Book Blogger Appreciation Week: Day 1!

Good morning, readers!  Guess what?  Today is Day 1 of the long-awaited return of Book Blogger Appreciation Week!  This was a fun event that I participated in when I first started blogging, but unfortunately it disappeared soon after.  However, it's BACK, thanks to The Estella Society!  I am so excited to celebrate the awesomeness of book blogging all week long.

For Day 1, bloggers are asked to share 5 books that represent you or your interests/lifestyle.  Ooooh, deep thinking here!  I reached back in my book archives and came up with these:

1. The Honest Toddler: A Child's Guide to Parenting by Bunmi Laditan

My life is so kid-focused these days, since I stay home with my 4- and 2-year-old sons.  And I could never make it as a stay-at-home-mom without having a solid sense of humor about it.  The Honest Toddler not only is hilarious, but is a fairly accurate representation of the lighter side of parenting.

2. Run Like A Mother by Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea

Many of you already know that I do a Well-Read Runner feature on the blog, because I also love to run!  I read Run Like A Mother not long ago, and found that it accurately described the triumphs and struggles of being a running mom.

3. Bossypants by Tina Fey

Tina Fey is my spirit animal.  No need to elaborate beyond that.

4. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Okay, this might seem like a weird choice to describe me, since I didn't grow up in Brooklyn, or in poverty, or in the early 1900's.  However, Francie Nolan is possibly my favorite fictional character of all time.  As a coming-of-age story, I found this entirely relateable, even if Francie's circumstances were extremely different from mine.  There is something about her voice that resonates with me.

5. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

While I didn't think the hype for this book was entirely warranted, I still put it on this list because Gilbert's global journey certainly describes the love of travel and adventure that my husband and I share.  We did a fair amount of world traveling and exploring before our kids were born, and while our destinations are more thoroughly planned and kid-focused for now, we can't wait to one day return to the fun of globe-hopping.

Tell me a book that typifies YOU, dear readers!

Deja Vu Review (5)

The Deja Vu Review is hosted every Sunday by Brittany at The Book Addict's Guide.  It's a chance to mini-review books that I read in my pre-blogging days.  This week's topic is classics!  Here are two of my faves.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

When I was in high school, I found it really difficult to enjoy books that we were assigned to read for class.  (Sorry, Mr. Henderson and Mrs. Roth. Truth.)  Because we didn't just enjoy them--we analyzed and interpreted the crap out of them, sometimes until I wanted to tear my hair out.  It took a lot of the fun out of the whole reading thing.

So it should tell you something that when I read this book in high school, I loved it.  And then I re-read it 8 years later, and I loved it even more.  Catherine and Heathcliff = the most angrily passionate romance ever.  Their whole relationship is so crazy to me, it's like a train wreck that I can't look away from.  Plus, the writing style is great because the story is told by Lockwood and Nelly Dean, two characters who, while very familiar with Catherine, Heathcliff, and the other characters, are a bit distanced from the actual events that they are describing.  This leads to a lot of narrative bias, and as a reader you will be left wondering what the "true" story is at times.  I'm a sucker for unique uses of POV.

Oops, here I go--analyzing the crap out of this book.  I guess I must have learned something in school, eh?

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith

This is a "newer" classic (published in the 1940's), but a classic nonetheless.  If there was ever a book that earned placement in the "coming of age" genre, this is it.  Young Francie Nolan is one of my favorite narrators of all time.  She is growing up poor in Brooklyn around the turn of the century, and while this would probably leave many kids feeling downtrodden or apathetic, Francie is smart, quick, and displays more than a little boldness as she tells the story of her difficult upbringing.  The story unfolds beautifully and the relationships between Francie and the rest of her family are fascinating.  I will definitely be giving this a re-read one day.

Bonus: it contains one of my favorite book-related quotes!:
"Francie thought that all the books in the world were in that library and she had a plan about reading all the books in the world."

What are your favorite classics?