Favorite Books

This is a quiz that I got off of Sarah Johnson's blog, so I thought I'd post my answers here. It really made me think!

A book that made you cry: There are lots of these! I would say that one of the books that touched me the most was The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I was sobbing within the first few pages.

A book that scared you: It by Stephen King. I started it and could only read a few pages. I hate clowns.

A book that made you laugh: Grosse Pointe Girl by Sarah Grace McCandless. Very sarcastic. Very true to life in the 80’s.

A book that disgusted you: The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl. Horrible descriptions of murder scenes. Made my stomach turn.

A book you loved in elementary school: Without a doubt it’s Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell. I have read this book at least 13 times over the years, and my friend and I used to reenact the scenes from the book. I have the first paragraph memorized.

A book you loved in middle school: I would have to say Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. I read it for the first time in sixth grade, and this is another one that I have read multiple times over the years and have multiple copies of. I still love it to this day.

A book you loved in high school: This is a hard one! I don’t really remember reading anything for fun in high school. I did like Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.

A book you hated in high school: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. I loathed this book in high school and haven’t read it since, though I may try again someday. It’s the only book my mom ever had to force me to read and grounded me until I finished it and wrote my 10th grade essay.

A book you loved in college: I really didn’t read any books for pleasure in college. I was too busy with schoolwork and nonfiction books. One that stands out that I loved and wasn’t tortuous to read was Life in a Medieval Castle by Joseph Gies.

A book that challenged your identity: The Short Life of Sophie Scholl. A very moving book about Sophie Scholl and the Nazi resistance movement The White Rose. It made me think about right and wrong and standing up for what you believe in.

A series that you love: The “Ann” series by Posie Graeme-Evans. It’s historical fiction set in the time of Edward IV (a favorite). The titles are: The Innocent; The Exiled; The Uncrowned Queen.

Your favorite horror book: The Shining by Stephen King. Also my favorite horror movie. You can’t beat Jack Nicholson.

Your favorite science fiction book: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I liked the humor, though I can’t stand science fiction.

Your favorite fantasy book: The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I’m not a big fan of fantasy either, but these are great. I like the moral lessons.

Your favorite mystery book: Another difficult one, because I don’t read mysteries either! I can’t think of one I’ve liked. I tried to read Nancy Drew as a kid, but I was completely bored. I never even got through one of them.

Your favorite historical novel: This is hard, there are too many. I would have to say my favorite is Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. It’s the second historical fiction novel I read as an adult. I love the descriptions, the language she uses, and the way Chevalier takes you back to the time period.

Your favorite biography: Royal Panoply by Carolly Erickson. Each chapter is short and focused on one of the kings or queens of England. Great introduction to English history.

Your favorite “coming-of-age” book: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is great. We had to read parts of it in 8th grade, and I didn’t really get it. I read it a few months ago and fell in love with it. Now I know why it was voted the best novel of the 20th century.

Your favorite classic: I really like Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. It’s short and sad, very moving. Listen to it on audio, read by Gary Sinese- amazing!

Your favorite romance book: I don’t read romances either! My favorites are Wuthering Heights by Bronte and Pride & Prejudice by Austen. Both are great movies, too.

Your favorite book not on this list: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Another book that I’ve read multiple times. It’s an amazing coming of age story.