Day 30 - Your Favourite Book of All Time

Last day of the challenge and I'm still here (and on time!)

I haven't got a favourite book of all time, as I can't pick out just one book from all the favourites that I love for many different reasons and choose due to my mood.  
So (and it might be a slight cheat, but rules are meant to be broken) the books I return to again and again, that can still stand the many revisits and remain fresh and lively are all by Jane Austen.  If I had to be tough and limit myself to three (and that's as far as I'm willing to go) it'd be Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. 

Day 29 - Favourite Book You Read in School

I have a tendency to be a bit contrary (really, moi?) and so if I was made to read something at school it didn't always turn out as well as the books I found for myself.  I don't remember having that many "class reads" in school either, we definitely did a few in middle school including:
The Owl Service
Five Children and It
The Silver Sword
which I remember purely because I loved them...but any others have faded into the dim dusty corners of my lost memories!

At secondary school we were force fed several texts.  I loathe Moonfleet, Great Expectations and Lord of the Flies due to the grim overworking of them by teachers having to teach a class where 90% had probably not read any of the set chapters beforehand anyway.  Although I'm told they are worthy reads they just can't redeem themselves in my eyes.
I did enjoy Wide Sargasso Sea despite being nonplussed by Jane Eyre.  I also loved all the Shakespeare I did (except Twelfth Night for some reason).


However, today's prize goes to a book already mentioned...The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tyler.

Day 28 - Favourite Book Title

Easy one today...

So Long and Thanks For All the Fish by Douglas Adams

Just a brilliant title that sums it all up.
It's ages since I read Hitch-hikers and I feel a re-read coming on!  

Day 27 - The Most Surprising Plot Twist Or Ending

Maybe I'm just a seriously flawed person, but I'm always looking out for the twist/ killer ending and so tend to look out for clues and spot the potential twists as I'm reading.  Although I'm not always right, (oo, that's painful to admit!) I enjoy this aspect when reading.  I can't think of any endings that completely floored me in the past few years, but I might if I mull over a bit longer.

However, when I was a sweet innocent I was shocked by the reveal at the end of The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler.  I loved this book and thank Mr Freeman for being the teacher who introduced it to me!

Day 26 - A Book That Changed Your Opinion About Something

Okay, there's been some days of the challenge that I've found difficult but I've drawn a complete blank here.  I don't really read enough "serious" books that are likely to change my opinions, and so I truly can't think of any thing I can offer today.
Total failure...apologies.  If I think of anything - I'd add it later.

Day 25 - A Character Who You Can Relate To The Most

Well, I'm feeling pretty smug as it's Day 25 and I've managed to stick to blogging every day, on time for this challenge and the end is rapidly approaching.
But today's another tricky one...I tend to want to be other characters rather than relating to them.
After some consideration I think I was a bit of a Hermione Granger when I was growing up and I do see where she's coming from in the books. (I think this was also why I got a bit annoyed, particularly with the earlier films as she wasn't portrayed quite as I imagined her.)
She's swotty, bookish naturally talented.  Her way of trying to solve a problem is to go to the library and research it.  She's annoying, bossy and has an opinion on everything.  She'd be the first to say I told you so.  But despite all that, she is aware of her flaws, she's no beauty (in the book) and she sometimes has a humour by-pass, but she has a spark about her.  Most importantly she is also incredibly loyal, resilient and reliable.  
I didn't go to a magic boarding school and I'm not naturally brilliant like Hermione but I was a hardworking, serious, girly swot with my nose always stuck in a book too and that's probably why I ended up doing the job I do so I had an excuse to channel my inner bossiness to a suitable end (but in a good way!)

Day 24 - A Book That You Wish More People Would've Read

After a few easier days this is a tough one.  Reading choice is such a personal thing, just because I love it doesn't mean it's for everyone.  However, to stick with the challenge, I'm going to go for (and I hope people don't think it's a cheat) the plays of William Shakespeare.  

Why?  Well, I although I haven't read them all (I skipped the historical ones) they offer so much and you gain something new each time.  The various aspects of human nature and the rich, glorious language that has become absorbed into our everyday speech are amazing.

Sadly, I think many people were put off at school by being forced into covering a text in a way that made it inaccessible and I know that I have a personal dislike of Twelfth Night due to the way it was pushed into an unwilling brain at "O" level.  (See, I'm that old!)

However, despite that I persisted and adore Much Ado, and that was before seeing it at the Globe and then David Tennant (honest!), and I particularly love the tragedies...Hamlet and Anthony and Cleopatra.  It is wonderful to see them being performed but you can still get so much from reading them.  

Friends think I'm weird, but I just think they're missing out.

Day 23 - A Book You Wanted to Read For A Long Time But Still Haven't

Oh, no...is this where I have to 'fess up just how big my TBR pile is?!  At least 100 books around the house and a further 120 on the kindle, all waiting for a little bit of attention.  The problem is they will keep publishing books that I want to read and I sadly still have to work and do so many other things that just gets in the way of my dedicated reading time.
There's loads of books I want to read but haven't got around to...yet.  But the one I'm going to tackle over the summer holidays this year because it's been there for eons is...

Anna Karenina

It's a classic, it's on the 100 books you should read and I've been meaning to get around to it since I saw the film with Sean Bean (so long ago) and was underwhelmed and so decided that I ought to give it a real chance.
I'll let you know!

Day 22 - My Guilty Pleasure

Only one guilty pleasure?  Surely a girl is allowed more than that?  Where to start...ummm...

Well, the guilty book pleasure I'm willing to 'fess up to is my love of Regency Romances.  
Not a shocker and I've reviewed several on here on my blog, but they're not the books that I own up to reading to friends.  They're a bit of a comfort read, when life gets pressured and I need an escape.  No particular favourites, although I think I've read most by Julia Quinn.  A further admission is that I bought two Georgette Heyer's from audible purely because they were read by Richard Armitage.  Sad, but blissful listening!

Day 21 - Favourite Book From Your Childhood

I read a lot as a child. I was the stereotypical bookish only child and I went to the library at least once a week.  I read voraciously, anything I could get my hands on.  It was also the golden time of "Jackanory" on kid's TV and I found several of my favourites from there.

I had so many favourites - I've probably missed out loads, so may have to add to the list as I go along.
Milly Molly Mandy - can't remember much about these except the stylised illustrations, but I lapped them up.
The Faraway Tree - who didn't read these in the seventies?
Secret Seven - I did read the Famous Five, but I found these more interesting.
Malory Towers, St Clares and The Naughtiest Girl in the School - I so wanted to go to boarding school!
Arabella's Raven - Bernard Cribbens read it on Jackanory and I loved these books.
The Swish of the Curtain series - I was a real drama kid at heart but wasn't brave enough to actually do it!
Sue Barton series - I've only remembered these by doing the challenge and am currently re-reading them.  Sheer nostalgia.
Danny Champion of the World - The first Roald Dahl I ever read.  Thank you to Mrs Drury who read it to our class at story time.  Kids at school don't seem to get this any more, but I loved it and still do.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - again, thank you Mrs Drury! 
Bogwoppit - another Jackanory find this time Prunella Scales.  I found it hilarious.

But apart from books, I also went to dancing class (and was a bit of a frustrated, inhibited actress too) and had a strict teacher who was beyond terrifying!  I read lots about the ballet and although I knew I'd never be good enough, I loved immersing myself in that world and so read everything by Noël Streatfeild.  They were all good but my favourite is Ballet Shoes.  I first found it as BBC children's TV programme and I nagged mum to buy me the book...it became a regular thing for my poor mum! 
I went through phases of related to each sister, but as I said earlier in the challenge, it was Pauline (the actressy one) that was my real favourite. 

Day 20 - Book That Makes You Laugh Out Loud

Today's choices are:

James Herriot Vet series - There's just so many bizarre situations throughout these books, I defy anyone not to laugh!
Bridget Jones' Diary - only the first one and only the first time I read it, but it was different to most chick-lit at that time.
Good Omens - haven't read it in years, but remember annoying people around me by sniggering.
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole - another one that was of it's time, and it didn't stand a re-read when I was in my thirties, but I first read it at a similar age to "Adrian" and all his trauma's resonated.  
The Wee Free Men - I love the Mac Nac Feegles!


But my overall winner is...

Mort by Terry Pratchett.  I was forced to listen to a friend at college giggle her way through this and it seemed to take her ages to pass it on so I could see what the fuss was about.  However, when I finally got it off her, I laughed throughout too and ended up buying my own copy, which was unusual as a poverty stricken student who spent any spare cash in the pub not the bookshop!

Day 19 - Favourite Book Turned Into a Movie

I've had to think carefully about this one as even if the film is good, I always prefer the book.  Due to this I try to not watch the movie until I've read the book so I can imagine the characters my own way.
I can be a bit of a geek when I feel they get the casting wrong.  As an example, I enjoy all the Harry Potter films but I just never thought they got Hermione right.  Nothing against Emma Watson, she just isn't how I imagined Hermione. 

The problem today is do I include TV adaptations? I think these tend to be better than films due to the time allowed within a mini series, so I've indulged myself and allowed these too. 

So, films of books that have been pretty good (in my opinion):

The Color Purple
I sob, every time!  Whoopi Goldberg is amazing.

Bridget Jones Diary
Not perfect and Renee Zellweger was too nice and a bit too posh (I always imagined Bridget to be slightly more grubby and rough!) but Hugh Grant and Colin Firth were brilliant and so it sneaks into the list.

Remains of the Day

Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson - sheer class.  Beautifully adapted.

TV adaptations

Pride and Prejudice - BBC with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.  Do I really have to explain?  perfect casting and stuck to the book, apart from the wet shirt scene which is completely acceptable.

North and South - BBC.  Mainly due to Richard Armitage.  It does differ to the novel but it was beautifully filmed and one I can watch again and again.

Cranford - BBC - again, perfect casting.

Persuasion - There two versions, both very different but good in different ways.  The 1995 BBC version with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds is probably more true to the novel, but the 2007 ITV version with Sally Hawkins has Rupert Penry-Jones as Wentworth.

But...my favourite book into film is...
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  
It's epic, it's brilliantly well done and the casting throughout was perfect.

Day 18 - First "Chapter" Book you Remember Reading as a Child

An easy one for today.

The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson

I was six, in Miss Buxton's class (which would now be called Y1) and she was a lovely young teacher who chose fabulous stories to read out loud.  She read this to the class and after the first chapter I nagged my mum to get it for me.  I remember standing in the bookshop, which is sadly long gone, and describing the cover and saying I wanted the book about Plop the Owl, but I couldn't remember the actual title.  I think we had to order it as my mum brought it home from work with her one day.  Things were so much more hassle pre-Amazon!  
Plop is a baby barn owl who doesn't want to go out at night.  He also has difficulties in flying and falls out of his tree with a plop!  Each chapter tells of Plop meeting someone who has a reason for liking the dark and eventually he is convinced that the dark is alright and he goes out with his long suffering parents.  Simple stuff, but I loved it!  It's since been adapted into a picture book and I still regularly use both versions in school.

I must also thank Miss Buxton for introducing me to How the Whale Became, My Naughty Little Sister and the Danny Fox stories.  Danny Fox was my second "chapter" book that my poor mum had to search for!

Day 17 - Favourite Quote From Your Favourite Book

So, I'm well over half way through the challenge now...feeling pretty smug that I've managed to say something every day!

But...I think I'm going to have to cheat a little on this one.  Firstly, because I haven't decided on my all time favourite book, so I can't pick a quote from it, yet.  I also put in my favourite quote from Persuasion when choosing my favourite classic book.

So, here's a few of my favourite quotes from some of my favourite authors and I hope you will be kind enough to allow me to fudge the challenge today.

The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.

Jane Austen

A large income is the best recipe for hapiness I ever heard of.
Jane Austen

“My idea of good company...is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.”

“You are mistaken,” said he gently, “that is not good company, that is the best.”

Jane Austen

He never went out without a book under his arm, and he often came back with two.

Victor Hugo

It looked like the sort of book described in library catalogues as "slightly foxed", although it would be more honest to admit that it looked as though it had been badgered, wolved and possibly beared as well. -- Ah, but has it been hedgehogged?

Terry Prachett

"It would seem that you have no useful skill or talent whatsoever," he said.  "Have you thought of going into teaching?"

Death's face was a mask of terror.  Well it was always a mask of terror, but this time he meant it to be.

Terry Pratchett

It is difficult to be angry with a gentleman who pays you compliments, even impertinent compliments.  Especially impertinent compliments.
Elizabeth Peters

Day 16 - Favourite Female Character

Elizabeth Bennett - I know, predictable again but she's clever (but not clever enough to see through Wickham), witty, can dance and has a pair of fine eyes.  She gets her man and Pemberley...I want to be her!
Belle (or whatever different people call her) in Beauty and the Beast - my favourite fairy tale.  I love Belle as she's bookish, brave and amazingly loyal both to her father and eventually the Beast.
Pauline Fossil - I went through phases of wanting to be all the Fossil sisters, but it was Pauline that I really admired.  She isn't always nice but she gets her comeuppance and learns from it.  She can do it all - the first triple threat I'd ever heard of!
Esme Weatherwax - a complete legend.  Proud, brusque but kind, an amazing understanding of how people tick and magical powers that she refuses to flaunt.
Nanny Ogg - I wouldn't want to be her, but you've got to admire her chutzpah!
Anne Elliot - starts out as a bit of a doormat but gets her man eventually.

But today I choose...
Amelia Peabody Emerson
This this choice could seem a bit strange as I've chosen her son as my favourite male character (and I do adore him) but my dilemma is I'm just not keen on the overly fragrant Nefret who eventually marries the gorgeous Ramses.
So I'm going for Amelia in her younger days, early in the series before Ramses really makes any impact in the books.
Amelia is an independent woman of means, who takes on the world, rights all wrongs and uses her parasol to great effect.  She also develops a love for all things Egyptian and the wonderful Emerson.  Although she's no great looker, her personality and dynamism not only attract Emerson but also the attentions of the mysterious Sethos.  Any lady who manages all this is fabulous!  

Day 15 - Favourite Male Character

Today, brings difficult choices!  My favourite male character, ummm...let me see.

Darcy - predictable, I know he's on just about every girls list, isn't he?  Not the easiest guy to get to know and possibly a bit deep and brooding at times, but he's attractive, honest to a fault and there's always Pemberley to get excited about!  
Captain Wentworth - any bloke that can write a such a fabulous letter is worthy of consideration. 
John Thornton - an all round good bloke, who despite being misunderstood, continues to try to do the right thing and this is probably a bit sad, but he's nice to his mother and his foul sister under very trying circumstances!
Severus Snape - bit of a odd one but he's my guilty crush!  There's just something about him (the crushing sarcastic comments) that I admired and I knew he wasn't all bad!
Erik (Phantom of the Opera) - again an unlikely crush and it's Erik from the fiction based on the musical rather than the original novel.  I just do have a soft spot for my tortured, damaged (and psychopathic) males.  He's just so misunderstood and I can't get beyond the Lloyd Webber version of events.
Jean Valjean - doesn't have the best of starts but definitely redeems himself.  My only reservation is why does someone so sensitive to others bring up a self- centred piece like Cossette?
Nicholas Brisbane - he's fit, gorgeous and can handle himself well.  He also marries a stroppy, opinionated woman.  What's not to like?
Radcliffe Emerson - as above, plus he's an Egyptologist! Bliss!

However, after much deliberation my favourite male character is...

Ramses Emerson.
I've covered some of this ground before, but after being a precocious child who was immensely irritating, he develops into a brave, daring young man with a talent for disguise who just happens to be amazingly good looking as well as being intelligent and sensitive.  He's knowledgeable about Egyptology, speaks many languages, writes scholarly books and also manages to fight crime and help out with the intelligence agency in the First World War.  Loyal to his friends and kind to animals.  The down side is he remains a little too close to his mother and he adores Nefret, but everyone has their faults!

Day 14 - Favourite Book By Favourite Writer

The problem here is that he's written so many!  How to narrow it down?
I love The Wee Free Men, purely for the Nac Mac Feegles. 
I adore all the witch books, particularly Maskerade (well it is based on Phantom!) and Greebo is a total star in this one!  But I also really like Wyrd Sisters.

However, the one I still go back to and laugh the most at is Mort.  
The hapless Mort is taken on as Death's apprentice and predictably chaos ensues.  But the whole concept of Death having a mid-life (?!) crisis, giving up the scythe and wanting a normal life is what makes it so funny, that and him having a horse called Binky!

Day 13 - Favourite Writer

There's several possibilities for today's challenge, and many have already been mentioned.
If going for a classic angle, it'd predictably be Jane Austen.  If going modern then I love Elizabeth Peters (already done!) or my romcom favourites (mentioned in Day 5).  But if it's down the author that I've read most books from and I'm still buying them, it has to be (small drum roll, please)...
Terry Pratchett.

I've read everything he done, including the ones for children/ young adults and the man is brilliant!  Not only is he an amazing author, his ongoing work on raising awareness and challenging perceptions about Alzheimer's disease has been inspirational.

I was introduced to his work by a someone at college and although that we quickly lost touch, the one useful remaining aspect of the friendship was the Discworld books.  I didn't even know fantasy books existed until then!
They're all witty, clever, completely bonkers and they make me laugh!  A lot!
I particularly love the witches, Esme Weatherwax is my role model for when I get older and I believe that one of my very good friends is well on the way to becoming Nanny Ogg.  I'm also a huge fan of Death and his take on humanity.
If you've never read them, you should.  If you don't get them, then that's a shame.

Day 12 - A Book You Used to Love But Don't Any More

Today's challenge is relying on books that's you've re-read, other wise how can you say you loved it but don't any more unless you've gone back to it and age, experience or some other reason has made you change your mind?

So, I'm going for Wuthering Heights.
Ooooo, anyone shocked?!  I think this a marmite book anyway...and I think if I'd been made to read it at school I possibly would have loathed it.  But, I read it in my mid teens in a self-indulgent, "nobody understands me phase" and the sheer wild, passionate desperation of it all swept me along.  I wanted to be Cathy, I understood her pain and Heathcliffe was the perfect hero.  The atmospheric gloom and unremitting misery of it all - gorgeous!

When I was at Uni, I visited the Haworth and the Bronte Paronage with some friends.  What struck us all was how bleak it all was, all that stuff at school about the environment  inspiring their writing made sense!  I read it again just after that and it still resonated with me...I still loved it.

However, I reread it a couple of years back (now in my forties!) and although I quite enjoyed it, I found it all "overdone", it just didn't work for me any longer.  I still think it's perfect for how I was then, but not now.  So although I don't love it, there will always be a small soft spot tucked away for Wuthering Heights and the impossible all encompassing love it describes. 

Day 11 - A Book You Hated

Similar in some ways to Day 8 with the overrated books.  Most of those would probably fit into this category too.  However, today's contenders are:
Alice in Wonderland - I just never got it! Not as a child and certainly not as a student teacher having to do it as part of classic children's fiction.
Jane Eyre - another one I just don't really get, although I did enjoy the BBC adaptation with Toby Stephens and his dodgy hair extensions!  I find the beginning purely depressing, the middle bit ok and the ending disappointing.  Yes, I get she's plain, has a tough deal, remains constant but won't give up her ideals, but it's all so wearing.
Sons and Lovers - I've tried to do D.H. Lawrence, but find them too slow, too depressing and there's no fun even in Lady Chatterley!

However, today's overall winner is Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy.  Probably unfair, but this was one of my "A-level" set texts (with this actual cover!) so it was forced upon me and any enjoyment was wrung out by over-analysis and rote learning of quotes and overall themes.  I haven't been able to pluck up the enthusiasm to read it since I finished the exam, so I although it may deserve a second chance and could be an undiscovered joy...it still remains my most hated book.  At the time I found the whole novel turgidly depressing and rather sanctimonious.  I have never tried any other hardy novels due to my lack of enthusiasm for this one.  On a positive note, I did do very well in my exams!