Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell

This is another one of those books that immediately takes me back to a time in my life.  When Shaun and I first started dating, we were living in Columbus and I was working as a waitress and going to school.  I got a big fat paperback of Gone with the Wind for a few bucks and was so excited because it was somewhere around 1500 pages and I figured that it was just more book for my money.  I would read it during my commute on the city bus (oh COTA, how I miss you!) and when we were slow at work.  I seriously fell in love.  This is one of those books that just absolutely transported me. It was winter, I was taking stupid classes and working a pretty crappy job and this book was the perfect escape.  I have two pretty strong memories associated with this book:

1-  While I was reading on the bus, a man confronted me.  He got all up in my face and asked why I’d read a book that revised history so much.  He went on and on about slaves and Scarlett and what kind of person Margaret Mitchell was.  I just stared at him the whole time.  Before I got off, I just looked him right in the face and said, “You realize this is fiction, right?” and he just shook his head, genuinely disgusted.  I’m absolutely positive he never cracked the cover of this book.

2- This is a happier memory  That year, during spring break Shaun and I decided to take a road trip.  We thought we’d just drive and stop when we wanted and just do whatever seemed fun.  We knew we wanted to go south and get some place warm, and when we ended up in Georgia, I must have asked Shaun 7,000 times to find Tara and maybe we could take a tour.  He just stared at me and said, “You realize that was fiction, right?”  Ha.  Ah well.  We did end up going to Margaret Mitchell’s house in Atlanta and they did have a fun little tour.  It was wonderful.

Since that first read, I’ve probably read this book 3 or 4 other times.  I seriously love it, which is funny because historical fiction and romance are not really my areas, but I think it’s just about the greatest book ever.

To participate in Flashback Friday, head over here to get the info on what’s going on.  After posting your flashback, come back here and comment with a link to your blog so everyone can enjoy!

I composed a list of my top 5 re-read books. Enjoy!

I read Gone with the Wind for the first time during college.  I had never seen the movie and didn’t even really know what the book was about.  I was blown away.  I loved it.  Since then, I’ve probably read it at least once a year.  I have a mass market paperback with the tiniest words in the world and it is straight falling apart.  I’ve been on the lookout for a new copy for the last couple of years, but really don’t want a huge, monster of a hardback.  This is one of those books that I read something “new” every time I read it and fall a little bit more in love.  Also, if we ever get dogs, their names will be Rhett and Butler.

Another big, 1000 pager that I’ve probably read 10 times.  This is one of my favorite books ever and it really never does get old for me.  I know that it’s totally sad, but there are parts that I can quote word for word.  I frigging love it.  The last time I read it was early in the year in 2009, so it’s probably time for me to give it another go.  Last year for my birthday, Shaun promised to read this because I talk about it so much and always get annoyed that he’d never read it.  While he was reading it, I’d do progress checks with him and when he told me where he was I’d say things like, “oh my gosh could you believe it when ____ said _______ to _______?!” He’d just look at me and shake his head.  It’s sad, really, that so much of my brain is taken up by The Stand.

This is one of those books where there is no real reason why I like it as much as I do. I’m not “extreme,” I don’t climb mountains, and I don’t even think I know anyone that does.  Sometimes the technical jargon in this book is over my head.  None of this matters.  This is a book that I’ve went back to when I’ve been book ruts over and over.  Something about the pace and the adventure… I just get totally wrapped up in it.  I’ve probably read this 5 or 6 times.  It’s one of those books that I recommend to everyone.  So good.  Just now, when I was on Goodreads getting the picture of the cover, I discovered that there is a Cliffs Notes for Into Thin Air.  What?  Someone explain that to me, please.

This is an oddity for me: I saw the movie first and then read the book. I knew what was coming and it didn’t ruin it a bit.  I have read other Fannie Flagg books (and you fans of The Stand will understand why her name is so awesome) and I think part of why I love this book is just how she writes.  It’s gentle and light and flowy.  This, for me, is a comfort book.  It’s like chicken noodle soup.  It’s like a quilt. It’s like a mom-hug.  And I love mom-hugs.  I read this one if everything just seems to “heavy.”  Yum, yum.  Speaking of “yum,” there is a recipe in the back of this book for Ruth’s fried green tomatoes. I’ve made them. They are to die for.

I read this originally when it first came out.  I just thought that the cover was pretty.  The story itself struck me and there were images that just stuck in my head.  Susie showing herself in the sheets, her sister running through the murderer’s house, the hole in the cornfield, and her dad making his ships in a bottle.  I still don’t walk under icicles without thinking of this book.  A couple of years later, the book got really popular and I reread it just because it was in my face all the time and I was thinking about it.  Again when the movie came out, I grabbed it and did a re-read.  It’s really a short little thing and I probably read it in just a couple sittings. Not much commitment and quite a little story. I like that.

So there ya go.  There are other books on my shelf that I’ve re-read, but usually only once or twice. These are ones that I’ve come back to over and over again.  There’s one that I always look at now called The Girls by Lori Larsons about these siamese twins that I remember really liking but have no recollection at all about the plot… I’ve been thinking of rereading that.  I’ve also been thinking of rereading Middlesex for the exact same reason: I remember reading and liking it, but have not the slightest clue why I liked it so much.

So. How about you? Do you re-read or are you a once-and-done reader?

” ‘There are books full of great writing that don’t have very good stories. Read sometimes for the story, Bobby.  Don’t be like the book-snobs who won’t do that.  Read sometimes for the words- the language.  Don’t be like the play-it-safers that won’t do that. But when you find a book that has both a good story and a good words, treasure that book.’

‘Are there many of those, do you think?’ Bobby asked.

‘More than the book-snobs and play-it-safers think. Many more.’ ”

Good stuff, huh?

I was trying to think of, for me, books that have had both. Tough question.

Off the top of my head I thought of The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, The Stand by Stephen King, and (of course) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  Maybe there are more, but these are the ones that immediately came to mind.

What books, for you, have both?