Books and Reading Thursday: Books on my Bookshelf

(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.

Books and Reading Wednesday- Bookshelf Tag!

Marcia Meara from Bookin’ It invited me to do this tag aggggges ago. I’m really sorry it’s taken me so long to get around to it, but thank you for tagging me. I got there in the end! 😀

Here are the rules for Bookshelf Tag:

“Answer the following questions about books on your bookshelf and then tag five other bloggers. You can answer the questions any way you want, whether it’s on your blog, in a video, or a combination of the two. Then remember to let whoever tagged you know when your post is up so they can read it.”

1. Is there a book that you really want to read but haven’t because you know that it’ll make you cry?

The Horse Whisperer. My mum raves about it, and it has caught my interest, but it made her cry, so it will be floods of tear from me. Hence why it’s still low down on TBR list!

2. Pick one book that helped introduce you to a new genre.

‘Vampirates’ by Justin Somper. It introduced me to the world of YA fiction when I was younger, though it wasn’t classed as YA back then. Though to be honest not sure, it’s technically YA, but I’m gonna go with that 😉

3. Find a book that you want to re-read.

Choose just one? Urgh! The Jack West Jr series by Matthew Reilly. Desperate to re-read all of those again!

4. Is there a book series you’ve read but wish that you hadn’t?

I haven’t actually read many book series, and the ones I have I’ve really enjoyed 😀

5. If your house was burning down and all of your family and pets were safe, which book would you go back inside to save?

Probably ‘Today is Shrew’s Day’ by Malcolm Carrick.
It’s a children’s book my mum used to read to me and my sister when we were very young. She used to do the voices, which was just awesome, and it’s something I hope to read to my kids one day if I have any. Definitely a special book.

6. Is there one book on your bookshelf that brings back fond memories?

There are many books on my bookshelf that bring back fond memories! It’s hard to pick just one, but possibly ‘Beyond the Deepwoods’ by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell. It’s the first book I remember getting really, really involved in. There were tears to be sure!

7. Find a book that has inspired you the most.

Most likely ‘The Perfume’ by Caroline B. Cooney. I re-read it recently after my mum bought it for me as a congratulations present on releasing my first books. I realised I was inspired heavily by her writing style even though I read it many years ago and only read it once!

8. Do you have any autographed books?

No, I don’t. I’ve never met an author to sign them for me, haven’t purchased any signed ones either.

9. Find the book that you have owned the longest.

‘A Witch in Time’ by Terry Deary. It was an infant school library that I never gave back, whoops! 😀

10. Is there a book by an author that you never imagined you would read or enjoy?

When I was younger, I was given a book of short stories by Neil Gaiman called ‘Fragile Things’. The book really didn’t look like my kind of thing, especially ‘cause there were horror ones in there too. But I read them, partly out of obligation and oh my word! I certainly understood then why everyone raves about him 😀
I think I talked about that book for quite a few months after reading it, trying to convince anyone I bumped into that they should pick it up.

So now to tag some people!

Melissa Barker-Simpson

L.S.Engler

Kimberley M. Ringer

Lipsyy

Aether

If anyone else wants to get involved, then please do! 😀 And to those I tagged, please don’t feel obligated to do this if you don’t have the time or don’t want to!

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Progress Report:

Status of sixth book: Finishing last bits of planning.

Books read: 0/4

Mid-October Book Review: Choosing book.