Thursday Thirteen - 104 - 13 of My Favorite Chapter Books When I Was a Kid

- 1

Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown












- 2

Farmer Boy

I could never get enough of this series - but Almanzo's story was my favorite.

Of course I was a huge fan of the Little House TV series.








- 3

Little Women














- 4

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer












- 5

The Bastard

As you can imagine, reading this book while still in elementary school seemed somewhat scandalous. But by grade five I was definitely reading adult fiction. I loved the Kent Family Chronicles - an introduction to commercial historical fiction that has remained with me today.




- 6

The Crystal Cave

I'll always remember finding this book in the used book section of the Christmas Tea and Sale, at the church where my Girl Guide meetings were held. To say that this book changed my life would not be overly dramatic. Its time period, its Arthurian legend subject matter, its fresh idea for the character of Merlin - all of it affected the way I tell stories myself.




- 7

The Horse and His Boy

I could never get enough of this series, either - but Bree's and Shasta's story was my favorite.

I'm a massive fan of the current series of Narnia films. I hope, hope, hope they all make it to the screen.





- 8

The Story Girl

Of course I read Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon - but The Story Girl and its sequel, The Golden Road stole my heart. Featuring Felix, Felicity, Cecily, and Sara Stanley (the "Story Girl"), imagine my delight when Road to Avonlea debuted on Canadian television in 1990 - and there were all my beloved characters from The Story Girl.




- 9

The Trouble With Tribbles

This was a non-fiction making-of-the-episode account. Had me in hysterics. Foreshadowed the future film student chapter of my life.








- 10

The Witch Tree Symbol

Other than The Crystal Cave, there's no book that's had such a profound influence on my life. In grade three, a new student just arrived from New Brunswick had this book on her desk. I asked if I could borrow it. That began a 37-year friendship with my forever friend, Connie.




- 11

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

I read this one out loud to my sister before bed.











- 12

Then Again, Maybe I Won't

Can you see the trend I've always had toward gravitating to the books featuring male protagonists, rather than female?









- 13

Thor and The Giants

How I love me some Nordic mythology.









Grace says I grew up reading Nancy Drew books through a friend - we've been best friends for so many years now!

Shelley Munro says I used to love Nancy Drew books. The Hardy boys as well.

Anne MacFarlane says I loved Nancy Drew. I wanted to have titian hair, drive a roadster and date Ned.

Tagged! - I'm It! - 36

Akelamalu tagged me for The Bookworm Meme. Here's how it all works:

Rules: Pass it on to five other bloggers.
Tell them to open the nearest book to page 46.
Write out the fifth sentence on that page, and also the next two to five sentences.

The closest book, not the coolest, or the one you think will sound the best.
THE CLOSEST.


As it happens, the closest book to me is the one I'm currently finishing - Broken Wing by Judith James.

Judith is one of my chapter mates from Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada. I've spent many a lunch-before-the-monthly-meeting sitting across the table from her, engrossed in conversation. She was at the writers retreat this year. If you follow the link, that's Judith sitting across from me at the dinner, wearing a black shirt.

I knew from talking to Judith that her story would be just the kind of book I long for.

Here is some of the buzz she's generating online:

"Every so often, if you're lucky, you will read a book that you can't stop thinking about; that you obsess over, that you wish would never end but you rush through it to get to it. And then you want to read it all over again. Such is the case with Broken Wing.

What makes this book so good? The hero is phenomenal. When we talk tortured, he is the ideal example!! I ached - just ached for him." - DK Thain, Amazon user comments

Romantic Times gives Judith's debut novel 4 1/2 stars:

"This emotional, well-written novel has characters that are far from conventional; they're complex, heartbreaking and endearing. Readers will be enthralled by the developing relationship between the protagonists and their passion."

I'll be doing a book review of Broken Wing for next week's Thursday Thirteen. And now - on to the meme.

Turning to page 46. Counting down to the 5th sentence.

It's just past the French Revolution and before the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. Sarah, Lady Munroe has returned to her English country house after collecting her younger brother from the clutches of a French house of extremely ill repute. Accompanying his young friend - the only friend he's ever known - is Gabriel, the deliciously handsome, exceedingly skilled prostitute who saved the young boy from Gabriel's own fate. And here's the excerpt:

"She gasped in delight and imagined herself in a magnificent, celestial ballroom. Lost in fancy, she began to sway to a haunting otherwordly melody that hung in the air, enticing, entrancing and magical. Fairy music, Davey would call it. Her reverie was broken with a start as she realized the music, faint and delicate, was real.

Hastily donning a nightgown and a wrapper, she started down the stairs."

- Judith James, 2008

Now, a-tagging I will go, a-tagging I will go:

Apprentice Writer
Christine Wells
Heather
Mimi Lenox
Travis