Cynde, Stacy, and Teresa have all challenged me on Facebook to list the top 10 books that have stayed with me. (Oh brother, how grateful am I that this does not involve any ice or buckets.) I am happy to oblige but not on Facebook because, as you would expect, I can't keep it to 10. And I'll probably comment on several of them. Isn't it just the worst when you're FB friends post novellas when all you really want to know is what they had for dinner?
As you know, I forget most books a few days after I finish. So if a book leaves a big enough impression on me to be not just remembered but also regularly thought of, referenced, and recommended then that's a big deal. All of these books, on first reading, made me feel like I had come across something entirely new.
And now, the list:
1. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Stay golden, Ponyboy.
2. The Trixie Belden series. Girl sleuth solving mysteries and getting in and out of scrapes with her friends. Also, they had matching jackets. Where do I sign up?
3. Anne of Green Gables and The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery. When in doubt, ask what would Anne Shirley do?
4. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. It was the first of hers that I read. And thus it began.
5. Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. This is a perfectly written book.
6. East of Eden by John Steinbeck.
7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Of course.
8. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.
9. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. This book haunts me. I side-eye it every time I pass my bookshelf because it won't leave my brain.
10. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. This is the book that turned me right off Dickens and then 20 years later, turned him into my literary boyfriend.
11. These is My Words by Nancy E. Turner.
12. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.
13. Angus, Thongs and Full-frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison. I snort-laughed my way through this
14. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
15. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
16. The Solace of Leaving Early by Haven Kimmel
17. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris.
18. The Principles of Uncertainty by Maira Kalman. Out of all the books I've loaned and lost, this is the one I miss the most.
19. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.
20. On Writing by Stephen King. His novels are way too scary for this delicate flower. But his thoughts on writing have been invaluable.
21. The Wednesday Wars and Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt
There. Let's read books!
2 comments:
Nice. While we have some crossover, where we don't you have given me a tidy little list of recommendations.
I love your list for two reasons:
First, because it makes me feel smarter to know that I've read a lot of the books on your list. Second, now I know which books to read next. And which ones I should reread, because I liked all the ones you listed that I've read, and I'm pretty sure they could all use my attention again.
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