101 things about me

Sunday 27 April 2008

This is my favourite book... actually I just couldn't stop at one...

I deliberated for some time over which of my 'favourite' books to include on this weeks "This is" meme. Sorry guys - I couldn't restrict it to JUST ONE. I tried... really I did. But finally I decided on three... It was a tough call and I have so many more I could have included... How could I not include "The power of One" or "The Alchemist"? And I feel almost guilty for omitting "The Book Thief" and "The Orange Girl". But here they are... just three. It is an odd collection, but all worthy of a mention.

The Man Who Planted Trees is one of my favourite stories because it is such a beautiful and universal tale. It is a story I have read a number of times now, and have given to friends and family as gifts. A link to the entire story can be found here so you too can enjoy it's magic.

Gone With The Wind is the book I read when I SHOULD have been studying for my HSC exams. You may well laugh! It is corny and melodramatic and an epic I could not put down once I had started. Afterall, how could I resist the charms of Rhett Butler and the unbreakable determination of Scarlett O'Hara. It was far more interesting than biology and Maths!

The Tattooed Flower is a recent addition to my Favourites, and I am adding it in the hope it will inspire you to track it down. It is written by a Melbourne woman (Suzy Zail) about her dying father and his experiences as a child of the Holocaust. I cried in the first pages and again in the last, and in between, it regularly took my breath away at the incredible story of survival against the odds. It is definitely worth a read.

Here is part of a review from Scribe Publications... "The Tattooed Flower is the tender and illuminating story of how a father and daughter choose to spend their last years together: Suzy discovering her father’s past as a child of the Holocaust; and her father teaching his family, by example, how to live well, love fully, and die without fear or regret.

The Tattooed Flower finds hope, love, and beauty in the saddest of places. This is a remarkable, compelling book about life’s lessons, and how one man can leave a mark and make a difference.
"

The subject for this weeks "This is..." was bought to you by Dees at DaisyinLaLaLand.
The "This is..." meme started by the very creative Angela of Three Buttons fame.

I am almost too scared to read everyone else's posts as I just know it will only add to the pile of books already waiting to be read. But how can I resist? Wish me luck!

13 comments:

Lilli boo said...

Thank you for your lovely comments. I'll certainly be lurking and back on track in a couple of months, no year long hiatus for me- I'm too addicted... so typically I saw this weeks "This is" theme and had to do it! Anyway your book list is very inspiring and will definitely have to add them to my must read list..it's really growing at the moment!

Melanie Gray Augustin said...

I know what you mean about being scared of checking out everyone else's blogs tonight! I've already found a ton of new reading I want to do... including the ones you've mentioned!

Dees said...

LOL you crack me up woman!I too get scared I will not have enough time in one lifetime to read all there is to read!Loved your pile pallie!going to look for them in dutch!♥♥♥

brandy said...

Whoo! I love blog posts about books. Especially when they are books I've never read before. I'm so pumped to check some of these out!

Daydream Lily said...

oh I havent read any of these, but they sound great. ill add them to my list. hehe.

and yes, the faraway tree series is fantastic!!!

Cathy {tinniegirl} said...

The Tattooed Flower will have to go on my must purchase list. It sounds like a great read. I have forgotton all about Gone With The Wind. I read it in my teens. I think it was the biggest book I had read at that age. I remember feeling very grown up and fancy.

flossy-p said...

I agree with Melanie, I'm taking notes on the books I think I'd enjoy, yours sound wonderful.

Rebecca said...

Thank you so much for sharing these. Great choices and I will definately be tracing down a copy of the Tattooed Flower. The Book Thief and The Alchemist are two of my most favourites too - and, yup, I have a very long list of absolute favourites too!! So nice to add other people's choices to my 'to read' list :D

Anastasia said...

i too have a pile waiting to be read...Gone With the wind is one of my favourites!!

Red Hen (dette) said...

Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog. Sometime I feel a little mad raving on to myself! I have just finished a couple of books and am looking for another. 'The man who planted trees' looks interesting. Thanks.

Two Peas In a Pod said...

Those look like some really great books, I'm going to have to find The Tattooed Flower. Books on the Holocaust always have intrigued me. I feel that we have to educate ourselves so that this kind of event doesnt happen again. I'll defiantly be looking this one up.
Cheers Kyla

Louise Dalton said...

I'll add them to the list!
My Grandmother read "Gone With The Wind" as a girl....as did I.
Not much fiction reading going on at the moment - I get most of my fiction action from the students, along the lines of "My little brother ate my homework" :-)

Maureen Reynolds said...

A very nice list with some that are new to me, incl the Man who Planted Trees, tho I think that I have heard of that one.

I'll have to look for the Tatooed Flower as I have a friend who had two parents who were Holocaust survivors. It might present another side to their story.