Day Five: Bring Out the books!
Today, everyone will share certain Authors/book/series that are their personal favorites, and explain why they like them, how they were inspired by them, and how others might be inspired. (if a movie/tv show inspired you, you are allowed to mention it. Just make sure to mention some books too!)
Tolkien:
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| Tolkien Quote |
J.R.R. Tolkien was a very big part of my life. Even when I was little my big sisters were always talking about him, about Lord of the Rings, about the characters he brought to life with his pen. I first read The Hobbit when I was about eleven. Tiny and I read it together. I cried at the end. Thorin and Bilbo, and their stupid friendship! *sigh* A couple years later I read the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy and fell in love with the way Tolkien shone hope into the darkest times and made your life a little easier to bear - because, hey, maybe your situation sucked but at least you didn't have to carry the Ring to Mordor before an Evil All-Powerful Lord took over the earth and made every living thing his slave! Tolkien inspired me a lot. He still does. I want to touch others with my writing the way he was able to touch me with his. He showed good and evil in a strong, certain way, and he showed how anyone can be corrupted, but in the same way anyone can rise again and be great. That is something not many people in today's society do anymore. (Or when they try they sort of mess it up.)
OH. MY. HEAVENS. We need more writers like Diana Wynn Jones! We need writers to follow in her footsteps, to make stories full of adventure and comedy, love and friendship, happiness and hopelessness... and best of all, character development!!! She did such a great job blending humor and tension, such a great job writing ridiculous, funny, wildly entertaining stories and making them believable, emotional and memorable. If I can be half the writer she is, I would consider myself victorious in my talents. She's clever and creative, and her characters are wonderfully, perfectly, human. I read her books when I need motivation. She makes me want to write. She makes me want to bring my characters to life.
The Queen's Thief: (Series) - Megan Whalen
If anyone ever tells you J.K. Rowling is master of character perception and development, she's not, I would just like to say that no, Megan Whalen is the master above all masters. That women writes characters that you start out hating or at least violently disliking, and then she turns the tables and you see them, all of them, and suddenly you don't hate them anymore. You care about them. You are invested in their story, in their well-being. Even with her protagonists she is master of development and perception. You read all about a character for two whole books and you know him and love him; and then you see this other side of him, and it's so cool! It was a part of him all along, really, but in that third book you actually see all of it, and it's absolutely brilliant! It makes you love him more! You also want to slap him or shake him, but you know. Isn't that always the way? Also, the protagonist in the fourth book. Talk about development! That boy grows so much!
I can honestly say that The Queen's Thief is one of my favorite series ever. Every few months I get this itch to re-read it, and I have to restrain myself because the longer I can wait the better it is when I read it again. And I don't want to kill it's intrigue by reading it too often in a year. That would be sad. I haven't read anything else by Megan Whalen, so I don't know how her other stuff is. But I know that regardless of she writes about, she is extremely talented and capable of brilliant things. And her Queen's Thief books are the bomb diggity. They deserve all the awards.
Keturah and Lord Death - Martine Leavitt
Keturah and Lord Death. This book... oh my gosh. It is the kind of book which you finish and you're overwhelmed with warmth. I sat in silence for a long time, hugging it, and feeling ridiculously achy, full of bittersweet emotions. It is amazing and beautiful, and there are so many lines that just sweep your soul up and make you think. The writing is incredible, the characters are in-depth, flawed, and beautiful, and the whole story is an absolute masterpiece. I really love Keturah. She is a strong female, in ways that you hardly ever see female characters in society today.
Jean Birdsall - (The Penderwicks)
Jean Birdsall is one of the very, very few writers who has managed to write about a big family with a bunch of sisters, and do it well. She writes the challenges of being part of a big family well, and she shows how a family crisis shouldn't mean the end of the family itself. (Like.. the only time I was a little skeptical was in book four when there was some money problems. Coming from a big family I kind of know how money works, and with both parents working well-paying jobs, and some of the girls helping out, I really don't think money would have been that big of a problem...otherwise, that book was great! AND SAD! But really great!) Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty are all unique and different, but you can definitely see their similarities, and the way they play off each other is absolute perfection. Jean Birdsall writers sisters who are goofy, and fun, and silly, sisters who bicker, who tease and make fun, sisters that take care of each other, sisters that love each other. Sometimes they get themselves into trouble because they are crazy, adorable dopes, but they always try to do the right thing and be honest. They're good girls with an incredible Daddy, and a really sweet aunt, and they tend to adopt people into their family. I love them.
Rosalind is the oldest Penderwick, the sensible one with a motherly attitude, who can be quite the firecracker when needed. Skye is the middle Penderwick, brazen and full of integrity, clever, and fierce. Jane is the third child, passionate, energetic, full of imagination, and an aspiring writer. Batty is the youngest Penderwick, imaginative, shy, curious and basically the sweetest sweetheart you will ever meet. The four of them together are pretty much perfect. Of course, I also have to mention their adorable adopted brother Jeffrey, and they're equally adorable adopted sister Mercedes, They're adopted brothers from next door, they're adopted Uncles, and they're adopted Mommy and adopted little brother... (They adopt about as many people as we do. lol.) In fact, there is too much I want to mention about these amazing books. Now I feel like doing a Penderwick Readathon! *aggressively fangirls*
Birdsall shows in a realistic light, how sisters relate to each other, how sisters act with each other, and how sisters can be best friends, even if they don't always get along. I really love that Skye and Jane are close even though they seem so different. I really love that the sisters acted like sisters. I loved that they were friends with their Daddy, but they also respected him and treated him like their father. I loved that Mr. Penderwick was sweet and gentle and protective. I really loved that the family was honest, decent and goodhearted. Basically they are everything society needs to remember about what it means to be a family. I highly recommend these books. They're incredible. Simple, yet emotional, humorous and heartwarming. Sometimes surprisingly sad; and other times incredibly sweet. They make you laugh, cry, and feel better about life in general. seriously. Read them.
What are some of your favorite writers/books? Who do you draw inspiration from? Tell me all the things!
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| A Professor and a lot of girls. |
Jean Birdsall is one of the very, very few writers who has managed to write about a big family with a bunch of sisters, and do it well. She writes the challenges of being part of a big family well, and she shows how a family crisis shouldn't mean the end of the family itself. (Like.. the only time I was a little skeptical was in book four when there was some money problems. Coming from a big family I kind of know how money works, and with both parents working well-paying jobs, and some of the girls helping out, I really don't think money would have been that big of a problem...otherwise, that book was great! AND SAD! But really great!) Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty are all unique and different, but you can definitely see their similarities, and the way they play off each other is absolute perfection. Jean Birdsall writers sisters who are goofy, and fun, and silly, sisters who bicker, who tease and make fun, sisters that take care of each other, sisters that love each other. Sometimes they get themselves into trouble because they are crazy, adorable dopes, but they always try to do the right thing and be honest. They're good girls with an incredible Daddy, and a really sweet aunt, and they tend to adopt people into their family. I love them.
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| "Tell me how Mommy gave me my name." |
Rosalind is the oldest Penderwick, the sensible one with a motherly attitude, who can be quite the firecracker when needed. Skye is the middle Penderwick, brazen and full of integrity, clever, and fierce. Jane is the third child, passionate, energetic, full of imagination, and an aspiring writer. Batty is the youngest Penderwick, imaginative, shy, curious and basically the sweetest sweetheart you will ever meet. The four of them together are pretty much perfect. Of course, I also have to mention their adorable adopted brother Jeffrey, and they're equally adorable adopted sister Mercedes, They're adopted brothers from next door, they're adopted Uncles, and they're adopted Mommy and adopted little brother... (They adopt about as many people as we do. lol.) In fact, there is too much I want to mention about these amazing books. Now I feel like doing a Penderwick Readathon! *aggressively fangirls*
Birdsall shows in a realistic light, how sisters relate to each other, how sisters act with each other, and how sisters can be best friends, even if they don't always get along. I really love that Skye and Jane are close even though they seem so different. I really love that the sisters acted like sisters. I loved that they were friends with their Daddy, but they also respected him and treated him like their father. I loved that Mr. Penderwick was sweet and gentle and protective. I really loved that the family was honest, decent and goodhearted. Basically they are everything society needs to remember about what it means to be a family. I highly recommend these books. They're incredible. Simple, yet emotional, humorous and heartwarming. Sometimes surprisingly sad; and other times incredibly sweet. They make you laugh, cry, and feel better about life in general. seriously. Read them.
What are some of your favorite writers/books? Who do you draw inspiration from? Tell me all the things!
*swings around cape and leaps off stage*
Bella
