Contest: Favourite Books
Posted on 06. Dec, 2008 by Laura-Jane - Whimfield in Personal
While I was growing up, we didn’t own a television. For fun, I read books. Lots and lots of books.
There are so many books whose stories have stayed with me through the years. Characters that inspired and motivated me. I can’t pinpoint any specific book that changed my life, but I suppose that every word we read affects us a little.
My most recent reading pleasure has been discovering the book Roughing it in the Bush by Susanna Moodie. It’s my new favourite book!
Roughing it in the Bush was published in the 1850s, but it is quite easy to read and genuinely funny.
The book tells the tale of a British gentlewoman who leaves Britain to start homesteading in the wilds of Canada. It tells funny, sad, and shocking vignettes of what happens to Susanna and her family during the 1830s.
Reading Roughing it in the Bush gave me such a direct, tangible appreciation for what people had to go through in days gone past! If you’re looking for an interesting, enjoyable read, I truly recommend this book. You can preview the the book in PDF format or you can buy a paper version through Amazon.
Imagine living in a tiny home with only a small old stove to keep you warm. And, because of the smoke, the door to the outside has to be left open: “The door was open, as it generally was, even during the coldest winter days, in order to let in more light, and let out the smoke, which otherwise would have enveloped us like a cloud.”
Imagine being home alone in bed. It’s pitch black. You hear noises elsewhere in the house, but you’ve run out of candles and have no way to generate light. All you can do is wait ’til first light. “The last candle was burnt out; I had no money to buy another, and no fat from which I could make one.”
Oh, Susanna Moodie… I love your book!
Contest: Win Susanna Moodie’s Book
Are you interested in reading Susanna’s book? Well, we’re giving one away!
(Don’t worry, I’ll keep my old beat-up orange copy to myself. The winner will get a new copy from Amazon.)
In order to win, all you have to do is leave a comment below about your favourite book or about something related to this post. Contest closes at the end of the day on December 12th.
The winner will randomly selected and announced on Saturday, December 13th.
What’s your favourite book?
sassymonkey
Dec 6th, 2008
Hey! I have that book. It’s a Virago. Love Viragos!
warren
Dec 6th, 2008
I have two favorite books…and I am not so sure anyone would believe one of them…
My favorite is Mysterious Island by Jules Verne
My other favorite book is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin
Oh, and my favorite somewhat recent series of books are the Harry Potter books.
I have also started looking through the Foxfire books…not exactly books to read cover to cover (for me anyhow), but pretty interesting.
Carolyn G
Dec 6th, 2008
My favorite book is definately To Kill A Mocking bird. It really made an impression on me when I read it as a little girl. It is just about basic humanity and dignity and how “folks are just folks.”
Aunt Krissy
Dec 6th, 2008
I can’t pick just one book! That’s like saying you love one child more then the other!
A few that I move with me as I pull them out to reread. And I could never ever throw them out!
1632 and 1633 by Erick Flint
Lucifers Hammer by Larry Nivin
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffnegger
Stranger in a Strange land by Robert Heinlein
Any book by Octavia Butler
Wow, I’m into SciFi! I never really ever look at it like that!
Gary Gray
Dec 6th, 2008
My favorite book? Halifax, Warden of the North
Author: Thomas H. Raddall
About the Author
One of Canada’s most popular novelists, Thomas H. Raddall won the Governor General’s Award three times. He is the author of sixteen books, including His Majesty’s Yankees and The Nymph and the Lamp.
About: Product Description
In this new, redesigned, highly readable trade paperback format, Nimbus presents Thomas Raddall’s fascinating historical portrait of Halifax. The story begins with the city’s first inhabitants, the Mi’kmaq, and follows Halifax through time, from the earliest settlers to prohibition and the wartime boom to life in the later half of the twentieth century. It focuses on the city’s historic military role and the effects of its strategic position, chronicling colourful characters, heroes and scoundrels, and the adventure and intrigue of their exploits.
From the Publisher
One of the most popular books about Halifax, written by a pre-eminent novelist, this is the story of the city as it was, from 1749 – 1970. An engrossing history lesson on every page.
I have a passion for history and I spent part of three years 1970-1972 while stationed at CFS Shearwater, N.S exploring the nooks and cranny’s of Halifax using this book as my reference.
A newer updated paperback edition is available through Amazon.
http://www.amazon.ca/Halifax-Warden-North-Thomas-Raddall/dp/0771072473
Gary
jypsy
Dec 6th, 2008
No favourites but….. homesteading…. I offer this picture from my bookshelf (which includes Foxfire 1, 2 & 3)
Suzy
Dec 6th, 2008
I have so many favourite books. Reading books is a favourite thing to do . . . Recently I read Three Cups of Tea, an amazingand touching story about how one man built hundreds of schools in Northern Pakistan . . . Other books that come to mind – The Kite Runner, The Time Traveller’s Wife, The Birth House, Fall On Your Knees. I really love visiting Whimfield. Thanks for creating it.
Amanda
Dec 7th, 2008
The book you speak of in your blog really interests me on a personal level. Come June, my husband of three years and I are moving into a tiny 700 square foot barn-house with no power, a flat-top wood stove and a propane stove and fridge. We’re going to care-take 160 acres of property with a hundred year old apple orchard and try our hand at living on the land. Talk about misplaced in time. I wrote to my grandmother telling her about this exciting prospect and she says, “sounds like my childhood.” Am I only 2 generations removed from this?
I enjoy your blog. Thank you for posting.
Cheers
Amanda
Nicole
Dec 7th, 2008
It would be impossible to pick just a single book. As much as I love modern authors, nothing compares with some of the classics.
When it comes to learning about life, there are two that come to mind, both of which affected me greatly: Dickens’ “Great Expectations” and “Silas Marner” by George Eliot.
All of the things that make a life complete — joy, love, tragedy, devotion, education, vengeance, victory — all that and a whole lot more, are found in both those titles.
Ashley
Dec 7th, 2008
Hummm… I don’t think that I could pick a favorite book either… I was quite a voracious reader until I moved to France. It is a lot harder out here to pass along books, because I have to find English readers to begin with, and they can be pretty far and few between!
I did recently read Suite Francaise, is was written during WWII by a woman who ended up dying in a concentration camp. It was about a little village in the middle of France during the war, and how they all survive. I really like the part when it describes the exodus from Paris, thousands and thousands of people leaving Paris by any means that they had… It is definatley worth reading.
mom Marjorie
Dec 7th, 2008
wow, Amanda, that is such an insight you posted: “Am I only 2 generations removed from this”? So true! Here am I, Laura-Jane’s mom, remembering when my parents, Connie and George, didn’t even own a fridge or an ice box – they kept the milk, which was delivered by horse on the city streets of Vancouver, sitting in cold water in the laundary tubs in their cool basement.
My grandparents, Kate and Walter, were more ahead of my parents (!) in that they did have an ice box; once a week, the ice-man, with a thick piece of leather on his shoulder to keep him warm and dry, delivered a large block of dripping ice slung over his shoulder. (hand-held on his back by huge tongs, while he carried it from his truck into the ice box.)
And among my favourite books that I refer to again and again: Joel Kramer’s The Passionate Mind (1974). http://www.joelkramer-dianaalstad.com.
Joel and his partner Diana focus on The Yoga of Relationship and The Yoga of Mind. I attended several of his Hatha Yoga and Jhana Yoga workshops in the 1970’s here in BC. Joel went into self-imposed seclusion since about 1982, and I read that he is now emerging again.
Andy Collier
Dec 7th, 2008
I too cannot limit myself to one book;
Ringworld – Larry Niven
Dune – Frank Herbert
Martian Chronicles – Ray Bradbury
Timequake – Kurt Vonnegut, Jr
Sirens of Titan – Kurt Vonnegut, Jr
Into The Wild – Jon Krakauer
I Am Legend – Richard Matheson
These are some of the books that have influenced me in some way recently.
Andy Collier
Dec 7th, 2008
Oops forgot
Nineteen Eighty-Four – George Orwell
Sandy
Dec 7th, 2008
I also find it hard to narrow it down to one book so here are some of my favourites:
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
The Birth House by Ami McKay
The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
I also love books by Jane Austin and Madeleine L’Engle. My guilty pleasures are books by Diana Gabaldon (Outlander series).
Candra
Dec 7th, 2008
I also have a hard time picking a favorite book but if I am feeling upset I turn towards Jane Austen and Agatha Christie. Two very different authors! I also recently rediscovered Kate Chopin. I highly recommend The Awakening if you haven’t read it.
Phil
Dec 7th, 2008
Hmm. Many great books on peoples’ lists here. As for myself, my favorite book I have is a little pocket atlas that my sister purchased for my from the J. Peterman catalog (which means, every time I look through it, I do the “Seinfeld” voice: “Elaine…”).
I take this little book travelling with me, and use it as a communication-barrier breaker: I’ll turn to the Washington state picture and show my little town, then turn to the page of the country I’m visiting (say, the Philippines) and find their little town. Then, I might turn to some other maps of other countries I’ve visited, and share some stories. Great way to connect with people.
Other times, I’ll be travelling with a group for service trips, and we’ll often have lots of down-time (waiting for flights, rental vans, etc.). So, I’ll break out the Pocket Atlas, pass it around, and ask people to share stories of places they’ve visited. People really open up when they get to share stories about themselves, and I get to hear some great stories in the meantime.
Carla
Dec 8th, 2008
I love any Michael Connelly book – count me in for this contest please.
Sayantanee from India
Dec 8th, 2008
My favourite book is “the Little Prince”……
And I love the episode where the little prince discovers that the earth has many roses, but still his rose on his home planet is special because he cares for it!
Also whimfield is on my reading list……
I hope it never goes out of new material!
Nora
Dec 8th, 2008
The Last Lecture…….I opened the first page and an announcement came on the news that said he died. The book was an excellent read.
Gary
Dec 8th, 2008
Don’t really have a favorite but enjoy John Grisham
Colin
Dec 8th, 2008
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. A true life tragic adventure about Christopher McCandless. A fantastic read!
Aliya D.
Dec 8th, 2008
I genuinely love Susanna Moodie’s book; one of the best accounts of pioneer life ever written in the English language! I remember reading it for the first time as a child and thinking about how courageous and adventurous she was, but as an adult have since garnered an appreciation for the courage, stamina and resolve. I cannot imagine being able to do all she did and stay sane, yet our ancestors did and persevered to create this beautiful country and people.
My favourite book… Hmmm. That is extremely hard because I’m a voracious reader (my personal library consists of over 3000). There are so many… The Little Prince, Anne of Green Gables Series, The Little House Series, A Fine Balance, Plato’s Republic, Brave New World, Three Cups of Tea, etc. etc. I could go on forever. Thank you!
bonnie byrne
Dec 8th, 2008
I am currently reading A Paperbag Christmas and I di believe it will be my new favorite book.
Mushroom
Dec 8th, 2008
A favorite book from my childhood that I’m rereading is Watership Down. It’s an epic tale about these rabbits who leave their home warren because of a prophecy. Along the way they encounter these two other warrens; in one, the rabbits all act like humans, and in another, it’s a complete dictatorship. I like the book so much because it’s actually about community and living and working together. I can very much relate, and I’m really big on community sociology.
If you like rabbits I’d recommend it.
kazari
Dec 8th, 2008
Kim by Rudyard Kipling
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Living the Good Life by Linda Cockburn
danielo
Dec 8th, 2008
One of my favorites is still “The Surrealist Book of Games.” It’s mostly still enigmatic to me, but I find it intriguing every time I pick it up.
David Holder
Dec 8th, 2008
My favorite book is always the one I am currently reading.
jentamar
Dec 8th, 2008
I read this books years and years ago and loved it too. I’m so glad you mentioned it — I’d love to read it again.
Brittany
Dec 9th, 2008
one of my favorite books is “Alone in the Wilderness” which is one mans account of surviving in Alaska. He built his home and everything he needed to survive. He also recorded his life and the video is totally awesome!
Nic
Dec 9th, 2008
Yep, Jane Eyre, Into the Wild, etc. But the favorite that surprised me, that I hadn’t heard of before I picked it up at a library sale is Woodswoman by Anne LaBastille. Talk about nerve, self sufficiency and simplicity!
Amber
Dec 9th, 2008
I don’t read as much as I would like to now but growing up I was an avid reader! Back then my favorite book was any book in the Trixie Belden series!
http://www.trixie-belden.com/books/books.htm
And to this day I don’t think I met anyone else who had even heard of the books! I think I had successfully collected all but one in the series!
Also, loved Louise May Alcott’s Little Women and anything with horses (Flicka, Man O War, Black Beauty).
jonathan
Dec 9th, 2008
my favourite book is the novel american gods by neil gaiman as it discussed the american dream and the idea of modernization
Melody C.
Dec 10th, 2008
This reminds me that I need to do what my sister just did, in preparation for moving to Madagascar with the Peace Corps. She made a list of 10 books she would take with her – she called it being stranded on a desert island (before she knew she was going to an island!)
I haven’t made that list and I don’t know if I have just one favorite. But I do love 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It’s hard to follow but the writing is so beautiful that I’m compelled to make the effort. Once a year I reread the Jean Auel’s Earth’s Children series. I must read any new Nelson DeMille thriller – some are better than others with Charm School being my favorite of his. Ok, that’s a wide range and I really should work on my list!
Thank you for your contests!
Matt
Dec 10th, 2008
Believe it or not, I’m not much of a book reader. Quite honestly, your blog is the best book I’ve ever read.
Michelle
Dec 11th, 2008
Oh, some of my favorite books include: I am David by Anne Holm, The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffnegger, LOTR & The Hobbit by Tolkien, Anne Rice novels, and My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult.
Thanks for the wonderful contest!!
Kim
Dec 11th, 2008
City of Joy
by Dominique LaPierre
This novel tells the true life story of a priest who ministers to the inhabitants of a slum in India’s Kolkatta (now known as Calcutta.) An incredible read, and one that never fails to uplift my spirit and make me appreciate everything that I have in my life.
Jen
Dec 11th, 2008
Good books, there are so many to choose from and I love to read! Memoirs of a Geisha is a favourite of mine. I recently read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and loved it. To Kill a Mockingbird, a classic, one that stays with you forever. The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons. I so enjoyed that book that I can’t bear to read the books that came after for fear of spoiling the love I had for the first one. And for action and adventure, no one does it better than Robert Ludlum. But I think my all time favourite is a volume of the original Grimm Brothers fairy tales that my father gave me when I turned 10. Each story had an amazing illustration, and I loved the stories, even the gorier parts. That book is well loved and goes with me everywhere, and I’ve moved 21 times since I was 17.
Michelle Bradley
Dec 12th, 2008
My favorite book is The Kite Runner. Would love to win this prize to have a great Christmas read.
Andrea
Dec 12th, 2008
Too many but these stand out from the crowd:
Novels:
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert R. Pirsig
Norwedian Wood, Haruki Murakami
Catch 22, Josheph Heller
A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
Intellectual / Visionary:
The Age of Consent: A Manifesto for a New World Order, George Monbiot
No Logo, Naomi Klein
Ecocities, Richard Register
Transformational:
Peace is Every Step, Tich Nhat Hanh
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche
A New World, Eckhart Tolle
The Good Life, Helen & Scott Nearing
Instructional:
The New Organic Grower, Elliot Coleman
How to Make a Garden, Margorie Harris
Ecoholic, Adria Vasil
Cookbook:
Rebar – from Rebar in Victoria
ReFresh – from Fresh in Toronto
Food from the Hart – a collection of Hart-, Irvin-, and Foster family recipes created by my sister
Laura-Jane - Whimfield
Dec 13th, 2008
This contest is now closed.
Thanks for all your wonderful entries! Pheeouph, I thought I was busy before..? Now I have all these good books I should be reading!
Winner will be announced on Saturday, December 13 2008.