Did y'all have a good week? I am barely containing my excitement. We leave tomorrow morning for vacation. Bright and early, I might add. The airport shuttle is picking us up at 3am #yawn, #definitelynappingontheplane
For this week, similar to last week, I've compiled a list of my favorite books. These are books I have read and re-read and stand out as my all time favorites.
Pride and Prejudice
I've mentioned my love of this one before, but it definitely bears repeating. I have probably read this book 50 times since it was first assigned to me as required reading in high school. Who doesn't want to be Lizzie Bennet? My love of the story does not end with the book though. I am also a huge fan of the BBC version with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. So well done, and I refuse to watch the Keira Knightley version (she's a terrible Elizabeth in my opinion which is a shame because Matthew Macfadyen is a great Darcy). I've also recently read Eligible, by Curtis Sittenfeld, which is a modern re-telling of the story. And if you are a fan like me, you should check out The Lizzie Bennet Diaries on YouTube.
Coming Home
You can thank my high school English teacher for this one as well. She required us to read The Shell Seekers, which was also a great book. The Shell Seekers led me to Coming Home. Set against the backdrop of World War II, it tells the story of Judith Dunbar. It starts when she is 12 and progresses through the next 10 years of her life including the War and life immediately after. Such rich characters and descriptions, Pilcher does a great job of evoking that time.
Sharp Objects
While most Gillian Flynn readers would pick Gone Girl as their favorite book, Sharp Objects is mine. Don't get me wrong, I loved Gone Girl, but Sharp Objects left a bigger impact on me. Gillian has a knack for taking a plot twist and twisting it further. It keeps you hooked and turning page after page after page until you've reached the end at which point you think to yourself, "wow".
Leap of Faith
I picked this one up on a whim and was immediately hooked. As a history major, I will admit that one of the areas where I have the least knowledge is the Middle East. Reading Queen Noor's story about growing up in the United States and then marrying the King of Jordan was fascinating. It takes a lot of strength of character to do what she did and her story has resonated with me all these years later.
Nicholas and Alexandra
Way back in the 7th Grade, Mr. Welch introduced me to this book and I have probably read it 10 times since then. It is what sparked my interest in Russian history, an interest that still grips me to this day #iwilltraveltheresomeday. In reading it you can hardly believe it's non-fiction, it reads like a tall tale. What leaps off the page though, is their love for each other and how above all else, it was their little family that was most important to them, not being Tsar of All Russias. As we all know, it ends in tragedy and when I finish, I always have the thought, it's a shame that they were born into the life they were - I believe they would have been just as happy without all the trappings of court life and been content in a little house living a normal life with their children.
Harry Potter
How could I leave these out? Absolutely not. I've re-read these several times and I swear I find something I've missed every time I read them. JK Rowling crafted such a fantastic world. You could see the care and attention to detail. The fact that she thought through all the facets of each family tree and created backstories for characters who are only ever referenced in passing goes far beyond dedication to your craft. And I am eagerly looking forward to the Harry Potter experience at Universal next week!!!
Did you find anything new to read? I am always on the lookout for new books, please leave any recommendations in the comments! Have a great weekend everyone and I will be back in a week with stories of Disney and lots of pictures, I'm sure.
xoxoxoxo
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