Friday, June 11, 2010

What's your *Magician's Book*?

Editorial Ass (which is one of my secret pleasures!) has done a great post on a book about one woman's attempt to rediscover her love for the Narnia series. It was triggered by this quote:

Lucy Pevensie is looking in a spell book for a spell she desperately needs. The spell, it turns out, is in the form of a story, a really amazing story that Lucy can't stop reading. It's so good that she tries to go back and reread it, but finds the (magical) pages only turn in one direction. Worst of all, the story is erasing itself from her brain even as she reads it, so that by the time she gets to the end she can't remember it at all. But it was such a good story that from that day on, whenever she reads something that she enjoys, it's only because it in some way reminded her of that one perfect, lost story.

It can be argued that it sums up childhood reading -- finding books that really spoke to you. So I'm going to do a meme and hope others will join in. (Kate Hardy?, Donna Alward?, Nell Dixon?, India Grey? Julie Cohen? Nicola Cornick?) Anyone! Just add a comment that you have done it and I will be delighted to go and see.
Name at least one book that you read as a child (ie 11 or under) that still exists in your memory as a perfect story. You can say why if you wish, or simply give a list -- your choice. It can be a story that you are now uncomfortable about having loved or were uncomfortable at some point and have now come back to or alternativly just one that you have always loved:

Mine are (off the top of my head)
1. The High King by Lloyd Alexander -- read when I was about 9 and I wanted to be there. And then I made the mistake of confiding to a friend who just did not understand. The dedication at the beginning of the book says it all btw. But knowing what I know now about Celtic mythology, I worry would I enjoy it as much?
2. Ozma of Oz by L Frank Baum --I still love the idea of the people being changed into ornaments, the princess who has different heads and the Gnome King.
3. The Horse and His Boy by CS Lewis -- it just is. Adventure romance.
4. Johnny Tremain by Ester Forbes -- first huge literary crush on Rab.
5. Emily of New Moon by L.M Montegomery -- I read it in the fourth grade, and worry about rereading it. I loved the concept of the veil being lifted...
6. Paddington the Bear by Michael Bond -- because it introduced me to marmalade and other English goodness.

8 comments:

Nell Dixon said...

Done! Fab meme, Michelle.

Julie Cohen said...

I'll do it this weekend, I hope!

Nicola Cornick said...

Me too! What a great meme!

Michelle Styles said...

I look forward to reading any and all.
Curious minds want to know!

Kate Hardy said...

Fabulous meme - did mine this morning :o)

Sharon Kendrick said...

Intrestingly, my very favourite childhood book (beating Blyton, Wind In The Willows, Noel Streatfield and an incredible offering called Seal Morning) was THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER.

That's the book in which Lucy Pevensie finds her perfect book...

Sharon Kendrick said...

Ps. What's a "meme"?

Michelle Styles said...

Thanks for doing this Kate nad Sharon. I find it really interesting.

Sharon -- a meme is a small questionaire or topic for a blog. One of its aims to encourage the blogger to do links and hopefully get links back. having links makes search engines pick things up and then in theory your blog moves up the search engine roster. Personally I find memes are good for when I am stuck.