We're remodeling our house, and will have more room than we've had in the past for books and movies. Previously our approach to what entertainment we've put in our library has been pretty haphazard; whatever books or movies we happen to have bought most recently are what end up on the shelves; other stuff gets pushed aside or boxed up. As a result, the 'library' looks pretty scattershot and the shelf space is pretty inefficiently used, with a bunch of books/movies that we never read or watch taking up prime real estate, and things we might want to read or watch (or that we would like our kids to read or watch) more likely than not stuck in the back or in a box.
If you were to choose 20 books and/or movies to stock as the 'go to' library for my family, what would you choose? My criteria, which you should consider apply to a mix of people in different age groups, are roughly: - Good quality - Entertaining - Re-readable/watchable - Appropriate (but not necessarily intended) for children - Breadth of topical/genre coverage - Overall mix of mainstream/popular and eclectic/less well-known
Here are some exemplar selections to get the recommendation juices flowing:
Movies: - Singin' in the Rain - Chariots of Fire - Bringing up Baby - Life is Beautiful - Dead Poet's Society - My Neighbor Totoro
Books: - The Hobbit - The Giver - To Kill a Mockingbird - Lord of the Flies - Tuck Everlasting - The Call of the Wild
Posted by n8 (Member # 13615) on :
It looks like we have similar taste in media- most of my favorites are pretty well known, but here are some:
Fiddler on the Roof The Hudsucker Proxy The Truman Show Casa Blanca Gattaca
And books: Dune (Herbert) Tunnel in the Sky (Heinlein) The Mistborn Trilogy (Sanderson) I, Robot (Asimov) The Count of Monte Christo (Dumas)
Posted by SenojRetep (Member # 8614) on :
Thanks n8. Those all seem like great suggestions, although I haven't read Tunnel in the Sky. The movies particularly are both rewatchable, family-friendly, and have a nice coverage of classics and somewhat more modern fare.
Posted by vwiggin (Member # 926) on :
For movies:
- Planes, Trains and Automobiles* - Iron Giant - Groundhog Day - Philadelphia - October Sky - Field of Dreams - About a Boy - Inside Out
* There's a scene where the "F" word was used quite liberally. But it has a great message and I would not hesitate to allow kids to watch it.