Rockin' the Books! (201-210)

Props to Emily Jankauski for this idea. She suggested I take photos of books in settings that  illustrate their ideas. You'll probably want to click on the photos to make them bigger to see all of the nuances.



dos mil uno

There's No Place Like Here by Cecilia Ahern
Not a bad book, but I like the concept more than the actual tale. When you lose things, where do they go? That sock in the laundry, your spare set of keys - we've all misplaced things. But sometimes, we also lose ourselves. C.A. wrote about a world where when some people disappear, they go to Here - the land of the lost. But is it possible to find yourself and make it back to this world?

dos mil dos

Castaways of the Flying Dutchman, et al by Brian Jacques
I've always liked Brian Jacques. The Redwall series was brilliant and new, so when I saw he had a new release, I jumped on it. The books follow Ben and Ned, a boy and his dog, made immortal by an angel of the Lord. I like the series because it takes place in different time periods, but also because I've always thought immortality makes for great material. I was sorry to hear of Brian Jacques' death, not least because I wanted to see where this universe led.

dos mil tres

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
The war in Vietnam was traumatic and life-changing for everyone involved. This book follows an infantry unit before, during and after the war in a very unconventional style. It is at times funny, often depressing and always painfully honest. History is important, and not just the cleaned-up versions. O'Brien has very strong opinions about his experiences.

dos mil quatro

The Squire's Tale by Gerard Morris
This is actually the first book in a really great series that combines Arthurian legend, fantasy and Christian values. It sounds like it wouldn't work, but these are some of the greatest books I've read in a long time. They are very funny, and yet poignant in the best of ways. I'd recommend them for anyone over the age of ten.

dos mil cinco

Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
This was my absolute favorite book when I was a child. I'm not really sure why, but it always appealed to me.

dos mil seis

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Not actually my favorite set-up, but it does portray part of the series fairly well. The Horse and His Boy has always been my favorite of the series, probably because I've always liked behind-the-scenes material. I like writing (and reading) about what happens after the curtain closes, so to speak. Of course, the rest of the books are quite good as well. My least favorite had been The Silver Chair, but I re-read it a few years ago and actually quite enjoyed it. There were quite a few themes that I hadn't picked up on before.

dos mil siete

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
One of my favorite book series ever, if not the favorite. There are so many asides and background characters in these books to explore. Plus, Tolkien created not one, but at least two(!) complete languages. This guy was a wordsmith above and beyond the rest, and I love that he took Lewis to task for creating a substandard alternate universe that didn't follow any of its own self-imposed rules. (Christmas in Narnia? Please!) Anyway. I really, really like these books.

dos mil ocho

God's War by Christopher Tyerman
When I first began studying the Crusades, this book quickly became my number one go-to guide. There are many books that focus on one particular Crusade, but this is the only one I've found that puts them all side by side. I waited a really long time to buy it because I wanted a hardback edition. Alas, my desire for the book outweighed my aesthetic preferences.

dos mil nueve

The Last Full Measure by Jeff Shaara
This is actually the third in a quasi-trilogy about the American Civil War. Back in 1993, the film Gettysburg was released, beginning my love affair with both Jeff Daniels and American history. I soon learned that the film was based on the book The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. A few years after that, I learned that Michael's son Jeff had written book ends for his dad's epic. I love TLFM the best because it's about my favorite part of the war (when we won) and because it doesn't portray Ulysses S. Grant as a boozing incompetent. Because he wasn't. Real history wins.

Incidentally, Jeff Shaara has gone on to write some really great books about some of the most significant events in history. They qualify as historical fiction because he's interpreting the perspective of real people, but I've found them to be highly accurate accounts and extremely engaging. Especially his book on the Mexican War.

A few years ago, the first book, Gods and Generals, was released theatrically. It didn't do so well, which is sad because I quite enjoyed it. I'm hoping Ted Turner continues to ignore sound business doctrine and makes TLFM into a movie. Although Jeff Daniels is getting on in years.

dos mil diez

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Also one of my favorite books as a child, The Wind in the Willows represents whimsy for me. My favorite character was Mole, followed closely by Badger. Unfortunately, not many stories carry mole or badger figurines, so I settled for Toad. I have never been sympathetic toward Toad, which leads me to believe that my temperament is more like Rat. I'm okay with that.

This photo was very hard to get. I will explain why in the next set of photos.



So what do you think? Do I have a future as a book promoter?

Also, I forgot to mention that all props shown are things I have lying around my house.

Forewarned is forearmed.



Oh! I also need to thank my lovely assistant for her excellent work hauling guns and rocks and whatnot. Elida was fantastic despite my idiosyncracies!