Hello, dear wordsmiths.
If you love writing, I know you love reading.
Image from Unsplash, by Aleksandra Sapozhnikova.
Facebook recently showed me a memory of a ‘challenge’ that did the rounds a few years ago: to post, one a day, the seven most significant books you ever read. Not quite the same thing, perhaps, as the ones you loved the best – but in my case hard to disentangle the two lists.
My most loved and significant book is probably The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. I haven’t re-read it all that often – though I have, of course. (Re-reading favourites has to count as one of life’s great pleasures.) I’m more inclined to dip into it here and there, for my favourite bits. But every time I see it, I’m filled with joy. I want to pick it up and hug it to my heart. (I often do.)
Yet I say ‘probably’. Don’t I know?
Well, there are so many different kinds of books. The Young Adult Fantasy novels of Holly Black are huge favourites in that genre, and that is very likely my favourite genre. [Sub-genre? Combined genre?] But what about poetry? I’ll never fall out of love with Yeats, or Dylan Thomas, or Neruda, or Mary Oliver, or Sylvia Plath (and how different they all are!). Probably my very favourite is still the Australian, Michael Dransfield. For fiction, it might be truer to say I have favourite authors. But The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is another favourite book – somewhat like The Little Prince, being a lovely fable – whereas I am less enamoured of his others.
I’m sure you could wax eloquent about your own best-loved books, and I invite you to do so.
The (optional) prompt: Your mission for today, should you choose to accept it, is to be inspired by a favourite book or books – to describe it/them, and/or the effect on you; or to retell the story; or to invent a sequel, a prequel or an alternate ending; or to attempt something in that style; or to let it lead you in some other new direction of your own. Don't forget to tell us the source of your inspiration!
And if you don’t choose to do any of the above, we’ll welcome whatever else you care to write and share.
You know the drill: poetry or prose; one entry per person; prose limited to 369 words max, excluding title; link below to your blog post (not just your blog); visit and comment on others’ offerings; drop us a quick line here too. The prompt stays open all week.
Next week: Magaly will invite us to write poetry or prose inspired by the following lines: “be genuine / in life and ink / rebel against hypocrisy” (from one of her blackout poems).
Reminder: If Blogger insists you must post anonymously, please add your name in the text or in a follow-up post.
