If I had to choose my ten favorite books, here are the ones I would select:
1. To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
I can’t believe I read this for the first time only a few years ago. And I’m almost 60! It’s such an important work.
2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy
Such a testament to living an adventurous life, the power of love and friendship, and a reminder of what Eleanor Roosevelt once said: “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
3. The Odyssey
by Homer (Robert Fagles translation)
As the book blurb states: “…literature’s grandest evocation of everyman’s journey through life.”
4. West with the Night
by Beryl Markham
A beautifully written account of the author’s life in Africa
5. Sister Wendy’s Book of Meditations
by Wendy Beckett
Sister Wendy offers her reflections on various works of art under the headings of Silence, Peace, Love and Joy; a wonderful companion when in a contemplative mood.
6. Gift from the Sea
This is a must re-read on our annual beach vacation. Each time I find more layers of meaning than I did the year before.
7. The Seeker’s Guide
A synthesis of the world’s spiritual/wisdom traditions.
8. Any poetry collection by Langston Hughes
His poems are a lyrical, passionate and poignant portrayal of the African American experience.
9. Any poetry collection by Pablo Neruda
Beautiful, evocative, lyrical.
10. Love in the Time of Cholera
by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A passionate testament to the power of love that transcends time
Okay, I know, I know, I have to stop. Happy reading, everyone! (So many books, so little time…)
What are your all-time top ten favorite books?
Holy crap! What a sad story. Congrats on overcoming that hurdle. Wow.
How I would handle it. FIrst, I would get into therapy; that could go a long way to helping you and your difficulties.
Second (boundaries are necessary in life)..when your kids call for advice, I would FIRST ask them what their thoughts are an
Go for it ! Get out there and do something you love !
Use the internet. Here is a site I found.
http://www.bnbfinder.com/positionsAvailable.php
Most B&B are seasonal and offer housing, so you will get a chance to see if you like it. Wi
I share many of your picks, especially West With The Night, and A Gift From the Sea. The book I have read and re-read more than any other in my life (although not for many years now) is “Gone With The Wind.” What a storyteller Margaret Mitchell was!
Hi, Lisa! Yes, I agree. I think it’s time I re-read that again. I also loved Jane Eyre.
(It’s odd that this showed up as posted today. I had actually posted it sometime last year!)
This was fantastic. Whenever I’m asked what my favorite book is I can never answer. There are so many. So I have sort of categorized them: Favorite youth book, favorite classic, favorite love story, favorite mystery, and so on. And even then that list changes. Thanks for YOUR favorites. Most I’ve read but will add your posting to my list. I’ve been keeping book lists for years. About four years ago I had a computer crash and lost everything. Though I backed it up frequently something happened to some of the backed up items. My book list was gone. However, I’m slowly trying to get it back from memory (heh heh heh). One of my favorite book lists is already done for me: Pulitzer Prize books from the beginning of the prize. And many other great “prize” lists. But thank you so much!!
You’re so welcome, Sharon! I love sharing great books. Glad you found my post helpful. Happy reading!
Hi, most of my picks are books that are non-fictional, not all; here they are – 1) the Bible 2) any book written by Joyce Meyer( tv evangelist) 3) any written by Corrie ten Boom( held in a concentration camp) 4) To Kill A Mockingbird 5) The Shack by William Young 6) Fit After 40 by NAVA 7) Bill W. – The First 40 Years, autobiography
Chariots of Fire by W.J. Weatherly from the movie 9) Larry King – My Remarkable Journey and 10) Living Gluten-Free for Dummies( I need to). Thanks for asking. Has been interesting to think about.
Yes, I can always find new treasures in the Bible. I especially love the King James version for its lyrical beauty.
Hi Spiritseeker:Thanks for including the Elizabeth Lesser book on your list. I had not heard of it but as a Unitarian Universalist, it really interests me. I am going to pick it up.
As Sharon Lee said here, I have so many favorite books that it would be hard to narrow it to 10. But two of my favorites (actually, they really work together as one book): “Winnie the Pooh” and “The House at Pooh Corner,” both by AA Milne. There is so much humor, humanity and gentle wisdom in these books; I actually enjoy them now more as an adult than I did as a child. One of my prized possessions is my first copy of “The House of Pooh Corner,” a 1940s hardback that my Mom picked up for me at a garage sale when I was about 6 yrs old.
Hi, Moongirl007 ~
I love Winnie the Pooh! One of my best friends said that one of the strong bonds she had with her husband before they got married was the fact that both of them had loved Winnie the Pooh when they were growing up. I hadn’t read any books in the series before I became a parent. I was so grateful to discover them!
To Kill a Mockingbird is the only book I started re-reading as soon as I had finished it, but it’s not a book I have around. I know it’s at the library if I want it. I’ve probably re-read Alice in Wonderland more times than any other book, starting when I was eleven or so. And I still have that copy, with my name in my childish hand. I have to have a book of Mary Oliver poems around. And the condensed Oxford English Dictionary (the one you need a magnifying glass for, but it’s the whole enormous thing in two volumes). Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads by Bertrand Bronson (but really by that great author, Anonymous). A book that helped explain myself to myself is Goddesses in Everywoman, by Jean Shinoda Bolen. A book that helped explain my world to me is The World Split Open: How the Modern Women’s Movement Changed America, by Ruth Rosen. That’s six. So I’ll round it out with Winnie-the Pooh, House at Pooh Corner, When We Were Very Young, and Now We Are Six. Reciting those bouncy A. A. Milne verses in childhood may have something to do with being a songwriter today. Oh, wait! One more–Rootabaga Stories by Carl Sandburg, poetry for kids who don’t read poetry. It looks like prose, it reads like stories, but it’s poetry all the same. The best read-aloud in the English language–for kids beyond Goodnight Moon age.
Maybe I’m not as well read as many of the commenters are, but I, too, loved To Kill a Mockingbird. A few of my other favorites are The Thornbirds, Centennial and Chesapeake (both by James Michener), Gone With the Wind, Lovely Bones, and Reading Lolita in Tehran, and any of Toni Morrison’s works.
I seem to have missed out on a lot of childhood reading: first, Winnie the Pooh and also Alice in Wonderland, which is on my nightstand now! And a big “Yes!” to Mary Oliver poems. I have two of her collections. I’m intrigued by the other books & collections you mention. It will be fun to track those down. Thanks!
The one book that stands out is Neville Shute’s “On the Beach.” I think it changed my life and sent me in the direction of activism. I also was profoundly affected by “Brave New World.”
Thanks, MaryLorraine! I read Brave New World many years ago, but am not familiar with “On the Beach.” If it propelled you into a life of activism, it must be a powerful read. I’ll check it out.
You definitelyhave a good list and many of my favorites are on it, but there are some differences too. It’s hard to pick only 10! Here goes: 1) Lord of the Rings trilogy, 2) Pride & Prejudice, 3) The Stand by Steven King, 4) Fahrenheit 451, 5) The Help, 6) Mary Stewart’s Merlin trilogy, 7) And the Band Played On,
Hot Zone, 9) The Coming Plague, & 10) Eat, Pray, Love.
A strange group, I guess, but I love them all!
Hi, Susan! Thanks for your list. I might have to go back to Jane Austen because she keeps popping up everywhere for me right now. And now a couple of people have recommended The Stand by Stephen King. The only one of his books that I’ve read is the one he wrote called, On Writing. It’s a fabulous book for anyone wishing to pursue a writing life. I’ll have to read your recommendation as well. I do want to read The Help, and since I’m not familiar with Mary Stewart’s Merlin Trilogy, I’ll look for that, too, because I love the whole Arthurian legend and Merlin’s role. And I did love Eat, Pray, Love and am looking forward to seeing the movie.
I see GWTW is already on this list thanks to Lisa; I was absolutely riveted to that book when I was 14, and enjoyed it nearly as much upon several rereads over the years, so would have to put it near the top of my list. Somebody also mentioned “The Stand,” Stephen King’s best book by far (his recent books that I have bothered to look at are not very good, but “The Stand” is a classic!) Others I woud add to the list that kept me reading late into the night are “Lonesome Dove,” “Into the Wild” and “Bonfire of the Vanities.”
Thanks for reminding me that I have Into the Wild on my bookshelf, waiting to be read. Am I the only one that buys more than one book at a time, then gets pulled into another reading direction, before I’ve read the ones I’ve purchased?
No, I’m sure you’re not! I am currently reading Jon Krakauer’s ( the author of “Into the Wild”) latest, “Where Men Win Glory,” but I keep getting tempted by John Irving’s latest, “Last Night in Twisted River,” and several other books stacked beside my bed which I dip into periodically mid-read, including Gail Sheey’s latest re: Passages in Caretaking. Btw, forgot to mention Irving’s “Cider House Rules” on my all-time favorites list. I also loved “House of Sand and Fog,” although my snobbish book group begged to differ!
You aren’t alone, Spiritseeker. I always walk out of book stores with new books despite the dozens stacked unread around the house. And I usually have 2 or 3 going all the time. Ah, so little time, so many books!
Hi, Buddy & Susan – So glad to know I’m not alone in this. Whew!
Love in the Time of Cholera is on book I labored through to finish. I would recommend it to no one. On the up side, Gone With the Wind is an American classic and a must read. I also highly recommend Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, a book of unconditional love against the odds.
Oh. sorry you don’t share my enthusiasm for Love in the Time of Cholera, octoberrose. Ah, well – to each her own, yes? Or as the French would say, “Chacun a son gout.” I’ll be sure to check out Redeeming Love. Thanks!
My favorite book, is “Anne of Green Gables” I have a copy bound in green velvet. I completely resonated with who “Anne” was….I felt the book was written about ME, and it was written 100 years ago.
Alicia
I’m not sure I ever read this one, Alicia. With your endorsement, I just might pick up a copy! Thanks for your recommendation.
Which book was the one you hadn’t read in — years?? Did I miss something??
Hi, Maggie! I think it was Lisa (see the first response to this post) who said she hadn’t read Gone with the Wind for years. I haven’t either.