Monday, October 22, 2007

What were your favorite books as a teenager?

Maureen at Confessions of a Bibliovore tagged me to write about favorite books that I read as a teenager. This is to get back at me for my question about favorite childhood picture books.

Below are the books that I read between ages 12 and 18 that were really life changing and which remain some of my all time favorite books.
  • Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk. My aunt handed this book to me when I was 16 and said "You need to read this." And she was right. It's a fantastic coming of age novel about a girl who wanted to be an actress living in New York City during the 1930's. I would say that this was my favorite book ever... until I discovered Harry Potter.
  • Exodus by Leon Uris. An epic novel that really moved me... I was inspired to go to Israel because of this book.
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. What is there to say about this book that hasn't already been said? I love it, and re-read it probably about once a year. It's perfect every time. I don't remember when I read it the first time, but I'm pretty sure it was in high school.
  • Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Like Pride and Prejudice, there's very little new and original to say about this book. But I loved it. And I loved Jo. And I never understood why Jo didn't marry Laurie. I went on to read every Louisa May Alcott book I could find, but this one is still my favorite of hers.
  • The Princess Bride by William Goldman. I love this book. And I love the movie. But they are very different animals. The book is really a brilliant and immensely creative satire and it never fails to make me laugh. Even if you have the movie memorized, give the book a try.
  • The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone. A long and intense biography of Michelangelo that inspired me to take classes in Italian Renaissance Art and to go to Italy to see the sculptures for myself.
  • The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. This one I discovered by accident. I was in Israel, and desperate for a book to read. I went to a local bookstore and this was the only book I could find in English. I devoured it immediately and after I came home, I read all of Douglas Adams' other books... but I like this one the best.
  • The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. When I was in eighth grade, I had an English teacher that loved Tolkien and assigned the trilogy for class. I really got into these books, and also read The Hobbit and attempted to read The Silmarillion. (Has anyone finished The Silmarillion?)
Oops... I re-read Maureen's original post and see that I was only supposed to mention three favorite books, not eight. Also, it was for Teen Read Week, which has, alas, ended. I hope she'll forgive me.

I'm tagging Cheryl Rainfeld for this meme because she loves YA books and she loves talking about her favorite books.

9 comments:

  1. I can't believe I left Little Women off my list. That was such a big part of high school that my friends and I actually adressed each other by character names.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Did you read Douglas Adam's Last Chance to See about endangered species on earth? It is a serious topic but there were parts where I was laughing so hard, people asked me if I was okay.

    ReplyDelete
  3. 2ndgenlibrarian- There's something special about Little Women, isn't there? I love it every time.

    Mary Beth- No, I haven't read Last Chance. I'll have to check it out. thanks for the tip!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I get why Jo didn't marry Laurie. She was waiting for her Baer (like me) - it's not perfect until it's perfect.

    I have read the Silmarillion. My English language book source in Mexico refused to lend me anymore "junk books" until I read it and reported on it (he was trying to raise my consciousness) The only part I remember (incidentally the only part I loved) was the story behind the Lay of Berilan and Luthian.

    I chose Fantasy - Loved everything I could get by Anne McCaffrey - including the non-fantasy romance. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card was amazing. And, I admit - I read every Fairy Tale, original or rewrite I could get my hands on - I was fascinated by the progression and the differences. I never saw any Disney movies until college...

    ReplyDelete
  5. mfp mommy- You're right, of course. If Jo had married Laurie, then she would never have met Fritz Bhaer... and I agree he was the right one for her in the end.

    Congratulations on finishing the Silmarillion! (Although, I'm sure I would have too in that situation- just to get more books. =)

    My husband is very into fantasy... he's read all the books you've mentioned and really loves them. I've heard great things about Ender's Game... I should really read it one of these days.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hey, thanks for joining in! Pride and Prejudice is just the ultimate, isn't it? Every time I read it is like a new experience because there's so much there.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for tagging me, Susan; I love the meme! I'll have mine up in a day or two, I promise; things have been crazy-busy for me.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Bibliovore- You're very welcome. Thanks for tagging me! Yes, I agree... Pride and Prejudice is terrific.

    Cheryl- thanks for joining in! No rush.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hey Susan, my post with the meme you tagged me for is up. :)

    I might have listed too many, but I had fun doing it. Thanks again for tagging me. :)

    http://cherylrainfield.com/blog/index.php/2007/10/24/what-were-your-favorite-books-as-a-teenager/

    ReplyDelete