Reading to My Child

One of the things I most looked forward to, and most enjoy, about being a mother is reading to my child. It's an excuse to reread childhood favorites, and something for us to share.

Check out this blog post from the New York Times about revisiting childhood favorites as adultss.

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast

I picked up another comfort read--Beauty by Robin McKinley.

Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale, and this is one of my favorite retellings, although I like Robin McKinley's Rose Daughter even better. (Beauty is for a younger audience, Rose Daughter is for adults.) Beauty is a simple, beautiful, and surprising take on the classic story.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney movie. It always has been, but it has a special place in my life since it's my husband and my movie. We don't have a song, we have a movie. We had a our first kiss while watching Beauty and the Beast. And yes, it was during the cheesy, romantic Beast changing into handsome prince part.

Comfort Reads

When my real life is turned upside down, I reach for familiar books with happy endings. Nothing too complex or deep, nothing too dark or sad. Just a good story that I know will end well because it ended well the last dozen or so times I read it.

Today that was The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (Newbery Winning author, but not for this book). Looking at the limited books I have on my shelf in this transition period of life, I think I'll be reaching for Beauty by Robin McKinley next.


What are your comfort reads?

Books I've Read Over and Over

It's hard for me to choose just three from this week's Book List question of which three books I've read over and over. So I cut out those that I read over and over as a child and chose three that I read at least once a year as an adult.

1. Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
The story draws me in, and the language makes me keep coming back for more.


2. Holy the Firm by Annie Dillard
This slender book takes place over three days--November 18, 19, and 20. And I try to read it every year on those dates.



3. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
This is a cross over of books I've read over and over both as a child and as an adult. I can't quite explain why I come back to it over and over. It's familiar and comforting and fantastic every time I read it.



What three books do you read over and over?