Oh dear. In case you haven't noticed, I read a lot. I have probably forgotten about more books than many people have ever read in their lifetime. I started memorizing when I was two or three years old and learned to read, by osmosis, before kindgerten. My teacher used to set me up on a high stool in the afternoons and have me read aloud to the class while she checked our schoolwork.
Reading was the best escape I had from the nightmare that was my waking life. The library was my sanctuary, my safety; I knew that nothing bad could ever happen to me there. The library that my mother took me to was old and dim, the air dusty and stale. I would lay on the ancient carpet, alone for an hour or more, surrounded by stories and giddy with possibility. The smell of books still calms me instantly.
I really don't think I could ever choose one favorite book. So here are a few of my enduring faves. (You have no idea how long I agonized over this list! Ugh.) This is me, showing restraint...
Books I Have Loved for Over a Decade:
1. The Tale of Desperaux, by Kate DiCamillo
2. Zel, by Donna Jo Napoli
3. Treasure at the Heart of the Tanglewood, by Meredith Ann Pierce
4. Spindle's End, by Robin McKinley
5. Enchantment, by Orson Scott Card
i find libraries and bookstores to be some of the safest places in the world for me. I am the same way about the smell of books. thanks for sharing.
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