Yeesh.

Again, JUST ONE?

OK.  First thought is to divide my childhood up to choose all my favorites.  But, in respect to this challenge, and in honor of simplicity, I will choose one.

My favorite book was (as a very young child) Little Bear by Elsa Holmelund Minarik (illustrated by Maurice Sendak).  Why? Because I could escape into Little Bear’s world and have adventures with him. His adventures were mine.

Why? Because my mother would read them to me and it was a bonding time. My mother is a wonderful reader, particularly reading children’s books to small children, which I was.

So, combined with the content of book itself, the charming illustrations and the parental bonding, my vote for my overall favorite book as a child would have to be Little Bear!

HHmmmm… if I–Only SEVEN???!!!! OMG I WOULD GO INSANE…

OK, then, for this exercise’s sake, here goes:

1. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley for the sheer epic story value, the engrossing entertainment
2. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger for the masterful love story, reminds me of mine.  This book breaks open my heart.
3. The Western Humanities because I adore art and history
4. Essentials of Philosophy–to try and remember it and its evolution hitherto…
5. The Red Book by Carl Jung.  I can’t wait to get my little hands on this.
6. A Brief History of Everything by Ken Wilber because I’ve been drawn synchronously to his name again and again and need to pay attention
7. The Lives of a Cell by Lewis Thomas because I love this book and get something new from it every read.
8. Anathem by Neal Stephenson(#8) Cheating here.  Because my husband and dear cyber friend tell me I really ought to read it…!

Great Books Week Blog Tour- October 4-10, 2009

In honor of Great Books Week, a holiday that is celebrated annually the first full week in October, NAIWE is hosting a Blog Tour with a specific daily topic Monday through Friday. The Association is a major sponsor of this event, and we fully support its goals.

If you’d like to participate, write a post on your own blog on the appropriate topic each day, then visit the appropriate post (linked below) on the NAIWE blog to leave your post title and link in the comment section so that others can enjoy what you’ve written. Be sure to share your posts in Facebook, Twitter, and other social media!

Here’s the schedule of topics:

Monday: If I were stranded alone on a deserted island with only seven books to read over the next few years, I would like to have…

Tuesday: When I was a child, my favorite book was… because….

Wednesday: I’d write my autobiography, but I don’t need to, because my story has already been told in… [what classic book?]

Thursday: I hated … when I had to read it in high school, but when I read it on my own later, I loved it because….

Friday: When I want to give someone a special gift, I give them [name of book] because…

You may approach your topic in any way you choose– you don’t need to stick with the word choices in the topics above.