A to Z Challenge

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Delicious Authors

Wow, sifting through 40 years of delectable reads...trying to pick my top all time favorites. There are so many different flavors of writing that satisfy different cravings. This is a doozy of a brain strain for me. But let me start at the beginning.

Dr. Suess! This is the man that inspired countless hours of giggles, for me as a little girl, and for me as a mother of three girls. My favorite book of his...One fish, two fish, black fish, blue fish...or maybe How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Delightful worlds where anything can and does happen. Imagination run wild, as it should be! It's like a crazy crock pot stew...you never knew what you'd be pulling out of it.

Roald Dahl! I remember pulling James and the Giant Peach off the bookshelf at the little library in Santa Cruz, and I new I had a treasure in my hands. I went home, climbed into my makeshift fort, and didn't emerge for days, okay, so I exaggerate...but I devoured the book, and felt so connected to James left at the mercy of his cruel aunts, poor little boy.

James Herriot! I read every one of these quaint novels about the life and work of an English countryside veterinarian. The descriptions of the countryside and the characters he wrote about (animal and human) drew me in. It satisfies the sweet tooth.

Piers Anthony! I wanted to go to Xanth so bad it's not punny, I mean funny. Loved these books, gorged on them, so to speak. So silly and lighthearted. Fun reads for young adults and adults that want to stay young : ) Warning, might give you gas!

John Steinbeck! I know most kids read of Mice and Men in high school english classes. I never did. I recently read it when it was assigned to my daughter to read. Loved the story and enjoyed the writing style. One of my favorite Bugs Bunny cartoons had new meaning to me...you know the one where the overgrown dog (I think) wants to grab him and squeeze him, and call him George. Those cartoonists were cleverer than I knew! : ) It's meat and potatoes.

J.R. Tolkien! Love, love, love! Amazing world of Hobbits and trolls, of men and dwarves. And the one true ring. Fantastic! Oh, to travel the world on a pony alongside the likes of Aragorn and Gandalf, to spend time (cause you'll need it) talking with the Ents. Like a pint of the finest Ale, this goes down so smooth.

Okay, so one last one. J. K. Rowling! This woman amazed me. We all know her story. Incredible. She is the one that got me thinking, you know, I can do this. She did it with far fewer resources than I have. We have been savoring Harry, Ron, Hermione, and my personal favorites Fred and George, for so many years in our house. I enjoy delving into the pages with my youngest Sierra. When the time is right, many years from now, I'll gladly introduce my Hagrid and McGonagall voices to my grandchildren. Harry Potter books are like those crazy candies from Hogsmeade, magical.

I could probably go on and on. I have read so many books over the years, and I have so many more waiting in my cupboard. Unlike Mother Hubbard, my reading cupboard is never bare. My plate is full to overflowing with tasty literary morsels.

16 comments:

  1. I think yours is the only list where I've read more than two of the authors mentioned. I actually have read and love all you mentioned (except maybe I don't love John Steinbeck that much)! That makes me feel more literate--thanks! James Herriot--I forgot about him, but boy, his books are amazing.

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    1. Glad to hear there are recognizable authors on my page... James Herriot books made me wish to be a vet for a short time. Steinbeck is a local author for me, so I'm giving him some props (he's from the Monterey Bay/Salinas area, and I grew up in Santa Cruz). So, I can see home in his stories when I read them, the surrounding hills, etc. He's not really my all time favorite, but I did really enjoy Of Mice and Men.

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  2. Hi, Millie. I'm a Blogfest hopper, too. You know, I just love Roald Dahl, and I don't know if you've read Going Solo, his autobiography, but what an entertaining read that was. Especially fun after reading Mathilde and James and the Giant Peach.

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    1. Hi Gale, I have not read Going Solo, but I'll have to look into that. Sounds good, I think he was bloody brilliant : )

      Thanks for stopping by.

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  3. oh wow, some great authors and books, I loved Rpald Dahls books when I was younger too, as well as James Harriet, which furthered my longing to be a vet, although that changed later on to wanting to be a writer.
    Ps, thank you so much for stopping by my page and buying my book, I really appreciate it. Have a great day.

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    1. You are so welcome. I peeked at the first few pages, and thought, yeah, I totally feel that way too! If we all do what we can to help each other along, maybe we'll all get where we want to go...or at least a step closer.

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  4. I think one fish two fish was my favorite book as a child. I know had mom read it to me enough that I had the entire thing memorized.

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    1. I can still recite a good majority of it before I get stuck...

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  5. Great list of authors. I am a Steinbeck lover, as well. He has such great commentaries about life in his books. East of Eden is probably my favorite of his. Roald Dahl is a wonderful choice, as well. Oh, and Piers Anthony. I totally read some of his books as a teen. I liked the Tarot books.

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    1. I don't know if I've heard of the Tarot books by Piers, I read Xanth and the Adept series.

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  6. Hi Millie! Thanks for your comment on my bookshelf, over at RebelsOfThe512.com. I finally have a chance to pop in for the Buccaneer Blogfest today, yay!

    I love love love Roald Dahl, and remember reading every book of his that I could get my hands on as a kid. I think Matilda and The Witches were probably my favorites. Strangely, I don't think I ever read The Fantastic Mr. Fox at the time, but I really enjoyed Wes Anderson's take on the story in the film version. Now I have to figure out my all-time faves!

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    1. Good luck figuring them out. This little assignment nearly caused an eye twitch or two...I am enjoying popping around to all the sites and meeting everyone.

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  7. I love all of your list except *maybe* Steinbeck. He's an excellent writer, I just never got into his stuff. Maybe I will try again!

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    1. Yeah, he's not everyone's cup of tea. But he's a local boy for me, so I had to give him a nod. Thanks for stopping by : )

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  8. We have a lot of the same favorites, Millie! My Dr. Seuss would be the ABC book. I read that to my daughter all the time. I practically had it memorized: AAA what begins with A? Aunt Annie's Alligate, AAA. See? And of course I'm addicted to HP. AND I've been thinking about re-reading The Hobbit really soon. Great choices!

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    1. Big B, little B, what begins with B? Barber, baby, bubbles and a bum-ble-bee! Yes, and excellent choice. Also, love Fox in Socks, and Mr. Brown can do it, how about you? Suess is in a whole class by himself, in my humble opinion.

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