Which books bring you joy?

gingertop

Mon, Jul 15 2019, 12:30 pm

Which books bring you joy? Not library books, but books you actually bought and love to read and reread.

I bought a lot of books recently so it's hard for me to choose favorites. But all the coffee table books I recently bought make me so happy.

Favorite is "People of the Book" which is about Jewish publishing.
Followed by "זה שער שמים" which is a beautiful book about recent, frum history in Yerushalayim.
Followed by a book which is tiny but so beautiful, it should have been a coffee table book- "Jerusalem, Stone and Spirit" which has beautiful artwork and a very brief synopsis of all history of all religions in Yerushalayim.
And "In the Footsteps of Eliyahu Hanavi" which is about Jewish communities throughout the world.

What are your favorites?

EDITED TO ADD:

Also include books you would like to have in the house but don't because you haven't gotten around to it/too expensive/hard to find, etc.

Last edited by gingertop on Mon, Jul 15 2019, 1:23 pm; edited 1 time in total

Tzutzie

Mon, Jul 15 2019, 12:37 pm

Go My Son.
Alef Shin and it's sequel and the yiddish book that's similar idea and about yetziyas miyzreyin called "Eech vell deech rateven" (I will rescue you) are a not so close second.....

The book Go My Son I got it as a young girl some 15 or so years ago....
Enjoyed it. Put it away. Enjoyed it in camp again. Then took it out again 5 years ago. Enjoyed it once more put it away. And now I've read it like 3 times in the last 2 months....
I'm not a book reading person, more of a magazine reading person these days. As a kid I read lots and lots of books. Yiddish ans english and this is my all time favorite.

amother

Oak

Mon, Jul 15 2019, 12:50 pm

As a kid, I used to have more time/patience for rereading. Now, as my options have expanded, the only books I own that I've read multiple times are the Harry Potter books.

Library books bring me great joy, and I resent their exclusion Wink

One set of books I covet but can't afford is the Berel Wein Jewish history series.

gingertop

Mon, Jul 15 2019, 1:17 pm

amother [ Oak ] wrote:

Library books bring me great joy, and I resent their exclusion Wink

Sorry

I don't know how to word these things but I didn't mean to exclude library books as much as focus on purchased books or books you would like to purchase- books you have in the house or would like to have.

There are books that I like but I don't want my kids reading or I enjoy but wouldn't want to reread because once is enough.

Books that bring joy= in the Marie Kondo sense-- books that you would like to keep around.

(She's terrible in that regard- she said people shouldn't have more than 30 books which is just monstrous.)

amother

Slategray

Mon, Jul 15 2019, 1:23 pm

The Harry Potter series continues to bring me joy no matter how old I get and no matter how many times I've read them.

Jane Austen's books also give me much joy. Those books are well worn from all the times I've re-read and they are like old friends to me.

smss

Mon, Jul 15 2019, 1:28 pm

amother [ Slategray ] wrote:

The Harry Potter series continues to bring me joy no matter how old I get and no matter how many times I've read them.

Yes! They are like my warm fuzzy security blanket.

I wonder if I'd feel that way if I hadn't read and loved them as a kid and only discovered them as an adult, though.

Rappel

Mon, Jul 15 2019, 1:29 pm

Ah, well, if fiction is allowed: the magicians of Caprona. I was recently in the actual town, and I couldn't stop running about, just to see everything. Capronensi populo!

gingertop

Mon, Jul 15 2019, 1:37 pm

smss wrote:

Yes! They are like my warm fuzzy security blanket.

I wonder if I'd feel that way if I hadn't read and loved them as a kid and only discovered them as an adult, though.

I only read them once I became an adult and fuzzy security blanket is such a good description. I love the series so much. I still take it out of the library every few months, 2 books per week for pure bliss. The stores I went to didn't have the full series (I know, right?). I should just order them but I happened to like the edition I saw in the stores here- waiting for them to replenish.

amother

Royalblue

Mon, Jul 15 2019, 1:43 pm

Rappel wrote:

I'm currently enjoying Anaf Haetz, Rav Ovadiah's hashkafic peirush on Pirkei Avot. Every page is a delight.

Is there a translated version that you're aware of?

Rappel

Mon, Jul 15 2019, 1:44 pm

amother [ Royalblue ] wrote:

Is there a translated version that you're aware of?

Yes! I'm actually reading it in English, which definitely helps with the joy part Wink

it has a dark grey concert with a picture of Rav Ovadiah on the front. I'll check the publisher in the morning, bli neder

smss

Mon, Jul 15 2019, 2:27 pm

gingertop wrote:

You MUST try the versions illustrated by Jim Kay (see if your library has!). The pictures are breathtakingly gorgeous.

amother

Slategray

Mon, Jul 15 2019, 2:38 pm

smss wrote:

Yes! They are like my warm fuzzy security blanket.

I wonder if I'd feel that way if I hadn't read and loved them as a kid and only discovered them as an adult, though.

Perfectly apt description! It is indeed a warm fuzzy security blanket! I actually have two sets. The hardcover originals, that I had as a kid (I bought each one as it came out), and a paperback set. The paperback set is for my kids, because I don't want my old set getting more worn and damaged than it already is. I still read my originals though, when I go for a re-read 😀

dee's mommy

Mon, Jul 15 2019, 3:20 pm

gingertop wrote:

Books that bring joy= in the Marie Kondo sense-- books that you would like to keep around.

(She's terrible in that regard- she said people shouldn't have more than 30 books which is just monstrous.)

Nope. She never said that. Marie Kondo does not put a limit on how many books or anything else one "should own." What she did say, was that she personally, for her own library prefers to keep it between 30 and 100 books. (That's in one of her books.)

https://www.wsj.com/articles/m.....08700

Cheshire cat

Mon, Jul 15 2019, 3:38 pm

Oooohhhh, go my son. Also read it as a kid, and revisit it every few years.

Growing with my children by Sarah Shapiro was my bedside Bible for a few years. I identified so closely with her experiences. I also always enjoy her "our lives" anthologies.

amother

Green

Mon, Jul 15 2019, 4:43 pm

I think the official term for this is "literary comfort" books, lol. Go on almost any book forum/message board and you will see this topic has been discussed and there are the same usual series or authors that people tend to list, usually books that were first read as a preteen or teen.
I have a few, but I'll just give one series here: the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace, plus her 2 stand alone Deep Valley books, Emily of Deep Valley and Carney's House Party.