1. | Howl's Moving Castle / Diana Wynne Jones - This is my favorite book. It's hard to pick just one, but this book has been with me since childhood, and it's magic and characters and world have influenced everything from my writing to, I'm sure, my personality. It's SO much better than the movie (I WILL FIGHT YOU DON'T @ ME OR DO) and it's such a beautiful mix of tropes and subversion of tropes and whiny vain wizards and quietly brave women. I listen to it or read it at least once a year.
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2. | Pride & Prejudice / Jane Austen - Yeah, I'm basic, get over it. I'm literally listening to this one again right now because whenever I'm going through a tough time, I need a bedtime read that'll take me back to old friends, and Lizzie always brings me there. Plus Austen's writing is so cheeky! I could basically list any of her books here, but P&P is definitely my enduring favorite.
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3. | Ella Enchanted / Gail Carson Levine - I hope that kids are still reading this, because it's the perfect retelling, the retelling to end all retellings, the Cinderella who saves herself and everyone else and only needs her wits and cleverness and heart to do it, no magic or swords required. It's also hella funny and Char will always be my Prince Charming. The audiobook sounds like it's read by a kid, which is weird, but it's worth it to go back to Frell.
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4. | Harry Potter / J.K. Rowling - I mean, duh. I grew up at the perfect time for HP. I was 10, I think, when the third book came out. I grew up with Harry, and whatever shenanigans are happening now around the new movies, whatever smidgen of wokeness I have now that leads me to critique them more, I will still always always always love these books and go back to them again and again, because they're a part of me so ingrained that I couldn't cut it out with a knife, because they're threaded all the way through everything I am. Wow, that got sentimental.
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5. | Dark Lord of Derkholm / Diana Wynne Jones - I could list Diana for a while, but this is an absolute classic of fantasy and it's scandalous how few people know about it. It's about a whole high-fantasy planet that's been enslaved by an unscrupulous Earthling to act as a basically a large-scale LARP for rich tourists from Earth who want to come and have a fantasy adventure, complete with a quest, demons, dragons, wizard guides, and a final showdown with the Dark Lord. And it's all staged, and this year's Dark Lord is a rather bumbling and scatterbrained wizard who's set up to make a mess of things, plus his troupe of resourceful children (both human and griffin!). It pokes gentle fun at all the fantasy tropes we love, and it's absolutely fabulous and wonderful and you must read it now. Go. I'll wait.
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I was disappointed by the book howl's moving castle after I saw the movie version which seems so much better, so no re-read of this.
ReplyDeleteI think I did re-read pride and prejudice a few times, it's still great
I sort of skim when I re-read ella enchanted, there is just some bits that seems rather boring to me upon re-reading
harry potter - haven't re-read it yet but I'll probably will
beauty - it's on my list too
dealing with dragons - I like the series a lot though I often wonder if Cimorene has told the story in all four books, perhaps it might not be as good. but I like all the characters especially Cimorene.
have a lovely day.
The Princess Bride. I was given a copy for my 21st birthday and I will read it forever. I never get tired of it.
ReplyDeleteI met someone this weekend who wanted an abridged Princess Bride. Like, without all of Goldman's commentary and intro. I just looked at her like she'd broken my brain, which she did...
DeleteOh my lord...my brain broke reading that.
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