Recently I’ve been doing a lot of reading and it got me thinking about my favourite books. So rather than just sitting and stroking my sorry excuse of a beard- I thought I’d write a blog about my favourite books.
I love reading and escaping into a good book. Whilst I love a good fiction book, I’ve recently discovered a love for non-fiction books as well. (And not just because I write them… not-so-romantic railways *hint hint*)
Here is a random ramble about my favourite books.
The not-so-romantic railways
Only joking… well I’m not because I’m well proud of my creation (you can buy it here)… but I ain’t going to go on about why everyone should read it- even though I think everyone should.
Let’s get onto the proper list.
Charlie and the chocolate factory- Roald Dahl
Quite often I describe Charlie and the chocolate factory as my favourite childhood book, but I’ve recently been thinking. There’s not really such a thing as a “children’s book”. Just because a book is written at a younger reading level doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyed by all ages and Roald Dahl’s books are a fantastic example of this.
When I was younger I remember having a 2-in-1 book with Charlie and the chocolate factory and the great glass elevator within – side note, where are all the 2-in-1 books nowadays? The book had a yellow cover and I would read it through then turn back to the first page and start again. By the end of about 100 readings, it was so severely damaged I had to get my parents to buy me another copy- it was never the same.
Why did it get so damaged? Mostly because I’d read until I fell asleep so it get scrunched by my nighttime flayings.
I’ve never really been able to put my finger on why I connected with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory so much. It will have been one of the first books I ever read by myself, and the mixture of imagination, story and characters makes it one of my favourite books of all time, even today.
If there was only one book I could take to a desert island, I’m 99% sure it would be this one.
I could make this whole list of Roald Dahl books so here are my other Roald Dahl favourites. Shoutout to George’s Marvellous Medicine, The Twits, The BFG and Fantastic Mister Fox.
The LEGO story- Jens Anderson
This is a recent addition to my favourite books as I’ve literally only just finished reading it,
LEGO is a real passion of mine. It’s more than just building blocks to me, it really is escapism. I also have an insane LEGO Minifigure collection which I’m always adding to (which is probably why I never have any money!).
The LEGO story tells the story of how the LEGO company started as a wooden carpenter shop and transformed into what it is today.
It’s got insights from the owning family, which is the first published work to feature such interviews.
Honestly, if you’re a LEGO fan, you gotta read this.
Harry Potter- J.K. Rowling
I have a feeling Harry Potter would feature in a lot of people’s favourite books- particularly people my age.
I remember back in Christmas 1997 when I was 6 years old, and my granny gave me a book called Harry Potter and the Philosophers stone (Sorcerers stone if you’re in America) and my response was. “That doesn’t look amazing” – I thought it rather than saying it out loud, that would have been rude.
In any case, my initial reaction was completely wrong.
I was never a good reader as a kid – and to be fair I’m not the best at reading out nowadays either- so I read the first Harry Potter book with my mum and then I remember dragging her to WH Smiths in Selby to buy the second book the split second it came out.
As the books were released I slowly caught up with the ages of the famous trio so as I was reading, I was basically the same age.
I love books because I can escape into a different world and they ignite my imagination. The Harry Potter series does exactly that.
If you pushed me for a favourite book of the series then it would be “The half-blood prince”, just because I love the backstory it provides to make a more convincing main series villain.
I’m re-reading the books again currently, and it just makes me dislike the films that little bit more. I understand that when you make a film of a book there are lots of things that need to be cut out, but some of the things the film chose to drop – Quidditch for example – just annoys me even more when the books are fresh in my mind.
Don’t get me wrong 75% of the films are great and I do enjoy watching them, I just think a Harry Potter tv series where more could be covered would be epic.
Creativity inc. Ed Catmull
The co-founder and long-time president of Pixar Animation Studios, Ed Catmull, wrote this masterpiece of a book about how Pixar started off as a branch of Lucasfilm (the company that made Star Wars) to becoming the creators of some of the best-animated films- scratch that films- ever made.
As a wanna-be creative business owner, this book was so inspirational to me and I took so much away from it. I think I’ve already read it 5 times and am still thirsty for more.
If you have any interest in how Pixar got to where it is, or are interested in a very different way to run a business- this book is definitely for you.
“To Infinity and beyond”
Eragon, Christopher Paolini
One for teenagers and up, Eragon is a fantastic start to the inheritance cycle series and tells the story of a young lad named Eragon who finds a dragon egg and goes on to, well… let’s just say have some adventures. I don’t want to give spoilers.
But if you like fantasy adventures, with huge worlds filled with lore, history and creativity- oh, and dragons- then this is the book for you!
I always prefer books that have whole worlds created around them, and Eragon is a mighty fine example of that.
Oh, and I have to warn you not to watch the movie. It’s possibly one of the worst book-to-film adaptations ever and doesn’t do the book justice at all. I only say one of the worst because the Golden Compass film was also a terrible adaptation of the Northern Lights.
Don’t watch the film!
These are just a handful of my favourite books, I didn’t want this blog to be sixty pages long! Perhaps I’ll do a part 2 in the future. It would be great to hear some book recommendations in the comments.
What to read next
If you’ve enjoyed this ramble then you may like to refresh your memory on my plans for 2023.