Thinking about books

I want to talk about books. I have the Academy Awards on in the background, and it is making me think of how you never hear someone say "Wow, that movie is so much better than the book!" You know why? Because, even if you directed a movie, it could never be as wonderful and vivid as the one that plays out in your mind when reading a good story.

I have always loved reading, ever since I could. I tend to like fantasy because it is usually very descriptive. I will not go on with this paragraph, as I don't want to sound like a Reading Rainbow episode.

I would however like to talk about a few books that I love and why.

The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
I found this series, sadly, after I saw the Fellowship of the Ring. I started with the Hobbit, which I had avoided all of my life for some reason. I guess I thought it was more of a children's book. After starting it, I found I could not have been more wrong. I love the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, but they were some of the most difficult books I have ever read. It took me four years to read all of the books, but I did read a few other books in between to give my mind a rest. Well worth the read.

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King
A funny story about this series and how I found it. The first book (The Gunslinger) was given to my by my friend BC. I think I hold the record for the kid who spent the most time grounded in high school. You'd think I was a horrible kid. Truth was, my father was just a prick and got some sick pleasure of of ruling me with an iron fist. Anyway, that is a subject for another post. So, during one of my many groundings in my 16th year of life, BC gave me the Gunslinger to read. I ripped through that in the first week and moved on to the Drawing of the Three. After that I went through the Waste Lands quickly and hit a wall. "Hey BC, can I borrow the next book? What do you mean there is no next book yet?" I had to wait 5 long years for Wizards and Glass to come out. And on and on. It took me thirteen years to complete the series, and it was worth every minute.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
Yes, I read this after seeing the movie. This is one of the RARE cases where a movie approached the greatness of the book. Benicio Del Toro and Johnny Dep are amazing in this movie. They really captured the essence of the characters the way they were written. If I had to pick an author to try to emulate, it would be Hunter S. Thompson. The way he writes is the same way my brain thinks about things.

Ok, enough of my thoughts on books. I am by no means in any position to be a critic. I am just a fan of reading and know what I like. The great thing about a blog is that I can say whatever I want and not care about criticism.

I want some cereal. Fruity Pebbles.....