Book meme! Day 4
Jul. 24th, 2010 06:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vcmwDay 04 - Your favorite book or series ever
If you base it on how long a book/series held the title of favorite ever, and how intensely I felt that, then there is one clear and obvious winner:
The Song of the Lioness, by Tamora Pierce.
This was my absolute favorite series from the time I was 10 or so until I was 13. I have re-read all four books about 100 times. Most of my early D&D characters were based on Alanna - copper hair and purple eyes and all! I bought the books in paperback with my babysitting and birthday money, and kept them by my bed. When I had nightmares in high school and woke up in the middle of the night I would re-read bits of Alanna: The First Adventure or Lioness Rampant.
I still read all the Tortall books as soon as they come out, though I probably only buy half of them.
Reasons I liked these books so much:
Along with Robin McKinley's The Blue Crown and The Hero and the Sword, these books let me see that girls could do the stuff I loved so much in The Sword in the Stone, Robin Hood, King Arthur, etc. I didn't want to be like Heidi or Polyanna or Wendy. I did want to be like Alanna. I guess now folks would probably find her character Mary Sue-ish, since she has special coloring and unique gifts and everyone loves her except the people who don't who are all evil and all that - but I don't care. Those were the things I loved about her - she was brilliant and talented and tough and had unique magic and I wanted to be her so much. I wanted to have a special horse and be friends with thieves and have gold armor and pull magic swords out of caves and rescue princes. And the only possible place where I could do those things was in Tortall.
I like everything Tamora Pierce has written, and I loved the two Trickster books recently that followed Alanna's daughter.
Runner-up for favorite series during the same time period would probably be the Chronicles of Amber - which clearly illustrate, actually, why I loved Alanna so much - there was certainly no part of me that wanted to be Deirdre or Fiona - if I was going to be anyone in the Amber world it was going to be Corwin or Random, and there were certain obvious difficulties with that unless I somehow became a guy.
Day 01 - A book series you wish had gone on longer OR a book series you wish would just freaking end already (or both!)
Day 02 - A book or series you wish more people were reading and talking about
Day 03 - The best book you've read in the last 12 months
Day 04 - Your favorite book or series ever
Day 05 - A book or series you hate
Day 06 - Favorite book of your favorite series OR your favorite book of all time
Day 07 - Least favorite plot device employed by way too many books you actually enjoyed otherwise
Day 08 - A book everyone should read at least once
Day 09 - Best scene ever
Day 10 - A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 11 - A book that disappointed you
Day 12 - A book or series of books you’ve watched more than five times
Day 13 - Favorite childhood book OR current favorite YA book (or both!)
Day 14 - Favorite character in a book (of any sex or gender)
Day 15 - Your "comfort" book
Day 16 - Favorite poem or collection of poetry
Day 17 - Favorite story or collection of stories (short stories, novellas, novelettes, etc.)
Day 18 - Favorite beginning scene in a book
Day 19 - Favorite book cover (bonus points for posting an image!)
Day 20 - Favorite kiss
Day 21 - Favorite romantic/sexual relationship (including asexual romantic relationships)
Day 22 - Favorite non-sexual relationship (including asexual romantic relationships)
Day 23 - Most annoying character ever
Day 24 - Best quote from a novel
Day 25 - Any five books from your "to be read" stack
Day 26 - OMG WTF? OR most irritating/awful/annoying book ending
Day 27 - If a book contains ______, you will always read it (and a book or books that contain it)!
Day 28 - First favorite book or series obsession
Day 29 - Saddest character death OR best/most satisfying character death (or both!)
Day 30 - What book are you reading right now?
If you base it on how long a book/series held the title of favorite ever, and how intensely I felt that, then there is one clear and obvious winner:
The Song of the Lioness, by Tamora Pierce.
This was my absolute favorite series from the time I was 10 or so until I was 13. I have re-read all four books about 100 times. Most of my early D&D characters were based on Alanna - copper hair and purple eyes and all! I bought the books in paperback with my babysitting and birthday money, and kept them by my bed. When I had nightmares in high school and woke up in the middle of the night I would re-read bits of Alanna: The First Adventure or Lioness Rampant.
I still read all the Tortall books as soon as they come out, though I probably only buy half of them.
Reasons I liked these books so much:
Along with Robin McKinley's The Blue Crown and The Hero and the Sword, these books let me see that girls could do the stuff I loved so much in The Sword in the Stone, Robin Hood, King Arthur, etc. I didn't want to be like Heidi or Polyanna or Wendy. I did want to be like Alanna. I guess now folks would probably find her character Mary Sue-ish, since she has special coloring and unique gifts and everyone loves her except the people who don't who are all evil and all that - but I don't care. Those were the things I loved about her - she was brilliant and talented and tough and had unique magic and I wanted to be her so much. I wanted to have a special horse and be friends with thieves and have gold armor and pull magic swords out of caves and rescue princes. And the only possible place where I could do those things was in Tortall.
I like everything Tamora Pierce has written, and I loved the two Trickster books recently that followed Alanna's daughter.
Runner-up for favorite series during the same time period would probably be the Chronicles of Amber - which clearly illustrate, actually, why I loved Alanna so much - there was certainly no part of me that wanted to be Deirdre or Fiona - if I was going to be anyone in the Amber world it was going to be Corwin or Random, and there were certain obvious difficulties with that unless I somehow became a guy.
Day 01 - A book series you wish had gone on longer OR a book series you wish would just freaking end already (or both!)
Day 02 - A book or series you wish more people were reading and talking about
Day 03 - The best book you've read in the last 12 months
Day 04 - Your favorite book or series ever
Day 05 - A book or series you hate
Day 06 - Favorite book of your favorite series OR your favorite book of all time
Day 07 - Least favorite plot device employed by way too many books you actually enjoyed otherwise
Day 08 - A book everyone should read at least once
Day 09 - Best scene ever
Day 10 - A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 11 - A book that disappointed you
Day 12 - A book or series of books you’ve watched more than five times
Day 13 - Favorite childhood book OR current favorite YA book (or both!)
Day 14 - Favorite character in a book (of any sex or gender)
Day 15 - Your "comfort" book
Day 16 - Favorite poem or collection of poetry
Day 17 - Favorite story or collection of stories (short stories, novellas, novelettes, etc.)
Day 18 - Favorite beginning scene in a book
Day 19 - Favorite book cover (bonus points for posting an image!)
Day 20 - Favorite kiss
Day 21 - Favorite romantic/sexual relationship (including asexual romantic relationships)
Day 22 - Favorite non-sexual relationship (including asexual romantic relationships)
Day 23 - Most annoying character ever
Day 24 - Best quote from a novel
Day 25 - Any five books from your "to be read" stack
Day 26 - OMG WTF? OR most irritating/awful/annoying book ending
Day 27 - If a book contains ______, you will always read it (and a book or books that contain it)!
Day 28 - First favorite book or series obsession
Day 29 - Saddest character death OR best/most satisfying character death (or both!)
Day 30 - What book are you reading right now?
