I am thankful beyond belief when it comes to books. Reading is my most favorite thing to do in the world. If I could figure out a way to knit and read at the same time, I would almost never do anything else. Alas, I haven’t yet found a non-frustrating way to do this.
I read constantly. Everything I can get my hands on. Luckily for me, my eyesight is still pretty damn good, because if I lose that AND my hearing, I’m fucked. I am always reading.
My favorite book of all time is Gone With The Wind. I have read it well over 200 times since I got it for my 8th birthday. Aside from being an amazing epic story, the main character is incredible. Scarlett O’Hara is so tragic and flawed – I love her so much. I especially love that she doesn’t get a happy ending. She doesn’t really get an ending at all, which is both the perfect way for GWTW to end AND incredibly maddening for me, because I always like to know What Happens Next. The beauty of GWTW is that you get to imagine Scarlett, waking up alone in her giant Atlanta house, thinking “okay, now what the fuck do I do?” And I’m sure that with Scarlett being Scarlett, she eventually figures it out.
The sequel was straight-up terrible. Of course I’ve read it.
The other one, written from Rhett’s perspective, was so utterly putrid that I bought my copy on the remainder pile and it was SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR. Don’t be messing with the classics, people.
My next-favorite book is The Pillars of the Earth. If you haven’t read it, I don’t know what to tell you other than “go. Read it.”
After that, we’ve got Harry Potter, anything Jasper Fforde has written, various forms of Chick Lit… the list goes on. I’m always happy to recommend my favorite books. Indeed, I can be obnoxious about the ones I really really love.
I almost always have at least three books going at a time. Back when I worked at the bookstore, I was reading something like 9 books a week, but I just don’t have that kind of time anymore. I wish I did! Instead, I am busy trying to build another reader in Jillian. She is getting there.