Friday, July 9, 2010

Picking Favorites

Picking favorites is a horrible task that leaves me muddling through poorly organized mental filing cabinets in a frizzy flustered flurry.  (I do love playing with alliteration, but is it my favorite language novelty?  hrmm...I don't know, give me a sec...yeah, I don't know.)  In fact I have such a difficult time in general picking favorites that I've even blogged about it on my family blog: I'm "Favorite" Challenged.

Although, I must admit, it's been fun to see fellow bibliovores try to answer who their favorite author is.  What a question!  I can't narrow it down to one single entrĂ©e, so here is the tasting menu:

Harper Lee--To Kill a Mockingbird, deceptively simple, multi-layered yummy-ness

Betty Smith--A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, "Beauty is truth, truth beauty" -Keats

Willa Cather--Song of the Lark, I know I'm supposed to say My Antonia, (which was great all around) or Death Comes for the Archbishop (except I haven't read it yet) and I was tempted to say O Pioneers! (which, as my intro to Cather, may always be my first love) but it was Song of the Lark that really touched me--more on that in a day or two.

Jane Austen--Persuasion, although I've never met something of hers that I haven't liked.  Her wit and insight are...well, classic.

Leo Tolstoy--War and Peace, I admit to having a soft spot for gruff looking old men who [I imagine] are just teddy bears inside.  More than that, though, I love how Tolstoy thinks. 

So...who is your favorite?? If you are stopping by on the Book Hop, let me know so I can return your visit!

14 comments:

  1. Hopping on by.

    Checking out your blog!

    Elyssa

    http://literarydaydreams.blogspot.com/
    Personal Book Blog

    http://ikissbooks.blogspot.com/
    Group Book Blog

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  2. I just love A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Thanks for stopping by my blog!

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  3. Death Comes for the Archbishop is fabulous. You will love it. Thanks for coming by my blog on the hop. :)

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  4. What a great list! I love Willa Cather as well.

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  5. I'm just hopping by to wish you a good day and lots of good books.

    Ms. Martin Teaches Media

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  6. Wow, I was just blisteringly brilliant and then hit the wrong button and blew it away. I think I was saying how Cather was cool until my book club was trying to figure out her gender or sexual orientation. But, also that my shallowness prevented my affection for the more serious tomes having spent way too much time in college. Although Austen and Wilde are exceptions. So, stop on by to see the efforts of a poor little old lady who likes to read for pleasure (and I like to read about pleasure too, and PNR, UF, Fantasy and magic. Also, not limited to books. News reviews and commentary.
    Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust
    steph@fangswandsandfairydust.com

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  7. That is a great list! I really must pick up some Willa Cather for summer reading, it is huge gap in my life I've never read any. I don't know about War and Peace though, I really did try to enjoy it....had to give up (bad girl!)
    Lyndsey

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  8. Hi. I found you on the hop and stopped in to look around and say hello. I am a fan of Willa Cather, Jane Austen and Harper Lee too. They are all great writers. I just wish Harper Lee had written more. Nice to meet you, Dianne

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  9. I'm glad you all came by and visited a while...so nice to meet you, wish we could sit and chat. :)

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  10. Hi Melody, you have a thought-provoking list. I've enjoyed reading about bloggers' favorites during this hop.

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  11. Love Harper Lee and Betty Smith. Thanks for stopping by my blog.

    Terrific blog!

    :) Melissa

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  12. Just saw that you're planning to read "Room with a View." Wonderful book!!!

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  13. Hia. I know this is last weeks hop post but was visiting and had something to say on this one! Have just read Northanger Abbey which has been my first Austen, and I really didn't know what I was missing, was thinking of trying Persuasion as my next one.

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I'd love to hear what you have to say, leave a comment!