Challenge of the Book Question Accepted!

Some of you may remember the fact that I am special. I talked about it a lot when I received the Liebster Award nomination from my friend Tanney on her blog Our Fairy Tale a week or so ago. Well, I nominated her in return because I like her and her blog. One of the questions that I posed for my nominees to answer is a genre of question that no book lover/English major/avid reader person enjoys answering. The questions that require them to pick AN book. Because you want to know a secret?

We can't. Picking just one is not an option.

I asked Tanney the following question: If you could be in any book, which would it be?

Well, Tanney answered, but not before issuing a challenge. She said, "Natashya!!! That's such a hard question! I expect you to answer it as well, either on the comments or make your own post about it! See how it feels to be put on the spot like that and go through the miles-long list of books you have read to see what book you would like to be in....(love you though)."

I'm glad that she reassured me of her love at the end of that rant. I was slightly worried. But I do accept her challenge. And I will see her challenge with some answers, and raise her some pictures. So there.

If Tashya could be in any book, which would it be? 

1. Pride and Prejudice, or First Impressions, by Jane Austen

Don't I look positively stunning in my Regency era garb? I think I look rather fetching. Much more handsome than barely tolerable or well enough or passable! Other than the fact that I love the story, there are several reasons that I wouldn't mind being in this story.

Elizabeth is the second of five sisters. I'm the second oldest, and the second of six sisters. Of course, I also have four brothers, so my count does go up a little bit, but that's alright. I still feel a connection with Lizzy. Mr. Darcy is first fascinated with Elizabeth's fine eyes, beautiful and expressive. Now, call me a proud soul, but I have always fancied myself to have rather fine eyes. Andrew likes my eyes, you can ask him. He thinks they're beautiful. And of course, there is the very strong reason that this book became even closer to my heart. The original title of Pride and Prejudice was First Impressions. Our love story is a story of first impressions and what happens when you can overcome them. For more information, please read The Story. 

2. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

I love Shakespeare a lot. I really love this one. It's all about two people who are excellent verbal sparring partners, but hate the snot out of each other. And actually, that might be a useful side effect if you had a nasty cold. But they didn't have colds. They are also nosy, and fall for a trap set for them by their friends because of it. If you haven't read or seen this one, you should. The witty banter and quick dialogue make for much laughter. 

3. Star Wars by good ole Lucas

No, this isn't actually a book. Yes, this is Andrew's pick when I asked him what we would be in. Wouldn't we make a great Han Solo and Princess Leia? I will say that we're good with sass and words. I think that Andrew is better at fixing things than Han Solo, and all of our vehicles get us where we need to go. And we do have a mini itty-bitty key chain gun that makes tiny laser gun noises when you shoot it. If I did my hair right, sewed some yellow stripes on Andrew's pants, and hired some goons to chase us, it would be like we actually were living in Star Wars.

You know what? The truth is that I have many books that I like. I could have included The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, but after the horse, I didn't think anyone could stomach another animal drawing (just keep reading- you'll see soon enough). You want to know another truth? I don't want to be in many of the books that I like. They're great books, but they definitely aren't great fun to be in. For example, we have:

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

This is one of my favorite books. In it is one of the greatest lessons on redemption and charity that I have ever read outside of the Scriptures. A man is condemned, judged, for a transgression committed to save his sister's children from starvation. That man, Valjean, is changed when a Bishop buys his soul for God. Javert is the police man who chases Valjean throughout the years, and ultimately meets his demise because he cannot understand or accept that people can change, they can improve, they can be redeemed. And that's not even me going into all of the details and examples of how beautiful this lesson really is, and why it's important for us in our lives today. Maybe I'll go into that in another post sometime. However, for now, you have to admit that the book is just about the last place you'd like to be. Think about it. The very title means the MISERABLE PEOPLE. No. I think I'll learn from here.

Ben Hur by Lew Wallace.

In the same lines of favorite book-ness due to profound truths of the story, we have Ben Hur. Really, it's a wonderful story. Please don't let that horridly frightening horse turn you off of the book. You should read it. Don't let hatred and vengeance eat you from the inside out! And if you don't like reading books just for the lessons to be learned, then don't worry. I don't either. I don't like boring books. That's why I don't like Virginia Woolf. At all. But this book is filled with adventures and Romans and princesses and heroes who need to make very critical and pivotal decisions. It's a great read. And it's also filled with death, leprosy, and sorrow, which is the reason that I wouldn't want to be in this book either.

I have a lot of other books that I am fond of as well, and I would love to tell you all about them. In fact, my friend Michele and I are reading Oliver Twist and will be holding a discussion about it. If you'd like to read it as well, then great! Reading is great for your person and your mind. 

And, out of mild curiosity, I'd like to know. Which book would you like to live in?