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A look back in time

I posted the message below on this date 7 years ago on the original blog:

Heatwave and perennial books, top 5
Posted at 9:39 am.
The weather outside is Mediterranean today: blazing sun, still and sticky atmosphere (wouldn’t be surprised if there is a thunderstorm later today) and a heat haze is obscuring the mountains. Good day for sitting on the balcony, reading a book and getting sunburned. A record temperature was registered for Reykjavík this morning and it looks set to be broken in the afternoon.
Apparently tourists have been complaining about the heat. I can imagine the complaints: “We didn’t come here to get sunburned - where’s all the snow?”

And now back to business as usual:
There are several favourite books that I read again and again, and the re-reading of some of them has become an annual or biennial event for me. These perennials vary widely in subject, ranging from biography, to fantasy, travel and children’s books. One thing they all have in common is a certain kind of magic that ensures I never tire of them and they are always fresh.

My top 5 perennial books (that I read at least once a year):
1. My Family and Other Animals - Gerald Durrell
2. The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
3. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
4. The Bafut Beagles - Gerald Durrell
5. Momo - Michael Ende

And now, August 11, 2011?
The weather is sunny and warm, with a mild breeze playing in the leaves of the trees. It looks like a wonderful day to be out doing something fun, but I am in bed, sweating out a bad cold and generally feeling sorry for myself.

The list of my top perennial books still contains My Family and Other Animals, Good Omens and The Hobbit, but my rereading pattern has changed, and I no longer read them or any of my perennials annually. Instead, I plan my rereading, often in series, or I grab them when I don't feel like reading anything new and I feel like I need the comfort of familiar words and sentences.  Momo and The Bafut Beagles  have been replaced by other books: Anyone but You by Jennifer Crusie and These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer.
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Jon said…
Drink lots of water, lay out in the sun and fresh air. Take naps and read in between them. You'll feel better soon.
August 12, 2011 12:15 am
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