Connect Five Friday - Favorites I can Read Again and Again

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The Friday Five Link Up is a List Link Up hosted by The Book Date. It can be five connections of any kind. Books can have been read last year or any year. Books can be used more than once. They may not have been read yet. . . It can be as simple or as complicated as you like. Maybe it's not a list of actual books, but things connected to books - e.g. favourite book shops, recipes etc. It might even be five movies related to books or five poems or five poets or five bookish moments, five thoughts about reading - be creative! The link-up will be open each Friday and will close on Thursday. Use the hashtag #connect5books

I started a little link party of list prompts on my other blog, Homeschool Coffee Break, and this week's list happens to be Favorite Books. I listed some favorites there as hostess, and I'm listing a few favorites here for Connect Five Friday that I'll link there as well. Narrowing down favorites is HARD. And just five. So I decided to not overthink. Here are five books that I've read over and over again and I never get tired of them.

1. The Eight by Katherine Neville - I was introduced to this combination of thriller, mystery, and historical novel through a book club years ago and loved it. It's a combination of thriller, mystery, and historical novel, with some sci-fi and fantasy elements thrown in for good measure. There are parallel stories taking place in two different time periods. In one, a French nun named Mireille has fled an Abbey during the French Revolution, and she carries with her pieces of an ancient chess set said to have mystical power. In the second story, Catherine is a computer specialist in the 1970s who has been assigned to develop programs and models in Algeria for the fledgling organization OPEC. Before leaving the USA, she is recruited to hunt for an antique chess piece while in Algeria.
2. Patrick: Son of Ireland by Stephen R Lawhead - If I could, I'd read this every March! I have done just that quite a number of times. This is a novel based on the life of St Patrick of Ireland. Lawhead takes the details known about Patrick's life and weaves a rich and adventurous storyline around them, adding cultural and historical detail and some more mythical elements as well.
3. Dracula by Bram Stoker -  Stoker's famous story of a cunning vampire is told using first person narratives of most of the characters, with a few newspaper clippings thrown in.  Each of the main characters keeps some form of journal and some write letters or memos, and the chilling tale of the vampire, his victims, and those who fight him are told through the chronological organization of these various pieces. 
4. The Legend of the Firefish by George Bryan Polivka - This is the first in a trilogy, with elements of fantasy and adventure, and the characters include pirates, swordsmen, and a warrior with a thirst for revenge. Packer Throme wants to help the people of his fishing village, and thinks he can do that by partnering with the notorious pirate Scat Wilkins in hunting the legendary firefish. He stows away on Wilkins' ship, unleashing a series of events that put him and the crew in danger; and puts the life of his fiancee Panna Seline at risk as well.
5. The High House by James Stoddard - This is a fantasy/allegory type story that I have loved every time I've read it. Young Carter Anderson lives in an extraordinary house full of mysteries, secret passageways, and unusual guests. His beloved father is the Master of the house and maintains not only the house, but the universe as well. When young Carter unwittingly becomes the target of the enemy - a faceless anarchist known as The Bobby - his father sends him away from Evenmere to keep him safe. Years later, Carter must return to Evenmere and become Master himself, because his father has disappeared and is presumed dead. The story is Carter's journey to find out what happened to his father, and begin to understand the mysterious workings and kingdoms of the house and his own responsibility for keeping Chaos and Entropy from overtaking Evenmere and the world.

   

   

There are quite a few others I could have named! I listed titles like Pride and Prejudice, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, and The Hobbit in the original post; and I thought I'd rather not list books in both places. The exception is The High House, which does appear on both lists. I feel that it's not nearly as well known as the other "read it over and over" titles, and I really have read it over and over, loving it each time!

This post is also linked at Homeschool Coffee Break for Twenty Six Lists - List #5 - Favorite Books

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Book Blogger Hop - April 29, 2017

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Book Blogger Hop

Welcome to another Book Blogger Hop question. Visit Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer to see the responses from other book bloggers.

How many books have you re-read? If you have re-read books, please tell us the book's title and why you re-read it. 

I do re-read books, but I don't know a number - it seems like it is probably a lot though! Most often I re-read books simply because I love them and want to enjoy them again. I've also re-read books that had been assigned reading when I was in school but thought I might appreciate more as an adult, or wanted to refresh my memory of the book before my own kids read it. And the third main reason I re-read is if I'm following a series - if it's been awhile since I read part of the series, I'll refresh my memory before getting back into it; and if it's a current author, I'll re-read previous books in the series in anticipation of a new installment being released.

Books I Have Re-Read Because I Love Them Every Time

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - because I can absolutely never get enough of Darcy and Elizabeth. I keep re-reading and loving everything by Jane Austen, so naturally she's first on this list! (Read one of my posts about this favorite HERE.)

The Eight by Katherine Neville - I was introduced to this combination of thriller, mystery, and historical novel through a book club years ago and loved it. I've re-read it several times. (Read a full review HERE.)

Patrick: Son of Ireland by Stephen R Lawhead is one I often re-read every March! Lawhead is a favorite author so I re-read his books anyway. (Read my full review HERE.)

The High House by James Stoddard - This is a fantasy/allegory type story that I have loved every time I've read it. (Read my full description HERE.)


Bram Stoker's Dracula is another novel I can re-read again and again and enjoy it every time.



The Hound of the Baskervilles (Dover Thrift Editions) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Classic mysteries are a good example of books I re-read. Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot are fictional detectives that entertain me even if I remember how the mystery was solved.


Books I Read as a Child/Teen and Re-read as an Adult



Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables Collection (for Kindle)) - I just love Anne and read her stories again when my daughter got interested in her. (Read a full review HERE.)

The Cuckoo Clock by Mrs Molesworth - This vintage children's book was on my Grandma's bookshelf when I was a little girl, and I made sure to request it when the family started cleaning up the house after she passed away. I've read it again as an adult and passed it along to my daughter. (Read a full description HERE.)

  The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a good example of one I read as a high school student but enjoyed so much more as an adult.

Books in Series that I've Re-read

A Curious Beginning (A Veronica Speedwell Mystery) by Deanna Raybourn - re-read before reading the second in the series - A Perilous Undertaking (A Veronica Speedwell Mystery. There's a very good chance I'll re-read the second (or perhaps both!) when the release date of the third one is near.  (Read my second full review HERE.)

Silent in the Grave (A Lady Julia Grey Novel) by Deanna Raybourn - As you might be able to tell, Raybourn is also a favorite author. I've re-read the entire Lady Julia Grey series and will do so again. (Read one of my reviews HERE.)

What kinds of books do you re-read? Or is once enough, no matter how much you enjoyed it?

©2008-2017 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Ten Favorite Authors

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Yes, it's Wednesday, and I'm writing a list for Top Ten Tuesday hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. The thing is, I already do a book link-up on Tuesdays, and since my Tuesdays are busy enough already, I decided I would do these on Mondays or Wednesdays and call it good.

I'm starting my participation on this list with a hard one - Top Ten ALL TIME Favorite Authors. Are you kidding me? Ten??? I started jotting down a list and it got out of hand pretty quickly, so here - in no particular order - are just some of the authors that I consider my favorites.

Jane Austen
Anybody who knows me expected Austen to be at the top of my list, and no explanation is needed. I never get tired of reading her books, and I keep trying out the various re-imaginings, sequels, and fan fiction related to Austen. Of those, Carrie Bebris is my favorite. The renewed interest in the Regency era means there are plenty of authors writing historical fiction in that setting, and I'm finding some new favorites there - Sarah Ladd and Julie Klassen come to mind, although there are plenty more! (Jane Austen books, including Austen-inspired books, mentioned here on Just A Second - Carrie Bebris books, Sarah Ladd books, Julie Klassen books, and all Regency books)

Deanna Raybourn
Deanna Raybourn is a no-brainer for my list, because she is one of the few authors that I have such complete confidence in that I pre-order her books pretty much as soon as the option is available to me. She has never disappointed. I love her strong, quirky female characters and their intense, passionate male counterparts. Two other authors that fall in a similar category deserve honorable mention here - they are Tasha Alexander and Anna Lee Huber. (Deanna Raybourn books mentioned here on Just A Second - Tasha Alexander books, and Anna Lee Huber books)

Coming September 1st!

Stephen R. Lawhead
Lawhead is another author that has earned that "pre-order status". I love the elements of historical novel and fantasy that are woven together in many of his novels; and the newest, the Bright Empires series, combines historical and time-travel sci-fi in a fascinating way. (Stephen Lawhead books mentioned here on Just A Second)


Agatha Christie
She was my introduction to detective fiction when I was a teenager, and I became quite a fan of Hercule Poirot. Because of Christie (and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, of course!), I got hooked on detective and mystery novels, so I guess I should credit her for leading me to Deanna Raybourn, and to the next author on my list...

Anne Perry
She's become a favorite in the mystery/detective category too. I like her William Monk series especially, and own all of them. I've also read most of the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series, and her Christmas novellas. (Anne Perry books mentioned here on Just A Second)

C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis would make my list of favorites on the strength of the Chronicles of Narnia series alone, because I never get tired of reading them. Wonderful fairy-tale fantasy stories with allegorical elements, and with ageless appeal! Honorable mention here goes to James Stoddard - his books The High House and The False House remind me of the Narnia books, and would rank quite high in my all-time favorite books list. (Which I hope I don't have to narrow down to ten, as that would be quite a daunting task!)

Janette Oke
Janette Oke makes my list for several reasons - I've never met a Janette Oke book I didn't completely love; I own every one of them; and just as Agatha Christie inspired my love of mysteries, Janette Oke introduced me to Christian romantic fiction. The list of Christian historical fiction authors that I love would be a Top Ten (at least!) all its own, but it was Oke that got me started on this genre. It helps that she's a fellow Albertan and many of the settings for her books are in Canada. (I've reviewed the two most recent Janette Oke books here on Just A Second)


Lucy Maud Montgomery/Laura Ingalls Wilder/Louisa May Alcott
I cheated a little here by doing a three-in-one, but my reason for putting these three authors together is that they wrote primarily for a younger audience, and I first read their books when I was very young. Anne of Green Gables, Little House on the Prairie, and Little Women are all still favorite novels that I often re-read as an adult. I also have learned that just because a book is written for  Young Adult audience doesn't mean that it won't appeal to an older audience as well. I give honorable mention here to Hope Auer and to Wayne Thomas Batson, who write YA Fiction that this mom of young adults adores!

Mark Twain
Would he be considered an early YA author as well? I'm not sure, but I have always enjoyed his wit and humor in his novels, short stories, and essays. Honorable mention for humorous observation writing goes to Bill Bryson, who also can make me laugh out loud!


Peter J. Leithart
On a more serious note, I love Peter Leithart's studies of literature (Miniatures and Morals is a study of Jane Austen's works; Brightest Heaven of Invention is a study of some of Shakespeare's plays) and the Bible (A House for My Name) are among my favorite non-fiction works. (Peter Leithart's books mentioned here on Just A Second)

Could you narrow down your favorite authors to just ten? How many of my favorites do you know?

Read more Top Ten Tuesday lists at The Broke and the Bookish.

©2008-2015 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Tuesday's Treasures - The High House - The False House

This post is copied from my main blog, Homeschool Coffee Break, but because this link-up is about books, my contributions will appear here too!

This week for Tuesday's Treasures, I am sharing a pair of books that have become favorites of mine - The High House and The False House by James Stoddard. A number of years ago, on a discussion forum, there was an informal poll question about what was a favorite work of fiction. Among the responses was one lady who mentioned The High House as her very favorite book, and one she had read over and over. Her description of it intrigued me and I hunted down a copy of it through an inter-library loan (I think there was ONE copy in our entire state library system!) and absolutely loved it. Of course I needed my own copy, and  was fortunate enough to find these used paperbacks (probably on half.com although I don't remember for sure).


The High House could be described as fantasy or allegorical fiction, and reads almost like a fairy tale. It tells the story of Carter Anderson, who is introduced as a young boy. He lives in an extraordinary house full of mysteries, secret passageways, and unusual guests. His beloved father is the Master of the house and maintains not only the house, but the universe as well. When young Carter unwittingly becomes the target of the enemy - a faceless anarchist known as The Bobby - his father sends him away from Evenmere to keep him safe. Years later, Carter must return to Evenmere and become Master himself, because his father has disappeared and is presumed dead. The story is Carter's journey to find out what happened to his father, and begin to understand the mysterious workings and kingdoms of the house and his own responsibility for keeping Chaos and Entropy from overtaking Evenmere and the world.

In the sequel, The False House, Evenmere has come under a new threat when the anarchists kidnap a young girl and use her powers along with a stolen cornerstone to start raising a new, false house. Carter and his younger brother must search for the girl and for the stolen keys so they can restore Order to the house and universe. To complicate matters, there seems to be a traitor among them.

Both stories are loaded with adventure and fantasy elements, and make for exciting reading. I have read them both several times, and made The High House a family read-aloud some years ago. In fact, as I was pulling out the books in preparation to share this post, Spencer and Landon saw them and remembered that, and I suggested in passing that maybe they would like to read them again on their own. And this suggestion didn't meet with any resistance. Now I'm not saying that they will fight over who gets to read first, but neither of them are particularly fond of reading, so for them to receive my comment and actually consider it means that they probably enjoyed the book the first time around. (I'll let you know what happens. They're both going away for a few days, so I'll let it simmer in the back of their minds till they get back and then see what's what.)
    
I highly recommend these books to young adult and adult readers alike, especially those who enjoy fantasy and allegory reminiscent of C.S. Lewis' Narnia series.

You may be able to find these at the library, and they are both available on Amazon: The High House; The False House. I found the author's website here: James Stoddard

The original post is linked at Every Bed of Roses for Tuesday's Treasures. Blog about a book on your shelf, one you're reading, or one you found at the library.

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/