Ask Me Anything #12 and #13

[orangerful]

qwentoozla asked: What books and/or movies have you reread/rewatched most?
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (my all time favorite)
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Both of these I fell in love with during middle school, when I had more time to read for fun but wasn't quite into exploring books yet, so I just read them over and over.

Movies would probably be:
Star Wars trilogy (but probably RotJ the most of those)
Lord of the Rings trilogy (FotR the most)
Indiana Jones trilogy (ToD the most)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (probably the most recent rewatch)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Little Mermaid/Beauty and the Beast/Aladdin - the movies that saved Disney in the 90s so they were on a loop during my childhood

dontjudgeme said: Tell me about one of your favorite people (that you actually know, not a distant person that you know of).

The older I get and the more I work in the public library and interact with other parents and families, the more I appreciate my Mom and how awesome she is. While nobodies childhood is perfect, my negative memories of the past are very small and pretty fleeting. She and my Dad did a fantastic job of making sure I would have everything I needed as a kid and into adulthood. She's always encouraged me to be myself, have fun, explore, create and just live life to the fullest. And while I may have been sheltered from some of the darker parts of life, I never felt completely naive. She never censored me from books or movies, but she did gentley guide me. She had enough faith and trust in me to let me decide what was appropriate. For better or for worse, she let me make my own decisions and my own mistakes, but she never held it against me either.

And she's still pretty great. I mean, she just gave me all my Star Wars toys, which they have been storing for over 10 years since I moved out! And she crocheted that Ewok scarf for me and then bought me an R2-D2 purse for my birthday. She is a geek and raised a geek.

Cliche but true. :)

And now I must go shower! This whole daylight savings thing has thrown off my whole morning! I was late for things before I went to bed last night. :-\

Comments

[qwentoozla]

Hitchhiker's Guide is definitely one of the books I've read most too! Definitely an all time favorite. I was about twelve when I first read it, so probably around the same age as you, and I remember thinking it was just the BEST thing. And it still is!

I think Lord of the Rings might be on my most watched too. My friend and I have marathoned the extended editions more than once, haha.

Your mom sounds lovely. :)

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

The book still makes me laugh and I have a copy at my desk at work for emergency giggle needs. :)

[hamsterwoman]

Your mom does sound awesome!

I haven't reread H2G2 much, but I don't tend to reread books in general -- but it's definitely one of those books that I pick up and dip into occasionally, just reading a couple of pages at a time. It's a great book for that! I think I was in middle school, too, when I first picked it up, or at least definitely at the library next to my middle school, so that seems likely.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

It's actually assigned reading at our high school now which makes me both happy and sad because nothing sucks the fun out of a book like making it homework. LOL. But I usually point to it when kids come up with their booklist, sighing heavily over having to read some "old book". :)

[geekslave.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you have a really awesome mom. :)

Stacey

[lycoris.livejournal.com]

Jurassic Park! I am incredibly fond of that book too (the film too, I love them both)

Return of the Jedi is my favourite Star Wars film - I love it so much, it always makes me happy (although I haven't seen it for years, my copy is still on video!)

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

The summer JP came out, my Mom told me to read the book before I saw the movie because the books are usually better. I fell in love with both. I think I saw the movie in the theater 6 times and my Uncle got me the book on cassette so when I wasn't reading the book, I was listening to it while playing Tetris/Dr. Mario.

RotJ was my favorite as a kid, probably because of the super-mega-happy ending. I used to put it on in the background while I would play with my toys (well, I'd sit and watch the entire Jabba sequence then when it got to the Emperor showing up at the Death Star, I'd run to my room and get my toy bin and dump it out in front of the TV). I avoided ESB because seeing Luke cry just upset me too much. Now I think ANH might be my favorite of them all. It's so hard to pick though!!! I think it depends on my mood. :)

[ragnarok-08.livejournal.com]

Little Mermaid/Beauty and the Beast/Aladdin - the movies that saved Disney in the 90s so they were on a loop during my childhood

Same with me!!

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Pretty sure I wore out the Little Mermaid VHS :)

[badfalcon.livejournal.com]

My paperback copy of Jurassic Park is literally falling apart, held together in places. And I wore out at least one copy of the VHS tape. I have so much love for that story! :)

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

I always joke that, while I throw away many books at the library for being damaged, my own collection has different rules. My copy of Jurassic Park went on many adventures with me. I remember taking it with me on a road trip with my aunt and she accidentally spilled water on it when it was on the night stand at the hotel (we were reading it together at night). So, yeah, my copy is also all beat up and kinda gross, but it's my baby!

[night-owl-9.livejournal.com]

I love those books/movies so much.

Awwww your mom sounds wonderful :)

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

Sounds like your mom and mine are quite a like. :-D

Also, did try to read Hitchhikers guide, but I never got it, never enjoyed it. :-P

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

LOL I made ALL of my friends read Hitchhiker's in middle/high school. I even met Dave Matthews during a meet and greet and like a huge nerd I gave him an extra copy I had. I have forced that book upon MANY people.

But I won't force it on you! And I will still be your friend, I promise! LOL

[the-moonmoth.livejournal.com]

Aww, I remember being about 12 years old and just reading and re-reading Jurassic Park from cover to cover :')

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

When I list authors that got me into reading, Michael Crichton and Douglas Adams are always the top two. They came to me in 6th grade and 7th grade and showed me that even though all the books they assigned in school were AWFUL, there were still fun books out there to read LOL.

[c-hrista.livejournal.com]

I love hearing about your mom and your relationship with her!

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

Your mom sounds lovely!

[snogged.livejournal.com]

Jurassic Park is such a thrilling and wonderful book. I also adore Hitchhiker's Guide, but I haven't read it in years.

I'm glad you have a geeky mom.

[interchanges.livejournal.com]

I wish I had read Hitchhiker's Guide when I was younger so I could've had in my life longer cause it is so awesome XD

[dancingdragon3.livejournal.com]

I love your taste in movies. Before Frozen, Aladdin was by far my fave Disney film. I've seen it a million times. Ditto for Star Wars. Mr Fox was the only one unfamiliar to me and I'm like the only person not into LOTR, lol.

That is so wonderful to hear your mom understood and shared your geek interests. Have you guys gone to conventions together? You could do a theme costume!

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

oh man, i should have included Tangled! I've watched that SO MANY TIMES since it came out. That's my favorite of the new-new Disneys. You should totally see 'Mr Fox', it is one of the most clever, random, odd little movies. I adore it.

[xfirefly9x.livejournal.com]

HGttG is my favourite and most read as well. I'm reading it again now, in fact. :)

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

It's a modern classic! Still so very funny and very relevant.

[rachg82.livejournal.com]

Aw, that was lovely reading about your relationship with your mom. She sounds awesome.

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

OMG - Star Wars, LotR, Indiana...and Roger Rabbit!! Somehow, that last one made me love you all the more!

And who does love re-reading DA's Hitchhikers?!?! Awesome book. And a pretty good series...

Your Mom is EPIC. EPIC. *Is suitably jealous* I was raised a nerd as well and though my parents had more of a hand in what we watched and read, they were pretty darned flexible - especially when we were really young. Best kind of parenting, really!

*HUGS*