(by 8 people)
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What's So Special About Books?
We're in the electronic age now, aren't we?
Wow, there's a question that begs an answer! I love books...I've always loved books. I'm a baby boomer, and in the early 50's we didn't have a TV, and neither did anybody we knew. We played games, listened to radio or phonograph albums, and we read books. On Saturdays we went to the cinema and spent a dime to see a Disney movie. Life was simple, but when I picked up a book I was instantly transported to fabulous places and I could be anyone and do anything - I could fly! An exciting novel was an addiction, and many's the night my mother would angrily yank my covers down and confiscate my book and my flashlight.There's no doubt I'm an information junkie, and computers are my life - both my vocation and my avocation. I live in the ether - if I need information about anything under the sun, a few keystrokes will find it for me. Researching a subject for work or fun is fast and satisfying - instant gratification of the need for knowledge. We've certainly come along way from sitting in the library pouring through books for hours, days, or weeks to find what we need.
So what's so special about books? I really don't know if the answer can be easily put into words. The feel of a book in your hands, the musty smell of an old book, the fresh smell of a new book.....the almost sensual enjoyment of opening the cover of a brand new novel by a favorite author, and the excitement of knowing you're about to leap into another world for awhile. If you are a bookaholic, then I know you know exactly what I mean.
So here I'm supposed to list the books that have changed my life? Hmmm, I honestly don't think one lens, or even 10, would hold that long a list. Authors' names flood my mind - Leon Uris, Wilbur Smith, Alexander Kent, Clive Cussler, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Terry Brooks, J.R. Tolkien, Ayn Rand, Alistair McLean, and so many more .... the list seems almost endless .... their books have filled my life with experiences I wouldn't otherwise have had, and exposed my mind to the wonders of worlds I wouldn't otherwise have visited. But this lens is about making a list - so I'll start at the beginning, at childhood, and work my way forward with a small sampling of the books that have influenced my life.
When I was a child I wanted every dog I saw.......
I think I originated the childish plea "Can we keep him, please please please??"
Lad: A Dog
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $7.99
Used Price: $0.03
Usually ships in 24 hours
Wolf
Amazon Price: $11.70 (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $15.00
Used Price: $6.98
Usually ships in 24 hours
Gray Dawn
Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $15.00
Used Price: $3.43
Usually ships in 24 hours
The Faith of a Collie, By Albert Payson Terhune
Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price:
Used Price: $12.50
My Friend the Dog
Amazon Price: $26.95 (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $26.95
Used Price: $6.99
Usually ships in 1 to 2 months
Riding a unicorn......and travelling through time......
to wonderful worlds beyond the stars
A Wrinkle in Time
Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $6.50
Used Price: $0.01
A Wind in the Door
Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $6.50
Used Price: $0.01
A Swiftly Tilting Planet
Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $6.50
Used Price: $0.01
A Circle of Quiet
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $14.95
Used Price: $0.01
Usually ships in 24 hours
A Ring of Endless Light (Austin Family)
Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $6.50
Used Price: $0.01
All Creatures Great and Small.......
'cept maybe 'skeeters......
All Creatures Great and Small
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $7.99
Used Price: $0.01
The James Herriot Collection
Amazon Price: $56.67 (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $89.95
Used Price: $56.28
All Things Bright and Beautiful
Amazon Price: $11.16 (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $13.95
Used Price: $5.89
The Lord God Made Them All (All Creatures Great & Small)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $7.99
Used Price: $2.18
All Things Wise and Wonderful
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $7.99
Used Price: $4.00
We are all Earth's Children....
though we might forget sometimes.....
The Clan of the Cave Bear
Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $15.00
Used Price: $3.05
The Valley of Horses
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $7.99
Used Price: $0.01
The Mammoth Hunters (Earth's Children)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $7.99
Used Price: $0.01
The Plains of Passage
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $14.95
Used Price: $2.96
Shelters of Stone, The (Earth's Children®) (Earth's Children®)
Amazon Price: $47.97 (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $79.95
Used Price: $9.75
Books That Have Inspired Me......
made me laugh, or left me in awe......
Animals in the Family: Tales of Our Household Menagerie
This is the most wonderful volume of stories about the author's life with animals as varied as geese, squirrels, a skunk, a pony, etc etc., and offers practical advice as well as warmhearted humour. This is my most dog-eared handbook.
Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $11.95
Used Price: $0.93
Malcolm and Me: Life in the Litterbox
This is a touching and hilarious tale of the author's life with a very special cat. William J. Thomas is a syndicated columnist and humorist whose writings on life with Malcolm created a clamour for a book on their unusual relationship. Whether you're a cat lover or not, I warn you - you won't be able to put this one down!
Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $11.95
Used Price: $0.01
Kinship with All Life : Simple, Challenging, Real-Life Experiences Showing How Animals Communicate with Each Other and with the People Who Understand Them
This book offers entertaining and inspiring proof that communication with animals is a wonderful and indisputable fact, and is an unqualified delight for anyone who has experienced the special devotion only a pet can show.
Amazon Price: $13.67 (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $13.95
Used Price: $0.97
Usually ships in 24 hours
The Quest: One Man's Search for Peace, Insight, and Healing in an Endangered World
"Modern man's mystical relationship with nature is nearly extinguished, but through a profound reawakening of the spirit, we can again establish peace, harmony and well-being with our planet..." This is the story of the author's ongoing Vision Quest.......
Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $12.95
Used Price: $9.99
There's a Seal in My Sleeping Bag
The absolutely delightful true account of the author's 8 years of adventure with her husband studying the wildlife of the Pacific Northwest coast. Includes many amazing photos illustrating their experiences.
Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $10.50
Used Price: $0.40
