Good Books
Jun. 25th, 2008 09:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deelaundryI decided to do the "List Good Books" meme. Due to a tragic bookcase accident, many of my books are now in storage. Wah, wah. But here are a few I still have around. Crack, mysteries, numbers, answers, kids' books...
- Expecting Someone Taller by Tom Holt. Complete and utter crack, bringing the characters of Wagner’s Ring Cycle to modern day UK. Hilarious and engaging.
- Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Moss. Read this children’s book aloud to savor every well-chosen word, filled with the joy of both language and music.
- The Stories of Ray Bradbury by Ray Bradbury. Guys, I read this 900-page book of short stories in one weekend and I went frickin' INSANE. Insane. Just to pick one, "The Scythe" is a chiller that I will never forget.
- The Changelings translated by Rosette F. Willig. 12th century Japanese novel about crossdressing siblings. Awesome.
- The Fletch novels by Gregory McDonald. Did you see the Chevy Chase movies? Please forget them entirely and read these books, anyway. Sharp and funny, with (usually) good mysteries at the heart of them. Look, you like House, don’t you? You’ll like Fletch.
- Flynn, and The Buck Passes Flynn, and Flynn’s Inn by Gregory McDonald. The protagonist is nicer but no less interesting in this series of mysteries. You’ll either like the underlying social commentary or you won’t.
- Carrie by Stephen King. This book is one of the most tragic I’ve ever read. If you’ve ever been an outsider not by choice, I’ll bet you find the end of the book heartbreaking.
- What Counts: The Complete Harper’s Index, edited by Charles Conn & Ilena Silverman. NUMBERS. ZOMG, numbers, numbers, numbers... but there’s many a tale to be told in them, you betcha.
- Why Things Are: Answers to Every Essential Question in Life by Joel Achenbach. Joel is Dave Barry’s slightly more serious cousin, maybe not by blood but certainly spiritually. This book answers questions like, “Why is it an insult to call someone a turkey?” and “Why do women’s shirts cost more to dry-clean than men’s?” and “Why does the US have a Social Security tax?” It’s thought-provoking stuff. Seriously.
- Life Is Hell, Love Is Hell, and School Is Hell by Matt Groening. Before the Simpsons, there were Bongo, Akbar, and Jeff. My husband and I still say to each other, “I think I’ll have a little drinkie-poo.”
- Any Dorothy Sayers book, and any Agatha Christie book (well, there are some duds but mostly any). F-list folks who are writers: they are just like us. No, I mean it. And I adore them for it.
- Should I admit that I like Jeffrey Archer books and short stories? Probably not. But I have kind of a thing for twists at the end and he, and O. Henry, and Ray Bradbury are all excellent at it.
Kids’ Books
- Goody New Shoes (Hello Reading) by Harriet Ziefert. This is a must-have just for the revolutionary, countercultural first line: “Penny’s mom needed a rest.” And then Mom gets one! She gets to stay at home with her feet up, eating popcorn and watching TV, while Dad takes the kids out on errands. Anything that busts the stereotype of Super Mom and so ably conveys the idea that Moms deserve a break, too, gets an A-plus from me.
- Jamberry by Bruce Degen. YAY, MADE-UP WORDS! So fun to read out loud.
- The Magic Friend-Maker by Gladys Baker Bond. This is a gazillion years old (i.e., from my childhood) but I love it. Probably because I was a “one-girl” too, and any book that has girls bonding over rocks is awesome.
- Toad Eats Out by Susan Schade and Jon Buller (also Railroad Toad and Toad on the Road). Social stories made fun. Spectrum moms know what I’m talking about. Toad Eats Out is especially good, because (a) it goes through all the steps of going out, from choosing the place to paying the tip, and (b) there’s a surprise but it’s not the end of the world! They can handle it together! Awesome.
- Go Dog Go by P.D. Eastman. Yeah, it’s kind of long, but it’s fun and it TEACHES LOCATIONAL PREPOSITIONS. Good God, no other book does that very well.
- Expecting Someone Taller by Tom Holt. Complete and utter crack, bringing the characters of Wagner’s Ring Cycle to modern day UK. Hilarious and engaging.
- Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Moss. Read this children’s book aloud to savor every well-chosen word, filled with the joy of both language and music.
- The Stories of Ray Bradbury by Ray Bradbury. Guys, I read this 900-page book of short stories in one weekend and I went frickin' INSANE. Insane. Just to pick one, "The Scythe" is a chiller that I will never forget.
- The Changelings translated by Rosette F. Willig. 12th century Japanese novel about crossdressing siblings. Awesome.
- The Fletch novels by Gregory McDonald. Did you see the Chevy Chase movies? Please forget them entirely and read these books, anyway. Sharp and funny, with (usually) good mysteries at the heart of them. Look, you like House, don’t you? You’ll like Fletch.
- Flynn, and The Buck Passes Flynn, and Flynn’s Inn by Gregory McDonald. The protagonist is nicer but no less interesting in this series of mysteries. You’ll either like the underlying social commentary or you won’t.
- Carrie by Stephen King. This book is one of the most tragic I’ve ever read. If you’ve ever been an outsider not by choice, I’ll bet you find the end of the book heartbreaking.
- What Counts: The Complete Harper’s Index, edited by Charles Conn & Ilena Silverman. NUMBERS. ZOMG, numbers, numbers, numbers... but there’s many a tale to be told in them, you betcha.
- Why Things Are: Answers to Every Essential Question in Life by Joel Achenbach. Joel is Dave Barry’s slightly more serious cousin, maybe not by blood but certainly spiritually. This book answers questions like, “Why is it an insult to call someone a turkey?” and “Why do women’s shirts cost more to dry-clean than men’s?” and “Why does the US have a Social Security tax?” It’s thought-provoking stuff. Seriously.
- Life Is Hell, Love Is Hell, and School Is Hell by Matt Groening. Before the Simpsons, there were Bongo, Akbar, and Jeff. My husband and I still say to each other, “I think I’ll have a little drinkie-poo.”
- Any Dorothy Sayers book, and any Agatha Christie book (well, there are some duds but mostly any). F-list folks who are writers: they are just like us. No, I mean it. And I adore them for it.
- Should I admit that I like Jeffrey Archer books and short stories? Probably not. But I have kind of a thing for twists at the end and he, and O. Henry, and Ray Bradbury are all excellent at it.
Kids’ Books
- Goody New Shoes (Hello Reading) by Harriet Ziefert. This is a must-have just for the revolutionary, countercultural first line: “Penny’s mom needed a rest.” And then Mom gets one! She gets to stay at home with her feet up, eating popcorn and watching TV, while Dad takes the kids out on errands. Anything that busts the stereotype of Super Mom and so ably conveys the idea that Moms deserve a break, too, gets an A-plus from me.
- Jamberry by Bruce Degen. YAY, MADE-UP WORDS! So fun to read out loud.
- The Magic Friend-Maker by Gladys Baker Bond. This is a gazillion years old (i.e., from my childhood) but I love it. Probably because I was a “one-girl” too, and any book that has girls bonding over rocks is awesome.
- Toad Eats Out by Susan Schade and Jon Buller (also Railroad Toad and Toad on the Road). Social stories made fun. Spectrum moms know what I’m talking about. Toad Eats Out is especially good, because (a) it goes through all the steps of going out, from choosing the place to paying the tip, and (b) there’s a surprise but it’s not the end of the world! They can handle it together! Awesome.
- Go Dog Go by P.D. Eastman. Yeah, it’s kind of long, but it’s fun and it TEACHES LOCATIONAL PREPOSITIONS. Good God, no other book does that very well.