I was challenged to list the 10 Most Influential Books of my Life.
Here goes...
From Childhood:
1. Socks by Beverly Cleary (The first Chapter book my mom bought me.. I still have it.)
2. Little House on the Prairie
3. Charlotte's Web
Junior High and High school:
4. It by Stephan King
5. The Color Purple
Since Becoming an Adult:
6. The Great Gatsby (my favorite book ever.)
7. Bridges of Madison County (The only book to make me sob)
8. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
9. Eat, Pray, Love (right place, right time.)
10. The Hunger Games (the first series of books, I read with/while The Kid was reading them. It was fun to talk about the books together.)
In addition:
The best books I have read this year:
1. Gone Girl
2. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
Now... please use the Comment Section to 1. Write your Top Ten and then 2. Please suggest books I should take the time to read, now that my children are in school. (PS. I do not like books that are too heavy with real life sadness, I prefer to escape into my reading.)
Have fun thinking of your Top Ten!
This challenge inspired me to dig out a few of my old books.
5 comments:
I can remember reading Charlotte's Web together. So great that you are reading again! I have stacks of books you can pick from. Grammy
I'm not sure I'd say these books changed my life, but they are for sure among my favorites. Off the top of my head:
1. A Prayer for Owen Meany
I read in high school at the recommendation of my English teacher and loved it so much. I've tried reading it again as an adult and just couldn't get into it. I wonder why that is?
2. The Help
I am obviously aware that this work of fiction is based in reality but I still can not wrap my brain around the fact that only a few decades people saw it as acceptable to treat others like they did. Makes my heart hurt.
3. The Hour I First Believed
I can't even with this book. Love Wally Lamb.
4. Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are
A long running before bed ritual with McKenna and Elaina, respectively. They will always have a soft spot in my heart.
5. Harry Potter Series
I was very late to the Harry Potter game, only reading this series a couple of years ago. I've never escaped to a world of imagination as much I did with these books. I can't watch the movies only because they can't begin to match what my mind has created from J.K. Rowling's words.
6. My Sister's Keeper
My first and favorite Jodi Picoult book. The subject matter is beyond comprehension as the mom of two girls (or any mom, for that matter).
7. Where the Red Fern Grows
If you want to see me break into the ugliest of ugly cries, place this book in my hands. I've read it at least three times and cry just as hard with each reading.
8. Room
This book is not a feel good read, but it captivated me from beginning to end and I thought about it for days after finishing it.
9. Pillars of the Earth
There is nothing about this monster that should appeal to me and yet once I stuck it out with figuring out all the characters I couldn't stop reading it.
10. The Baby-Sitters Club and Sweet Valley High
If you couldn't find me between the ages of 10 and 14 I was likely hiding out in my room, reading a book from one of these series.
Honorable Mention: Bared to You and Fifty Shades. The writing, grammar and editing for Fifty Shades was awful, and I could barely finish the third book, but let's keep it real. These books are FOR SURE life changing, if only for the time span that they are being read.
If I was not in awe of you before, I sure am Now. I tried to change my life with Pillars of the Earth. Could not do it. Please tell me what chapter to read for the life changing part.
Page Turner (could not turn those pages)
I like the same books Coach likes
Well I have a short term memory these days. I feel like if I sat down and read my journal & looked through the books I've packed away I could easily tell you a list of my 10 favorites and then some. Right now though, here are the ones that I'll never forget or have captivated my attention enough to recommend them:
1) Harry Potter series is by far my favorite. I remember when #4 came out, I made my family stop in Blm on the way to the Ozarks to get my pre-bought book on hold, then proceeded to ignore everyone on vacation until I was finished with it. I never have seen the final two movies, but anyone with HP obsession should definitely go to Universal Studios & get lost in HP world. Also get the same day pass & take the train between the parks that is an unbelievable simulation of the Hogwarts train. Ok, I'll shut up about Potter.
2) The Hunger Games. Could not put them down. Great writing, great series. Kind of a warped concept, but we live in such a warped world anymore anything is possible so it makes this all somewhat believable, sadly.
3) The divergent series. Ok, I'll be honest. I'm on book two. I anticipate I will continue to enjoy this series, but have definitely heard mixed reviews. I could very well be pissed off and annoyed by book 3. With Baby #3 coming in 7 weeks or less & moving in 5 weeks or less, reading has been put on the back burner.
5) Dan Brown's series- Da Vinci Code & Angels & Demons - Couldn't put them down, gripping & detailed.
6) My Horizontal Life- Chelsea Handler. That bitch just cracks me up. I don't LOL at books that often, her's I do.
7)Good in Bed- Jennifer Weiner- easy read
8)The 5 People You Meet In Heaven - Heartwarming, tearjerker
9)Childhood throw back: Matilda & Charlotte's Web.
10) Honorable Mentions just b/c they are popular: 50 (although I have yet to get through book #3), and Twilight...well b/c it was something to read I could discuss with other people and I can't talk books that often. The writing in both series was terrible, but I read them just to see what the hype was.
-Cathy
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