February 2011
189 posts
“The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest men of the past centuries.”
—Descartes (via theliterarysnob)
How do I move on with my life and try to like or love someone when I can only find perfection in fictional characters?!?
“If you believe everything you read, better not read.”
—Japanese Proverb (via theyellowcrayon)
“Writers tend to work early in the morning, or late at night, when brains are naturally able to focus deeply on one thought. In the middle of the day, distractions are unavoidable. I wonder if anything worthwhile has ever been written in the afternoon.”
—Scott Adams (via imorb)
“The instruction we find in books is like fire. We fetch it from our neighbours, kindle it at home, communicate it to others, and it becomes the property of all.”
—Voltaire (via libraryland)
The Perks of Being A Wallflower
There's so much humanity in those pages. I read it and everything makes sense, its my thoughts, and feelings being told back to me. It makes me feel like someone thinks the same things, asks the same questions.
Its the book that I want to keep to myself because it feels so personal, but its so great that I want everyone to read it so they'll feel less alone.
There's just the overall feeling, and its hard putting into words how much I love that book. I want to hug it. I want to find Charlie and just lay in comfortable silence, letting him know that I get it.
The Perks of Being A Wallflower is one of the most difficult books for me to read, it is also one of my favorites. The first time I read it was July of last year, I finished it on my plane ride to Florida. I remember thinking how much I can relate to Charlie and how much he loved is aunt. The way Charlie was so close to her reminded me of the relationship I had with my cousin. As soon as my plane landed I had the biggest urge to call him but I said to myself “No, he’s probably at work. I’ll give him a call tomorrow.” The next day while shopping at the mall with a friend I found out that he died of a heart attack. He was 41. The weirdest thing is that his time of death was around the exact time I was finishing the book and when my flight was landing. Since then I have not been able to pick it up and I know that once I do I will probably break down; Charlie’s grief is too real for me.
My favorite book... that's not an easy decision. I feel like choosing one out of the hundreds I've read would discount all the rest. So, I'd have to say that the last book I read is always my favorite. Not because it's necessarily the finest piece of writing I've ever encountered, or because it has the most beautifully constructed plot and well developed characters. It's simply because it is the book that has had the most recent impact on me, whether it's positive or negative. Sure, there are certain books I've read several times, and will read many more times throughout my life, but that just means they'll get to be my favorite book as many times as I pick them up off my bookshelf, dust off the cover, and crack them open again.
Ah! What an amazing response and I completely agree with you. I find it challenging to respond to this question, I can never just pick one.
A collection of Oscar Wilde stories, "The Happy Prince and Other Tales". I was an introverted, shy child and I used to get so upset just by the nature of humans. These stories were my escape and they reminded me, that against all odds people can be good. I got older and more selfish but these stories still remind me to try and be a good person regardless of consequences. They also taught me what real beauty and it just comforts me on days when I forget what it is.
My whole point to asking this question was to figure out what books other people were reading so I could as well. I have read very little Oscar Wilde and your response makes me want to go to Borders right now, buy his collections and start reading them before I go into work. Thank you for answering and I plan on putting more Wilde on my reading list. :)
In regard to this post
http://lifeofliterature.tumblr.com/post/3175843699/i-dont-believe-you-can-judge-a-book-by-its-cover-but#disqus_thread
what would you thin of someone reading Shakespeare, The picture of Dorian Gray, Kerouac or some fantasy book?And how about people reading magazines?
Well, I read Shakespeare and Kerouac myself so I would probably think that person and I could be great friends. I have never read The Picture of Dorian Gray but it’s by Oscar Wilde so I would have respect for them and applaud them for reading a classic. I love fantasy, Harry Potter is my favorite series. As far as magazines go it really depends on which one they are reading. If I were to walk by someone reading Elephant magazine I would be ecstatic that they are a lover of modern art. However, I’m not the biggest fan of Seventeen Magazine.
But like I said before it doesn’t matter what anyone or myself thinks, you read what you want to. I prefer to read certain material that you may not like and vice versa. I’m not looking down on anyone or think I’m better than them because I can quote Nathaniel Hawthorne and they only know what the name of Marc Jacobs spring collection is due to the latest issue of Vogue. And I reiterate, I’m just happy they are reading something.
“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.”
—Joseph Brodsky
Something that irritates me.
It baffles me when people judge others based on how quickly they can read. I was coming back from my break at work one day holding a Border’s bag as usual. A coworker/friend of mine asks me what I bought and I tell him The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. He asks me what it’s about and why I want to read that specific book. Then his next question is “How long will it take you to read it?” I tell him that if I do absolutely nothing else with my life except read and go to work it would take me three days. This is insanity to him and he looks at me like I’m a little dense and says “I know people that can read this book in three hours.” GOOD FOR THEM!
I seriously wanted to punch him in his face but I didn’t because this person just so happens to be the boy I like. But why does it matter? Why is this even a valid question when it comes to recreational reading? I am a slow reader, so what! I like to enjoy the book and savor it as much as possible, not rush through it so I can brag about what a fast reader I am. Anyone that can read a 200-300 page book like that in three hours isn’t retaining everything in it so what’s the point? People annoy me sometimes.
“Forget your personal tragedy. We are all bitched from the start and you especially have to be hurt like hell before you can write seriously. But when you get the damned hurt, use it - don’t cheat with it.”
—Ernest Hemingway (via nocheestrellada)
My favorite has to be Lord of the Rings, Silmarillion, The Lost Tales Part I and II, and the Hobbit. I know you said one, but they all go together :D
I also like To Kill a Mockingbird, Germinal, and Wuthering Heights.
Ah I tried but I can't stick to one book, I love too many!
The Lord of the Rings is an excellent series! I don’t blame you for not being able to pick just one.
I will finish answering questions tomorrow.
I am so exhausted from work today, all I want to do is sleep. JessR you posted something beautiful in my ask box and I want to be fully rested before I respond and what a lengthy response it will be! I think I am saving yours for last. If you haven’t done so put in my ask box what your favorite book is and why. There are already so many good ones but I am greedy and want more. Goodnight everyone.
-Brionna
I don't believe you can judge a book by it's cover, but do you think you can judge someone based off of the book they're holding?
I try not to judge people by the books they are reading because I am happy at the fact that they are doing it in the first place. However, it does happen even though I have no right to. When I see someone holding the latest Nora Roberts love novel I surmise they are a housewife wishing their husband was just like the hunky protagonist. I wonder how they could possibly want to read that over Jane Austen, who wrote real romance. When I see someone reading the Left Behind series I am guessing they are religious; most of the time I am purposefully avoiding them even though I think the series is awesome. If I see someone holding Harry Potter I am thinking they are pretty damn amazing. If I saw someone reading A Brief History of Time I would think they are too smart for me and I would respect them but think I could never have a real conversation with that person. So yes, I do think it is possible. All of us book lovers do it, we are human. A slew of people judge others for reading Twilight. There are a bunch of people that think I’m pretentious for the books I read. The great thing about me though is that I don’t care what people think and neither should anybody else.
The last book that enjoyed so much was The Time Traveler's Wife. I don't know why i loves it so much, it was so sweet and it was different. I loved the characters, especially Claire. The book kept me hooked from page one, i could wait to finish it and i didn't want it to end. lol. What your favorite book?
This book is wonderful! The ending just breaks my heart. Clare is a strong woman to deal with Henry’s “disability.” But the love that they have for each other is beautiful. The movie was sort of similar to the book. I can’t for the life of me pick a favorite book. :(
Bibliophile (n.): Someone who is obsessed with books
hey there, love your blog!
i was just wondering do u have any favorite sonnets/poems? got a task to find one in literature class :(
Thank you!
I love anything by Charles Bukowski or Edgar Allan Poe. There is some great poetry in Revolution on Canvas, Volume Two, it is mainly by musicians in alternative bands. I also love poetry from The Bible, specifically in Songs of Songs. You don’t have to be religious to appreciate the things written there.
