The Give Thanks For Books Tag

Time for a tag! I've had plenty of philosophical-ish posts so far this month (well, two, but that's 40% of this month's posts), and while I was considering dumping another on y'all (which would make 60%, but who's counting?), I decided to have pity, save that one for April, and do a tag instead! This tag was originally created for Thanksgiving, but I don't know about you but I am thankful for books year-round, so I see no problem with doing it now! (And Christians are called to perpetual thanksgiving so that works out, too.) Anywho, this tag was originally created by Hamlette, and I was tagged by Chloe and Gabby. Thank you both!!

(Oh, and if you're wondering how my crazy week last week went...well, first of all, thank you for wondering, and second of all, it went pretty well! I haven't gotten grades back for either test, but it didn't feel like I bombed them, my first part-time-job meeting went well, and I'm still working on figuring out research for my paper, but that's a bigger thing.)

Praecepta:
1. Thank the person who tagged you. 
2. Fill out the tag.
3. Share the tag graphic in your post.
4. Tag four friends. (might break this rule...)
5. Provide a clean copy of the tag for easy copying.

G -- A book you're Grateful to a friend for recommending
This one is hard, because many of my favorite books have been recommendations from friends! However, one of my favorites that I discovered last year at Miss Megan's recommendation was The Chosen by Chaim Potok. It's the story of two boys in the Jewish community of New York who are being raised in completely different households, and discovering completely different ideas and worlds, but who are still somehow friends. And it's hard to describe, but it's kind of like Gary D. Schmidt for grownups. 

I -- A book that fires your Imagination
This is a hard question for whatever reason. Generally, it's not books that fire my imagination, for writing, at least. The last few projects I've been working on came, respectively, from a writing prompt, a dream, Adoration, looking at my face in the mirror, and a piece of music. But I will say that, as a younger writer, I really looked up to I Am Margaret by Corinna Turner as a book that was (it seemed) effortlessly Catholic in the sense of the characters being Catholic, and their faith informing their actions. I still want to write something like that.

V -- A book with a Vivid setting
The first book that leapt to mind was The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier. Anything that Auxier writes is going to have a vivid everything, but the setting of The Night Gardener, with an old and creepy house on an island next to an old and creepy tree, in the middle of a forest, is one that's described so well that I feel like I can see it.

E -- An Encouraging book
One book that strangely encouraged me at one point in my life is The Bird in the Tree by Elizabeth Goudge. It's a quietly beautiful book about the strength of family and Not Getting What One Wants All The Time. It's has the most wonderful family matriarch, Lucilla, that I've ever read in my entire life. 

T -- A book that Taught you something
I could choose a how-to book, but that's boring. So, one of the many fictional books whose theme impacted me is A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle. Her meditations, in this book, on the harmony of the world, the interconnectivity of humanity, and the fact that loving someone makes them more authentically themselves is something that I think about on a not infrequent basis. (I wish I had a better "this book changed my life!" story for this section, but I do not. Sorry.)

H -- A Happy book
Y'know, this is interesting, because I don't think can be a book that's truly happy without being truly sad, first? Hm. *ponders this truth*. That said, one of my favorite eucatastrophic books (which Gandalf actually suggested, as he's sitting on my lap while I write this, and judging my literary choices) is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. Gandalf's point, which is that it's a sad book but also a happy book, is quite solid, as the eucatastrophic moment is one of the best I've ever read, capable of making small children squeal in delight, and even jaded adults grin. 

A -- An Amusing book
I would go straight for Adventures with Waffles by Maria Parr. It's one that my family has been reading since a year or so ago, but I only picked it up this past winter break. It's a middle grade novel about a couple of kids living in Norway (it's translated from Norwegian) and all of the crazy hijinks they get up to. Which doesn't sound amazing when I say it like that, but the characters are extremely vivid, and there are poignant bits scattered throughout. But what I remember most from reading it is the unstoppable laughter occasioned by many of the situations Lena gets herself and Trill into. It's a sweet book. A family book.

N -- A New-to-you book or author you discovered this year
This year...that's a little bit of a tall order, since it's only March! I've not read that many books/authors so far this year. Oh! But I did just finish Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz, which was a new read and a new author for me, and it was absolutely brilliant. It's a book that, kind of like The Thief, you need to go into completely blind, so I can't tell you much about it. But let's just say that Horowitz captures the feel of Holmes's world really perfectly, and the book overall is incredible. 

K -- A fictional character you feel a Kinship with
I feel a kinship with many fictional characters, but one who I've been thinking about my kinship with recently is Mr. Darcy from Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. Many of his utterances could come from my lips, and his overall approach to life is similar enough to mine that it amuses me greatly. (If I went to a dance in a place I was unfamiliar with, I would absolutely refuse to dance and denigrate a guy who they wanted me to dance with in order to avoid an awkward situation, creating a whole other awkward situation. It would happen.)

S -- A book you want to Share with others
One of the main reasons I have this blog is because I have so many books I want to share with others that I need more others to share them with! And I'm supposed to narrow it down to one? I suppose it doesn't need to be the book that I most want to share with others. But one of the books that I recommend to people most often is The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. What I really want to recommend is The Queen of Attolia, the 2nd book in the series, which is the book that will get one hooked on the series, but one really does need to read the first one first. (And it's not a bad book! It's excellent, in fact. Just not as good as QoA.)

Tagging: Since it's not even close to Thanksgiving anymore, I don't think I'm going to tag anyone directly, but if you'd like this tag, please feel free to steal it!

Clean Copy of Questions:
G -- A book you're Grateful to a friend for recommending
I -- A book that fires your Imagination
V -- A book with a Vivid setting
E -- An Encouraging book
T -- A book that Taught you something
H -- A Happy book
A -- An Amusing book
N -- A New-to-you book or author you discovered this year
K -- A fictional character you feel a Kinship with
S -- A book you want to Share with others

Who's a character whose lines you think you could say? Do you have a favorite series whose second or third book you like better than the first? Have you read any fantabulous new books this year?