My Woobie Books

At some point you may have had a woobie. It could have been a stuffed animal or a dingy blanket that was nearly eaten by "Jaws".

I have one. I didn't acquire it until I was married but it's my woobie. It’s a beautiful quilt Steve's grandmother made for us. In California, I would wrap up in it on chilly Winter evenings watching a good movie or reading a good book. I don't get to snuggle with my quilt so much in Florida but it's still my woobie.

And it’s not just my quilt that’s my woobie; I also have books that are my woobie. They are my favorite books that I can just wrap myself up with and feel comfortable and secure as I read. It's a book I can open at any page and start reading, knowing what has happened and what will happen next and still feel the rush of excitement while I read the adventure. I still care about these characters and events. They feel like old friends.

I had a big stack of books I thought were my Woobie Books. They were books I've read more than once and will read again; books that I really really love. But as I started to think about it more, it wasn't just about how many times I've read these books. It was how I really felt about them and how they have affected me. So the stack shrank until it became just these three books:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper
Redwall by Brian Jacques

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was the one book I went to get at midnight. I was a late bloomer when it came to Pottermania. I didn’t start reading the books until after the third movie. I loved the third movie so much, and my sister had already told me so much of the story, I decided that I should see for myself what all the fuss was about. By that time, there were six books released so I only experienced the excitement of waiting for the last book and it’s this one that has become my favorite.

The Dark Is Rising. I read this one because of the movie and as we all know, most movie adaptations of books are not all that great. So I had to read the book first so I could say, “Hey, that’s now how it goes in the book!” while I watch the movie. It's a YA novel but written in a more mature style compared to most that have been written recently. And it's about a boy who is very solemn and mature for his age. His family looks upon him as an "old soul". He feels very genuine and real despite being the last of the Old Ones, a group of immortals who protect humanity from The Dark.

Redwall is the book I've known the longest. I discovered it in my Jr. High library and the cover called to me. I've read it at least three or four times since and I still think about Matthias and his fight to rid Redwall of Cluny the Scourge. “Tell the devil Cluny sent you, Skullface!” After reading that line I was hooked.

These books are a bit dark and ruthless. But they also portray themes of loyalty, honor and friendship that I love. These heroes really can’t get along without a little help from their friends. They may feel alone at times but they're not.

Am I too old for these books? Maybe. Do I care? No. Will I give up my woobies? Hell, no! I love them and I will always go back to read them and one day, Venessa and I will read them together. And as I read more and more, I hope to discover more woobies!

Photo courtesy of Steve Nakatani Photography