11/3/2019 2 Comments The Books That Got Me ReadingDespite the fact that November is usually pretty gloomy, I like to see it as a resting period between Halloween and Christmas. It’s a cozy month, all indicated to curl up by the window and dive into a good book (if you missed my Books to Dive Into post, find it here). In Montreal, it’s also the Salon du Livre at the end of the month, a gigantic reunion between authors, publishers and book worms. Reading is something that I feel extremely passionate about. I started reading at a very young age and I never stopped. My parents are both very avid readers. Growing up, there was always a book lying around somewhere, waiting to be picked up again. Every night ended with a story in bed, and there were regular trips to the library (where I would pile in my arms as many books as I physically could hold). Now, as an adult, I’m always reading something – anything – and I’m a strong advocate for reading periods in school. I feel like it’s so important to introduce kids to books and reading at a young age, so that they grow up knowing the world has no shortage of stories to offer. Reading also helps acquire writing skills, which I think is so important as well. Here are a few tricks to help get into reading, for yourself or for your little ones:
For this post, I decided to do something a little bit different than usual and share the books that got me reading. I won’t lie, if you only read scrappy books with a story that goes nowhere, you’re not very likely to fall in love with reading. Even now, as an adult, if I stumble upon a series of bad books, I feel a little – or a huge – dip in my reading motivation. That’s where good books come into play. When you find a little gem that you just can’t put down, you want to read more, even after the book is over. And the cycle continues. From children’s books to novels, these books have kept the magic of reading alive for me. La Famille Passiflore: Les beignets flambés Geneviève Huriet, 1995. *Disclaimer: This book was written in French and, unfortunately, was never translated. This was my favorite book growing up. Even now, I save it carefully to hopefully read it to my own children someday. I don’t even know how many times my parents read this to me over the years, and how many times I’ve read it myself once I learned how. It’s the story of a family of bunnies who live a tranquil life. One day, when the parents are out, the little bunnies decide to make apple donuts and, of course, end up setting the house on fire. This story is filled with lessons appropriate for kids, like how to call for help and what to do in case of fire. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and, seen from the perspective of a kid, the story is quite thrilling! One thing this book does not teach you is culinary skills. For the longest time, I believed that all donuts were made from apple slices thrown in hot oil... Harry’s Got a Girlfriend! Ulli Schubert & Wolfgang Slawski, 1999. In French: Cinq filles et un garçon This is the first book I read by myself. I was lucky that the first book I decided to attack on my own turned out to be good, and I think that’s what made me want to discover more books. The story is pretty simple; a little boy gets invited to a birthday party where there will only be girls. It’s a book about friendship that is super easy to read and I think it’s a great transition book from illustrations books to small novels. A Series of Unfortunate Events Lemony Snicket, 1999-2006 In French: Les Désastreuses Aventures des orphelins Beaudelaires. Growing up, I read a lot of series, which is a great way to keep yourself motivated to read. It’s great to know you won’t have to start from scratch in a new book; you already know the main characters and most of the story. When a new book comes out, you want to know what happened and how the story transformed, so finding a series that you like and committing to reading it in its entirety makes you go through a whole lot of books with no effort. A Series of Unfortunate Events is my all time favorite series – even now, as an adult. It is written with great skills and creativity, and the Snicket knows how to keep the suspense going. I find that the story, laid across 13 books, strikes the imaginary in a beautiful way. It tells the tale of three orphans who go through epic (read: terrible) adventures as they are trying to unearth the secret of their parents’ death. Minnie Annie M.G. Schmidt, 1992 In French : Miaou! Also translated in English as The Cat Who Came in off the Roof (2014) Even though I’m not a cat person, I absolutely adore this story. Minnie is a cat who mysteriously transformed into a woman and who, by a combination of circumstances, starts working with a journalist who is too shy to leave his small apartment and find stories to write about. The whole book has a warm and cozy feel to it that makes you want to dive into the pages. Years later, I still remember the story with such vivid clarity, I can almost taste it. This book is easy to read and, in my opinion, shows how a single book can hold a whole entire world. The Thief Lord Cornelia Funke, 2002 In French: Le prince des voleurs This is the first big novel I ever read. I stumbled upon it at the library and was immediately curious. The only problem was that it has 345 pages, which seemed enormous at the time. I checked it out of the library once, started reading it, but quickly got discouraged. However, the story – even just the first few pages – stuck with me and I couldn’t get it out of my head. I went to the library again, checked out the book – again – and really committed to reading it this time. In truth, once you get into the story (after maybe two or three chapters), it’s almost impossible to put it down. The story is set in Venice, in Italy, where young children left without a home are taken under the wing of a boy, the Thief Lord. He provides for them by stealing, risking his life and never getting caught – until one day where the whole system collapses. The characters in this story are extremely lovable and the story is something to daydream about. It’s a great place to start when you’re attacking novels because it’s simple, yet very entertaining. The Choice (2007), The Last Song (2009), Safe Haven (2010) Nicholas Sparks reading novels in English, I wanted something that would be easy to understand and a story that’d be interesting. I quickly discovered Nicholas Sparks’ novels and ever since then, they’ve been my absolute favorites. Every single one of his books are beautifully written, feature a dreamy love story and you can always pull out a lesson at the end. They are so easy to read, the words flow like water, and they are always set in a cozy small town that makes you want to sit on the porch and watch the stars. I can’t even tell you how much I love these books. I recommend them to everyone, and I don’t think anyone’s ever been disappointed. My favorites are The Choice, The Last Song and Safe Haven. I regularly go back to them whenever I feel stuck in a reading rut or if I’m feeling really uninspired to read. Joyland Stephen King, 2013. I used to work at an amusement park, so maybe I’m a little bit biased here. None the less, this book is a great introduction to the crime/horror genre. Written by notorious horror author Stephen King, it still has some light-hearted humour and it’s not too hardcore, which is great when you’re trying to get into a new genre. The story is set in North Carolina where a 20-something man, Devin, starts working at an amusement park for the summer. There hovers the story of a young woman who was murdered in one of the rides, and Devin finds himself mixed up in that twisted story. This is what started my love of scary stories and lead me towards other horror novels. I also think this is a great summer read, if you want to add a creepy twist to your vacation. Paper Towns John Green, 2008. When I read this, I was stuck in a major spiral of bad books. I was reading bad novel over bad novel and I couldn’t seem to enjoy reading anymore. It even went as far as me not finishing some of these books (I do have an issue with unfinished projects, like movies that you start but never finish. For me to stop reading a book halfway through, it needs to be bad.) I picked up Paper Towns because it had been on my reading list for a while and, to be honest, I wanted to finally cross it off. Man, was I impressed. I have a thing for disappearances; I love reading about them (when they are works of fiction) and I’m a sucker for love stories. This book was the perfect combination of both. It is the story of a high school senior, Quentin, whose girlfriend mysteriously disappears, leaving clues behind for some obscure reason. Quentin and his friends set out to find her, putting together odd clues and visiting abandoned locations that give you the creeps. Written with a discreet sense of humour, it made me laugh and I quickly couldn’t put it down. The reading flame had been reignited. I hope this post inspires you to read and look for hidden gems at your local library. Reading is so important for a bunch of different reasons and it can serve so many purposes; it can teach you things, it can make you discover faraway countries, it can help you escape after a tough day, it can bring people together... So read on. Happy November everyone! Much love,
2 Comments
Élaine
11/3/2019 10:55:11 am
Love this post!
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Tea and Mascara
11/3/2019 02:59:23 pm
Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it! ❤️
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