Let's Go Ahead and Get a Little Word Drunk, Shall We? (Books that Celebrate Language)
/
If you're a writer, then you're also a reader.
Yes? I don't think we really need to debate that, right? I'm guessing that a love of words and stories and books is what got you into this party.
One of the yummiest treats for the writer-reader: books that celebrate the stuff of our trade. Stories about love of language and love of books and love of stories.
Books that celebrate other books. Pfft. I totally love 'em.
Here are three of my favorite celebratory books: If you haven't read these yet, move them to the top of your list!
1. Ella Minnow Pea, by Mark Dunn
Okay, if you don't catch what the title is about, say it out loud. ... Sound like a chunk of the alphabet? LMNOP? Yup. That's what's going on.
... And given that quirky title, you probably don't need me to go on about what a treat is in store for you, but--well, I'm going to anyway.
Without spoiling the premise entirely, this is a thoroughly charming novel, told through exchanges of letters and notes, about a quaint little island (sorry, there's no other way to put it) ... which is slowly outlawing the use of the letters of the alphabet.
One by one.
So the citizens have to give up the alphabet bit by bit, and the words that use those letters as well...
I dare you to read this and not have a renewed appreciation for every single letter of our crazy, beautiful alphabet!
2. The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster.
If you missed it when you were a kid, never fear: this book is every bit as good when read by a grown up. Seriously. I discovered it in seventh grade, and I'm still not over it!
It is a ridiculously fun, extremely clever tale of a boy named Milo, a watchdog named Tock, and a Humbug (oh, the Humbug!), who set off on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason ... a journey that goes from Dictionopolis to Digitopolis, through the Mountains of Ignorance and up to the Castle in the Air.
If you haven't read this one yet, you owe it to yourself to dive into it as soon as possible! And buckle up for some serious wordplay, puns of all sorts, idioms turned into realities, and all kinds of other sense and nonsense.
3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.
This book! Every time I read it, I want to crawl into it and live there.
Like Ella Minnow Pea, this is a novel told in letters. But Guernsey goes deeper, celebrating books and the ways that they sustain us. ... The many narrators/letter-writers are completely lovely--I want to meet half of them in real life, immediately.
This is a story about writers and writing, about books and stories, about surviving through war, about finding hope, about the island of Guernsey (serious travel fever may occur while reading)... and about some flat-out delightful characters.
So much love for this book. Mmm.
So there's my top three! What book-loving books have you been reading? Got any recommendations? Send 'em my way in the comments!
And if you need more book recommendations, here are Twelve Mysteries for Your Next Rainy Day. For even more word love, check out A First Line Festival!
