 5, which would you choose to become?

The one I would "become" (if I had the brainpower!) would be the Complete Works of Shakespeare - I think it contains all the wisdom, advice and insight that any one could ever hope to acquire in a lifetime! And it entertains, moves and educates all at the same time.


Are there any quotes from the book(s) you'd like to share?


As for a quote....where does one begin? "To be or not to be, that is the question." It seems to face all the fundamental questions about life, so how about that one.




Victoria, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us YOUR list of books which must be saved.

Do you have a list you'd like to share? Let me know - I'd love to feature you on an upcoming 451 Friday!

451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?


Today I'm thrilled to welcome Jenera to 451 Fridays. We first became acquainted when she won a contest here on my blog, and I've enjoyed getting to know her better. Jenera has a couple of blogs - a book blog and a photography blog. She takes some beautiful pictures - you should check them out! Welcome, Jenera!




A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt ~ Originally written in 1983, I read it for the first time in the 4th grade when I was about 9 or 10. It was the beginning for me of my love affair with books. This book was about a a boy who goes through the divorce of his parents, an inheritance, and growing up. Cynthia Voigt captured everything there is to be a kid and eventually a teenager. I read this several times throughout my teenage years and loved it every time.

"Jeff always watched for the first glimpse of the Professor, because he always knew he might not return. "He doesn't know much about being a father,' Melody had told him, 'so you can't expect very much from him, Jeffie."' Chapter 1, p. 20.

Even as just a young kid, this quote from the book always struck me as heartbreaking. To be a kid and have to have that kind of worry about your parents opened my eyes to a whole new world of hurt.

~~~~~
Izzy Willy Nilly by Cynthia Voigt - This book is another from the late 80's but I read it in middle school for the first time. It's about this high schooler Izzy who loses her leg in a car accident. Izzy is a popular cheerleader with everything going for her. After the accident her life changes and so do her friends. The so very average Rosamunde becomes her friend and main support through this time as she deals with her new life.

This book spoke to me in a way no other books had up to this point in my reading career. I could have easily been this girl in this book. If I was in an accident, lost my leg, would my friends still be there? Could I handle it?

Cynthia Voigt has a way of writing to young adults that makes them look inward and examine themselves. I know I did with this and several other of her books.

~~~~~

This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness by Frank Peretti - Growing up in the church, I was always aware of 'spiritual warfare'. I had a great Sunday School teacher that was open to so many things, questioning everything, looking at every side. She gave me both these books when I was in 8th grade as a way to understand what might be going on around us.

Both books center on two small towns where it's townfolk are struggling. With crime, infidelity, lies, you name it, they've got. Basically every day life. Frank Peretti offers an insight to the possible world of angels and demons and their battle over human souls. His descriptions of the heavenly bodies fighting to the death was so vivid I can remember actually picturing them in my head.

Though deemed a 'Christian' book it was a great novel to read.

~~~~~

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom - I must have read this book a hundred times throughout my teens. It impacted me like no other. It is raw, gritty and so very real.

This book details Corrie Ten Boom and her sister's experience with World War II and the concentration camps. Her family owns a watch shop and first helps hide Jews, steal ration cards, and other 'illegal' activities. Eventually the family is set up, the watch shop raided and they are sent to prison.

"Some knowledge is too heavy for children. When you are older and stronger, you can bear it. For now you must trust me to carry it for you."

It was the first I had learned of the concentration camps and the struggles of the people imprisoned. I had no idea things like this could go on in our world. As a young kid, maybe 11 reading this, I was changed by her story. Not only did I now see that there is evil in the world, but I learned of the compassion of others. The strength of a survivor and the lengths people will go to protect their own.

If I had to memorize any book to keep it alive, this would be the one. Not only for the impact on my life, but the way it can open a person's mind and thinking.



Jenera, than you so much for taking the time to share with us YOUR list of books which must be saved. I'm always looking for more participants - if you'd like to share a list, leave a comment and I'll contact you!

451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?

I'm so excited to welcome author Marc Blatte to As Usual, I Need More Bookshelves today for 451 Fridays! I reviewed Marc's book, Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed yesterday (read my review here), and later today I have a special post from the publisher of that book. But now, here's storyteller Marc Blatte, with his take on 451 Fridays. Welcome, Marc!

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx

Rabbit Is Rich by John Updike

The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

The Autograph Man by Zadie Smith

These books are all fabulously written, infused with humor and impart timeless wisdom with great empathy and compassion. Indomitable non-conformists, who are perfect for inspiration and empowerment in an age of repression, inhabit them. Multiple examples of the redemptive power of love are throughout all, which I believe might be the perfect antidote to the pessimism and hate of a dark age.

The book I would like to become is Catch-22. It makes me laugh out loud and I can never get enough of funny. I consider Joseph Heller’s narrative to be hilariously subversive. What could be better than to confound totalitarian systems? Especially when in this case it is the military? I can’t imagine becoming anything more elevating than delighting people with Heller’s zany characters and absurdist situations.

I met Joseph Heller at a restaurant once, in Bridgehampton, NY, while I was with my wife‘s family waiting for our table to be ready. It was around Christmastime. At first I couldn’t put a name on the face of the literary master. Fortunately I was with my sister-in-law, who is a well-known broadcast journalist and has interviewed many authors.

“Hey, look at that guy over there. He‘s so familiar. Who is he?”

She says without pausing, “Joseph Heller”.

“I‘ve got to talk to him. I’ve got something he will want to hear.”

“He‘s famous for his reticence, Marc,” she says with appropriate concern for a bad outcome in the season of goodwill.

I nod indicating I understand, and to offer a sign of appreciation for the sentiment. However, tonight, reticence is not on my menu.

In the middle of our dinner I see Mr. Heller‘s guests have gone. He is sitting alone. Fate has blessed me with the opportunity I have waited for. I excuse myself and pounce.

“Joseph Heller,” I say, super-friendly, hand extended. “I’m Marc Blatte.”

He looks at me as if he knows who I am- although he doesn’t, I assure you. He takes my hand enthusiastically.

“Marc Blatte, what can I do you for?” He smiles. Or am I projecting…is he actually beaming?

“I was introduced to Henry Kissinger,” I say, “and as I shook his hand, all I could think of was your quote in Good as Gold: “Mine is not a Jewish accent, it is a German accent.”

The great writer bursts out laughing and keeps at it for a while.

“You know Marc Blatte,” he says, once he‘s recovered, “I just saw Henry’s brother on CNBC. He was asked why is it that he has no accent and his brother does?” Mr. Heller pauses before the punch line. “Because,” he says, “I am a business man. When people talk, I listen!”

We both laugh. He’s charming and funny.

After a few pleasantries I excuse myself and join the family. On his way out of the restaurant, to my disbelief, he comes over to our large group, introduces himself with great bonhomie, and tells my in-laws what a great guy I am. Our jaws dropped to the floor.

So if becoming Catch-22 is what is needed to keep his spirit alive, no problem. Call me Joe, or Catch. Or, if you’d like to be formal: Catch-22. I’ll be sure to respond to any one of them.

Marc, I'm honored to have you share your choices for the book YOU would become. If you are reading this and think you'd like to participate, let me know - I'd love to have you join us!