Personal Top Lists & Rankings

stormyviper11 said:😍 That’s honestly one of my favorite expressions ever. I actually went as far as writing and recording a song under that very title once...
🙏

The Angela Merkel family! 👍
Back in the day, whenever my mom would grill me about where I was heading, my standard answer was always "at Joe's"... 😂

~Autumn said:So you actually think you should’ve read them just to keep up with the conversation? Good grief. 😁

I need one more topic before sunrise, damn it... Just settle for some "is there a God or not" debate or maybe some Beatles vs. Stones nonsense... Anything but Saroyan or Kestner...

I’m kidding, mostly, but yeah, sometimes I definitely feel the void where that basic cultural knowledge should be. Honestly, people judge me way harder for being totally clueless about TV shows—past or present—so I usually just try to play it cool and hide the fact that I didn't even grow up reading the classic kids' books either...

Yo momma... said:The Tarana family rules! 👍
Back in the day, whenever my mom would grill me about where I was headed, the answer was usually just "hanging out at Toša's on the corner"... 😂

So, what's the move? Shrimp in cocktail sauce or some pork trotters with sauerkraut? 😁

😍

I've been thinking for years now that we seriously need to organize a "ball of the washerwoman and the painter"... 🙏

~Autumn said:I was one of those kids with 3 (of them) 🙏 😬

I was actually in the 3.5 bracket—though honestly, it’s not a fond memory. One of my earliest childhood traumas was centered entirely around reading. I remember walking into the school library for the first time with my whole class and picking up "child Captain Grant" because I had already devoured every single picture book they had. Instead of being helpful, the librarian snapped at me, calling me a little lying idiot. In response, I just kicked her in the shin and bolted out of there. For the next two days, instead of heading to class, I just headed down to the boardwalk to hang out... even now, thinking back on it makes me feel incredibly uneasy.😠 😠

My all-time favorite childhood books:
Through the desert and the jungle
The Mafia Society
The Crew of Perry Knot Hero
Heroes of Pavlov Street
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Waitap
...

Back in first grade, my teacher actually called my mom into a parent-teacher conference because she thought I couldn't read—apparently, whenever she’d ask me to pick up where we left off, I’d just blank. Turns out, I wasn't struggling; I was just busy reading *The Adventures of Tom Sawyer* under my desk instead.
I don't even think I could read much before I was six, honestly. But once it finally clicked? I was hooked.

e.g. Radiohead - The National Anthem

Sandra Chase16 said:Through Deserts and Jungles

The only book I actually skipped—honestly, I almost died of pure boredom reading it. 🙂

Sandra Chase16 said:One of my earliest traumas involves reading. I remember walking into the elementary school library with my entire class and picking up Captain Grant's Child because I had already finished every single picture book available. Instead of help, the librarian screamed at me, calling me a little lying idiot. I just kicked her in the shin and ran out...

🤣

And you! How on earth could "Through Deserts and Jungles" be boring? It is quite literally the most beautiful book ever written. I still find myself revisiting it at least once every two years... 😍

vividcanyon2 said:The only book on the list I haven't touched. Honestly, I nearly died of pure boredom reading anything else.🙂

I actually found it excellent.😁

Since my mother worked in procurement for The Voice of Istria, I basically devoured everything in sight—from Disneyland and Politika's Entertainer to Mr. Noe, and I even slogged through Nonic's Colt.
(I was quite the antisocial little brat back then)

Kevin Chavez3 said:And you! How on earth could "Through Deserts and Jungles" be boring? It's easily the best book ever! Honestly, I still find myself revisiting it at least once every two years. 😍

🙂

I guess your favorite parts must have happened somewhere after those blood-curdlingly boring descriptions spanning roughly infinity pages—the ones where I actually gave up and just asked a friend for the summary instead. 😁

Oh yeah, obviously—I was a total social outcast growing up too. Just me and my comic books. 😍

I honestly had my best luck back when I received three White Chickens for some random birthday celebration. I ended up blowing two of them on someone else's birthday festivities 😁

And I think I have one tucked away somewhere under my bed in Through Deserts and Jungles

Look, unlike Sandra Chase16, the school librarian was actually my best friend. 😁 😳 Even now, I can picture exactly where everything sat on those shelves. Anne Frank was right there as soon as you turned right 🙂 and Erich Kästner was over on the left. 😁

We’ve already chatted about our favorite childhood books on this forum 😁

There are two specific ones I’m hunting for. One is that rebellion story—what was it called? It’s the one where the kids take over, but it isn't Charlie and the Chocolate Factory... it had red covers 😁. I think it's by the same author who wrote *I Love You, Mom and Dad, You're Crazy*. Those were always sitting high up on the third shelf, right across from the window 😁. And then there's that other book I just can't wrap my head around the title for... something like *My Private Island*? The kid builds his own little island in the pantry with cardboard palm trees and sand and everything... anyone remember?

A conversation thread titled "I learned to read way earlier than most" "I was basically reading Practical Mind Critic as a kid" "I had the Divine Comedy memorized by age 5"

ROLAJZ

I believe the correct format is: William Saroyan (*Mom, I Love You*)

hollowseal33 said:Well, unlike Sandra Chase16, the librarian was actually my best friend. 😁 😳 Even today, I can vividly recall exactly where every book sat in my elementary school library. Anne Frank was always right there when you stepped in to the right, 🙂 while Erich Kästner was tucked away on the left. 😁

We have discussed our favorite childhood books on this forum before. 😁

There are two specific books I'm trying to track down. One is that rebellion story—what was it called? It’s the one where the kids take over the government, but it isn't *Where the Wild Things Are*... I remember it had red covers. 😁 I think it was by the same author who wrote *Mom, I Love You and Dad, You're Crazy*. Those were sitting right across from the window, way up on the third shelf. 😁 Then there's that other book I just can't wrap my head around the title for... something like *My Private Island*? It's about a kid who builds his own little island in the pantry using cardboard palm trees and sand and all that. Anyone remember?

Sandra Chase16 said:The highlight of my life was getting three white little lambs for a birthday back in the day. I ended up trading two of them away for someone else's birthdays later on.😁

I read "white little lamb" and suddenly this song starts looping in my head:

Little lamb, so small and sweet
Like flowers blooming in the heat

And then it hits me—it was supposed to be a little fawn, not a lamb.😁 Does anyone else remember that nursery rhyme from elementary school? It had this little picture of a baby deer drinking from a stream surrounded by wildflowers.🙂

"Dad, you're crazy," wrote William Saroyan. Car. 😍

"Through Deserts and Jungles" features Africa and a brave boy who saves a beautiful girl. Therefore, a perfect book.

Back when I was just a little kid, my reading list was basically limited to Dr. Seuss, a few snippets from Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and maybe some Mickey Mouse almanacs. Honestly, I feel like anyone who was actually reading heavy literature at that age was probably a bit of a nerd 😬

vividcanyon2 said:I was reading "The White Gypsy" and suddenly this melody just starts looping in my head:

A little gypsy child grew tall and bright
Like colorful wildflowers in the forest light

Then it hits me—it’s supposed to be a little fawn, not a child. 😁 Does anyone else remember that old nursery rhyme from elementary school? There was an illustration of a little deer drinking from a stream, surrounded by all these flowers. 🙂

Wait, didn't that little fawn have a tragic ending?

Still, I always loved that one song:
One brush, two brushes, three,
Brushing away, hee hee hee,
Shaking off the dust and grime,
Three coats of paint, one at a time...

Kevin Chavez3 said:William Saroyan once wrote, "Dad, you're crazy." Car. 😍

"Through Deserts and Jungles" features Africa and a brave boy who saves a beautiful girl. Ergo, a perfect book.

...and a massive dog that isn't intimidated by lions or words starting with a 'w' like bwana.😁

stressee said:I think it's written like this: Ernest Hemingway (I have a book somewhere titled "I love you")

Yeah, but that specific title isn't actually in his bibliography 😢 looks like my memory failed me... I know I've seen that book though... damn

And this island? It was written by an American author 😁

Honestly, I liked Old Yeller way more than Bambi 😳

Yeah, Deer ended up meeting a tragic end 😢

I've actually got some Ernest Hemingway books sitting around my place too 🙂