Blogger Island with Geraldine Morris

So I've  dropped another victim onto Blogger Island. Meet Geraldine, one of the duo of reviewers at Powered By Reading. She seems quite happy at the moment to be dropped on the island. I wonder how long that will last...

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I am really looking forward to a bit of peace and quiet on Bloggers Island! No work, no computers, lots of lovely books...but there are people and places I will miss so I have chosen books that will remind me of some of those...

The Secret History by Donna Tartt - my all time favourite book, I've read it about every five years since it was published. I re-read it earlier this year on holiday and was thrilled to discover that incredibly I had completely forgotten part of the ending, so enjoyed it all the more.

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving - while I'm on the island I might get a bit sad away from my family and this would (in parts) make me sadder, but also thankful because there's no fictional character more steadfastly positive than Owen Meany.

So, on to lighter books... I'd also like to take The Day I Fell Down the Toilet and Other Poems by Steve Turner -  when my daughter was younger we used to listen to this on tape in the car and it would make us roar with laughter! We still quote parts of it to each other. So much silly fun for children and adults alike :-)

Another very funny children's book is the strangely underrated Alfonso Bonzo by Andrew Davies. This is a story about a boy, Billy Webb, who likes to swap things with his school friends. He meets Alfonso Bonzo, an 'Italian exchange student' who also has a talent for swapping things. If you haven't read it you will not be able to guess what happens from there! One of the most original and clever children's books I have read. 

I'm presuming that there may be some creatures to be concerned about on the island and to help me through that I would take Bill Bryson's Down Under - his descriptions of his fear of jelly fish, spiders and pretty much anything unfamiliar make this a book that I can't read in public for fear of uncontrollable giggling. So, this might help me face my fears on the island, or maybe not... 

I love Nantucket so if Blogger Island is anything like that I would be very happy! I don't have any favourite books set in Nantucket but I read We Were Liars by E Lockhart recently and its setting is close enough (near Martha's Vineyard) to remind me of one of my favourite places.

I guess I might have a fair bit of time on my hands on the island so I'd take Dave Eggers' A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius which is a fairly meaty book to keep me occupied and an roller-coaster of emotions. It also has my favourite tongue-in-cheek book title. People seem to either love or hate this book. I love it!

And my final book is another favourite children's book, Dr Seuss Green Eggs and Ham - I might have to make up my own language on the island for entertainment and who better to inspire that than Dr Seuss. Again this was a favourite book to read with my daughter when she was little (it might actually have been more my favourite than hers, it is so fun to read!).

I should probably should have picked some sensible books on survival, and building rafts etc but hopefully the books I've chosen will be all the escapism I need... 

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Thank you Geraldine for sharing your book choices. I hope you enjoy your stay on Blogger Island.