Ithiloth
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Posts: 71
(1/14/06 10:51 am)
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Favorite Books
This is a little bit different than book reviews, because it is a list rather than a description--although I hope to say a bit about why each book listed is on the list of favorites. (That was too many 'list's used in one sentence. Hm.)
I encourage others to post their favorites book list.
I will list these as they occur to me, rather than in absolute favorite order.
The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
This is a surprise?  I list the books that make it up under one banner because the author thought of them as one book. They are often published in three separate books: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King.
The biggest reasons why I love this book is its imagination and scope. In this same top tier or reasons for loving this book (or trilogy, if you prefer) is that it celebrates the ordinary of the world doing extraordinary things, one step at a time. You could say, "A Hobbit, who is not of a race that seeks adventure, is thrust into one by circumstance, and ends up accomplishing an impossible, dangerous task which in effect saves the world from domination by a dark power out to enslave everyone and everything." This is true! It is actually 4 Hobbits who are thrust into an adventure, and many others of different races come together in the book help to help the impossible, dangerous task to be completed. If I reviewed this book in depth, I would be here still at suppertime, gushing. Read this book if you have not already. It is time well spent.
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
It preludes FOTR and is a darn good read.
The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien
If you haven't concluded yet that the author is brilliant and has a scope of imagination and story-telling gifts yet, well, you will by the end of this one, although I wish this book had been published during the author's lifetime and not edited by his son, who I do not think is the most...ummmm...the best editor out there. Still, the insights and scope in this book alone make you realize that if all the stories hinted at in this volume were written into separate books, you would need to add another wing to your personal library.
The River Why? by David James Duncan
I adore this book. I simply adore this book. It is not categorizable, although it is one of the few fiction books you will find in many stores that are devoted solely to the sale of fishing gear and tackle. Why? Because it has a fine knowledge of fishing as its backbone, and yet, to one who is not a fisherman (and I am not!), it is...astonishing in its insights into life and the journey we are all on. The writing is witty, imaginative, and one chapter must NOT be read on the bus during a commute to work, for you *will* laugh out loud...
It has a core of philosophy and personal journey at its roots, and there are many people in this book I hope hope hope hope are actually real out there somewhere. BillBob, please be real. Gus, thank you for letting us see your journey. If you were my neighbor I would be delighted.
It will make you laugh, cry, think, ponder, wonder, rejoice, drop your jaw, feel wonder crawl along your skin giving you goosebumps....and the ending is *right*! I love this book.
(more to be added as time permits)
Ithiloth
Edited by: Ithiloth at: 1/14/06 11:03 am
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