Thursday 9 July 2009

Gift of Books

I found a book called Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen a while back and the cover kind of suggested I might like it and I did. Full of magic it was a lovely, lovely story with a bit of romance and happily ever after thrown in for good measure.

So when I saw The Sugar Queen I had to get it. It has been in my book pile for a while awaiting it's turn and that came today and will be a fairly short one I think because I can't put it down...

One of the characters in the book has a magical blessing - she is blessed with books. It started as a child when bored and a book of card games appeared - and followed her around till she understood it was hers. If she had a need a book would appear. Having just dumped her man because he admitted to being unfaithful, she has a book called Finding Forgiveness following her around. And then it gets joined by a second book called Old Love, New Directions. She is busily trying to ignore both of them but they crop up in odd places, except the bathroom because apparently books are like cats and hate water.... (wonder if wreck this journal ever found her?)

Anyway, this is a minor bit of a lovely book and this character isn't even the main character so I hope I have tempted you.... I love the idea of the gift of books... Imagine always knowing which book would help you right now, this second, no matter your need. Be it bored and looking for adventure, creative inspiration, self-help or any of a million other needs. Imagine that book always arriving the second you need it... What a lovely gift to have.

Books are a gift anyway. If there is one thing I would love to pass on to my kids, it would be a love of books. When I first visited F's house, I was quite pleased to see a well thumbed book on his coffee table. What I didn't know was that it had been in his possession for over a decade and he still hadn't finished it... Since being with me however I have slowly trapped him in a web of books and he isn't complaining!

I often leave books in the bathroom (currently Alice Through the Looking Glass) and I have found him reading all sorts of unlikely things. I have had him reading Maeve Binchy and poetry by Benjamin Zephaniah (a very modern black poet).

I already know that on my next list of 101 things to do in 1001 days, other authors will receive the treatment that Charles de Lint is currently receiving. Sheri S. Tepper writes modern feminist fantasy and although I have all her more recent books, I don't have all her earlier ones even though I could pick them up cheaply second hand from amazon. Another is Sharon Shinn with her interesting romances set on a fantasy world where a grand social science experiment has been undertaken....

What books would you give as a gift to others? What books would you give me?

6 comments:

  1. I am reading Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson. Already I know it is a book I will treasure and read again and again. It's a magical story and one for which I cannot predict the outcome. I have no idea where it is going to end up. It's also one which is best not to describe to anyone... just go read it!

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  2. Hello Rose! I love nothing more than reading a book, and although I don't so a lot of things I should, I always read before I go to bed. I think I have to in a way. the books I would give you is my collection of Titinia Hardie books. Every book is beautifully written and composed with wonderful photographs to capture your imagination!

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  3. I LOVE books. It's an expense I can justify spending LOADS of money on. :)

    I have currently lent out Widdershins and Wicked to a friend... she is LOVING Wicked :)

    For you... I would give Medicine Road (cuz it's Charles de Lint and you LOVE him) and one of Kelly Armstrongs Women of the Underworld book... if you'd like to read about werewolves :) She's awesome.

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  4. My first thought is to give you the Fionavar Tapestry books by Guy Gavriel Kay -- it's a series of three ( I know I've mentioned it before but that's 'cos I LOVE it SOOO much and I think you'd really enjoy them); then I would give you the rest of his books which are stand-alones because he has a way of weaving the history of ancient civilizations into his fictional fantasy worlds...plus his characters are lovely...

    Hmmmmm...then what...There's probably not many that I've read that you haven't...oh, the trilogy I just finished by Libba Bray - Victorian-era fantasy - two of my fave genres combined into one....

    Oh, but i could go on....:)

    I also love the idea of books following me around...which they sort of do..because I'm always thinking about books....

    xo

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  5. Wright Stuff - I have this book in my pile of books waiting to be read... I shall get to it eventually and it does look very good!

    Claire - I have added The Rose Labyrinth and Zillions to my wish list!

    Ms Yogini - Do you mean Widdershins by Charles de Lint and Wicked from the musical? I will get to Medicine Road net time I order... As for Kelley Armstrong - I tried Bitten but didn't get all the way through it, should I try again?

    Mel - I have added the Fionavar books and the Libby Bray books to my wish list...

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  6. Hi Rose:
    yup widdershins from CDL and wicked, the book that the musical was based on. It's great.

    Well... If you didn't like Bitten, then perhaps you're just not a fan of her style- which is fine :) She's quite a bit more fluffy than CdL.

    I also adored Fionavar Tapestry- I read them as one adjoined novel, which was good cuz when I finished one section/book I was glad I had the next :)

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