A Few of My Favorite Books

I love to read.  Reading is my favorite.  My idea of a perfect day goes like this – having the house to myself, spending a little time doing chores (in order to bank some anti-guilt collateral for later), then settling myself into a cozy spot to curl up with a good book and a cup of coffee. Later in the day I’ll add snacks.  Come evening, I’ll swap out the coffee for wine, and maybe get someone to bring me a pizza.  If I could insert the sound of a satisfied sigh here, believe me, I would.

Reading lets you take adventures, explore, be brave, be romantic, make history, experiment and experience, all from the budget-friendly confines of your comfy couch.  And thanks to the internet, I can (and do) have a book with me wherever I go. 

When a book is well-written, I get lost in the words, and I feel what the characters feel, whether it be grief or joy, love or fear. I try to keep the actual drama in my life to a minimum, but a book transports me to a world in which drama is thrilling, not exhausting.  With books, all things are possible.  I will read a book over and over again if it makes me feel good, but I have also abandoned a book when the characters’ story was so traumatic that I couldn’t sleep at night.  And for me, the older I get, the less I can cope with other people’s pain. I’ll tell you the story of The Bad Movie and the Very Grumpy Day another time.

Here is a brief, by no means exhaustive, and admittedly pretty girly, list of books & authors I’m most likely to recommend:

The Bone People – It’s one of my absolute favorites and at the top of my “must read” list.  The main characters are tough, tragic, and unlikeable, yet I fell in love with them. Sadly, author Keri Hulme has yet to write another (but, oh, I wish she would).    

Jane Austen – She may have died 200 years ago, but her writing is still relevant.  I can’t pick a favorite – I’ve tried.  And don’t think because you’ve seen Keira Knightly in Pride and Prejudice or Gwyneth Paltrow in Emma that you’re all set.  The words matter. That said, in case you didn’t know, the movie Clueless is based on Emma, and when you watch it from that perspective, it’s that much more enjoyable. 

The Great Gatsby – again, if you’re satisfied with watching the movies, whether you prefer Leonardo DiCaprio or Robert Redford, you do yourself no favors. 

Forest Gump – you didn’t know this was a book first, did you?  Try it.  It’s quite different from the movie, and had me laughing so hard I could barely breathe.

Jane Eyre - the only book by a Bronte I really enjoy, although I’ve tried a fair few.  I don’t even know how many times I’ve read it.  As a matter of fact, it’s probably time for another go.

JD Salinger – Catcher in the Rye is magnificent, but have you checked out his short stories?  The Glass family is fascinating.

To Kill a Mockingbird – beautifully narrated, profoundly woven tale of racism, love, quiet bravery, integrity, and heroism. 

Catch 22 – if you don’t know what I mean when I say Major Major Major Major, you owe it to yourself to find out.

The Color Purple – another example of “the book is even better than the movie.”  I’m not going to try to summarize it because I couldn’t do it justice, but I highly recommend you experience it for yourself.

Pat Conroy – I’ve never read another author who could write as descriptively as Mr. Conroy.  I would hunt down my husband and read passages out loud to him because I was compelled to share them.   His books tend to be tragic, definitely, but treat yourself to The Great Santini or Beach Music (for a start). 

Life can be stressful, so these days, I tend to stick to more light-hearted, easily-digested fare.  Although I don’t really embrace the whole vampire-werewolf-supernatural genre, there are a few authors I’ve stumbled across that I enjoy, like Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, and Deborah Harkness.  And although I now stay far away from horror, I’m not the least bit embarrassed to admit that I went through a pretty serious Stephen King phase as a teen.

Some more modern grown-up stories that have really gotten to me and that I highly recommend:  Like Water for Chocolate, Postcards from the Edge, About a Boy, anything (and everything) by John Irving and Anne Tyler.

Having kids luckily provided me a wonderful excuse to re-immerse myself in old favorites as well as discover some new treasures. 

Dr. Seuss – I never met a Dr. Seuss book I didn’t love, populated with characters like the hard-partying, trouble-making Cat in the Hat, the never-take-no-for-an-answer Sam, the brave Horton, and the environmentalist Lorax.

Eric Carle – he’s not only about a Very Hungry Caterpillar

AE Milne – there’s just no one like Pooh, and no place like the 100 Acre Wood.  Also, that Piglet is a stitch and Eeyore is the most lovable curmudgeon ever.

Don’t limit your EB White reads to Charlotte’s Web – The Trumpet of the Swan is a treat.

Harry Potter – It was, for a time, mandatory bedtime reading.  But the darned kid fell asleep and I couldn’t put it down, so the next night I had to re-read out loud what I snuck in the night before. 

I am always looking for suggestions on what to read next, so, please, tell me your favorites.