(Books on my Bookshelf is not a review, just my personal thoughts, feelings, and memories on the books I own).
It’s been a while since I’ve done a Books on my Bookshelf post, so thought I’d do one today 🙂
This time’s book is Beyond the Deepwoods by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell.
When I was much younger (pre-teens) I wasn’t a big reader. Though my mum would read tons of stuff to us, and I loved that, I never actively sought out to read books.
I don’t even know where this book came from 😀 Possibly someone bought it ’cause she thought it looked interesting for someone my age.
But I did pick it up one day when I was young and read it, and I am so glad I did! This is definitely one of those books that left an intense impression on me.
I think part of the reason I actually finished this book was due to the illustrations in it. Even when I was younger, I was a very visual person (why I enjoyed comics and those types of story formats more back then), so having the text accompanied by such stunning illustrations really helped pull me further into the story.
This book made me cry (I was so upset at one point I had to put the book down and not pick it up for a couple of days! 😀 ), and it also scared the woozies out of me!
The most distinct memory I have of this book is reading it in bed late at night, and it was quite an intense scene where the main character, Twig, is running for his life from a monster. I was so into the story that when I turned over the page to read what happened, which was also accompanied by an image, I was so freaked out!
I can look back on it as funny now, but at the time I was very scared.
But that is my main memory of this book, of it being one the first books that got me hooked on story telling and making my imagination really run wild!
Though I haven’t re-read it (no, of course it has nothing to do with the emotional turmoil it put me through…) it is one that sits on my bookshelf and won’t be going anywhere. If I have kids someday, then it will definitely one I will experience with them!
Random quote: ‘Massive shoulders, bulging biceps, tree-trunk legs… And her head! It was already immense when, suddenly, the hair- that wild shock of orange- cascaded down to the ground. The transformation was complete.’
Favourite thing about the book: I’m not sure I could pick one thing, but probably the main character; he was really one I could relate with it at that age.
Least favourite thing: The emotions it rips out of you!!! 😀
Something I took away from the book: That stories really can take you anywhere.
Do you remember a book from your childhood that made you feel so strongly? Have you ever been so into a book your emotions went everywhere the character’s did?
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Progress Report: More on that on Saturday’s post.
A Writer's Life For Me. 
Sounds cool! I love illustrated books, even now. They make things so immersive 🙂
They really can help pull you into the world of the story, it’s a shame so many think that pictures in books makes it somehow less worthy.
Thank you so much for commenting! 🙂
What a beautiful book! I need to have it on my bookshelf, too. I think you’d like A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. Its about a boy whose mother is dying from cancer, it will make you cry, but the layout and illustrations are amazing. I reviewed it on my blog, if you want to know more.
Books from childhood that stayed with me? Three jump out straight away; Tristan and Iseult by Rosemary Sutcliffe and The Little Watersprite by Preussler, wonderful stories with gorgeous illustrations which totally captured my imagination. Victor Ambrus is my all time favourite book illustrator. He did the illustrations on Time Team, if you ever watched it. And Watership Down by Richard Adams. Oh and all the Narnia books of course!
I didn’t dare touch the Watership down books 😀 But I used to love Time Team, and the guy who did the illustrations was incredibly talented, it’s nice to know he went and did drawings for children’s books. I really thin pictures can help draw kids into books and at least get them interested in it before moving onto something more difficult.
Thank you so much for commenting! 🙂
I definitely agree with that! But I also think that the standard of images in childrens books is often quite poor, as if kids cant really appreciate them. Not so with the books we’ve just discussed, but they are the exception to the rule, I think.
True, it does seem that some don’t seem to worry as much for children’s books. Putting as much effort into a child’s book will only help to get hem more interested in reading in the future.
You make a great point! 🙂
I was 9 when I first read Watership Down, but I did read well ahead of my peer group at school, thanks to my Dad. He gave me WD and I read it so often it literally fell apart! 😀
I love illustrations in a book also. I’m surprised that I never read this book. I will have to read it!
I’m reading a book now from 1947 (Mrs. Mike). It has illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. I find that delightful!
It’s nice to find a book with a bit of a difference, and I think illustrations can really help with that 😀
Thank you so much for commenting! 🙂
These illustrations remind me of my childhood as well. Though this is not an exact comparison, these illustrations are similar to Where the Wild Things Are. I don’t remember the story, but I will never forget the illustrations and how frightening they were to me as a child. Thanks for sharing Mishka 🙂
My mum read Where the Wild Things Are to me when I was younger, and I am the same- I don’t really remember the story, but the illustrations! 😀
Thank you so much for commenting 🙂
Great feature, Mishka. I loved learning about this book through your eyes. It sounds absolutely wonderful 🙂
I’m really glad you enjoyed it 🙂 I’m hoping that this series of posts will help me look at my own books a different way, instead of just a review. It’s nice to also remember the memories and moments these books inspired!
Thank you so much for commenting 🙂
To be fair, that one image is still frightening, regardless of context.