I had to give careful consideration to a few books before I arrived at my final choice. The first one I thought of was The Shell Seekers. I always remember how reading it the first time made me feel. It's a family saga with such gorgeous descriptions of domestic life, food, flowers, gardens, and cottages that I wanted to move to England and buy a thatched cottage with a conservatory. (Plus, it's one of my favorite covers ever.)
The next book I thought about was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. This one is also based on a feeling, the delighted feeling of anticipation I had when my local bookseller put a copy into my hands and said, "You must read this." He knew my reading tastes incredibly well and told me to go home, read it, and come back when I was done and we could talk about it. I was back two days later, and I will always thank Larry for introducing me to the wizarding world. The feeling grew when Ryan was old enough to be interested in the books and we attended lots of midnight release parties together at the book store and read the Harry Potter series side by side. Life was good until Borders moved in and Larry just couldn't compete. His knowledge of books was vast, but sadly that didn't pay the bills and I couldn't afford to buy enough from him to keep him in business.
But the book that I really wish I could read again for the first time (now that I've told you about three instead of choosing only one) is Still Alice. My mother had brain metastases when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and because of this, she underwent many personality changes and had a whole host of Alzheimer's-like symptoms. I read this book seven years after my mother died, but Lisa Genova's writing was so medically and emotionally descriptive that reading the book gave me an incredible feeling of comprehension. Genova is a neuroscientist and Still Alice made me feel like I finally understood what my mother might have gone through, even if she wasn't able to tell me herself. It was a bittersweet moment, but one I truly value.
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What a thoughtful choice, Bonny! I haven't seen Alzheimers up close and personal, but I remember when my bookclub read it a few of the girls talked about how true-to-life the book was. Another reminder about what a great gift books and reading are; they really do enrich our lives!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful choice, Bonny! And, Mary is right - books do enrich our lives and sometimes in unexpected and beautiful ways! Thank you for sharing your books!
ReplyDeleteAll three books are PERFECT choices, Bonny. XO
ReplyDeleteYou've chosen three really great books, all for good reasons. Books are the best.
ReplyDeleteGood choices! Isn't it wonderful how books enrich our lives and hold us up in so many different ways!
ReplyDeleteI think it's awesome that you put some real thought into this topic. I'd love to go back and experience Harry Potter again for the first time.
ReplyDeleteI still need to read Harry Potter for the first time! (I tried, I did!) Still Alice is one of the best books I've ever read too. And thankfully, with the exception of the short term dementia my dad experienced, I have little experience with that world too.
ReplyDeleteOh--such great books! I also chose the Potter books.
ReplyDeleteI loved the shell seekers!! and Harry Potter is in a category all it's own I think.
ReplyDeleteThere are dozens of books I wish I could read again for the first time. Your choices are perfect examples of the impact of stories on our lives.
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