Your favorite books

In the spirit of my post a few days ago and as a variation on a theme by Rodgers and Hammerstein, I’d like to ask y’all what your favorite books are. You can list as many or as few books as you want. If you want to go into detail on why you like them, great; if not, that’s fine, too. If you’d rather list an author instead (meaning the bulk of what he or she wrote), that’s totally legit. Let’s say that the scriptures don’t count, since they’re rather a given for most of us. You can list fiction or nonfiction or anything in between. And we’ll all understand that the lists are not complete, since it’s awfully hard to remember all the books you’ve read and liked. Consider this a group to-read list. :)

So, in no particular order:

1. The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis. I love Lewis’s portrayal of heaven. Sure, it’s speculation as he says, but it really resonates with me, and I’m sure it’ll have an effect on my novel.

2. Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. While reading this I felt like I myself had murdered someone, and I walked around with guilt sitting on me for weeks, but it was worth it in the end.

3. Diana Wynne Jones. I discovered her just before Christmas break and have been delightedly reading her books since then. I’m nearing the end of Fire and Hexwood right now. I’m so glad she has written lots of books. :)

4. The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper. I’m a sucker for Welsh fantasy.

5. Bonds That Make Us Free, by C. Terry Warner. He’s a philosophy professor here at BYU, and this is a must-read for everyone.

6. Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery. I have a huge crush on Anne. If anyone ever figures out how to bring literary characters to life, let me know. ;)

7. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. The wit of Miss Jane is hard to beat. If I die single, then I’m hoping she’s still single, too. (She died single, at any rate, but who knows what might have happened since then.) :P

Seven’s a perfect number, so I’ll leave it at that for now. :) Now it’s your turn! Oh, and it’s okay to list books others have already listed.

Ben,

I absolutely concur with The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. Also, Team of Rivals by Doris Goodwin Keene (about Abraham Lincoln’s Cabinet). It truly teaches some more amazing character traits of a beloved President. It’s a long book, but worth it. For a shorter book, also compelling, Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. I had no idea that he instituted so many systems that the Western World finally figured out seven or eight centuries later. It really ought to be a required read, and it is much faster and shorter. Finally, a comment on Jane Austen. All of her books are good, and you can purchase them in one book. What a great way to spend the day!

Mmm, both the Lincoln and the Genghis Khan book look fascinating. (And length is no obstacle. :)) Thanks! I haven’t been reading enough history lately… Sitting on my desk, actually, is a library copy of Weems’ Life of Washington, which Lincoln reportedly read all the time (along with the Bible). Reminds me of Lincoln’s saying: “The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who’ll get me a book I ain’t read.” And yes, I try to go on a “date” with Jane at least once a week. :)

1. Jesus the Christ. Awesome.

2. 1984. I think I said enough about this one on the other thread. :)

3. Kingdom and the Crown series by Gerald Lund. Made the Savior come alive to me.

4. Prophecy: Key to the Future. Awesome compilation of scriptures and quotes pertaining to the last days. Great study resource.

5. Awakening to our Awful Situation. Such a great explanation for LDS people as to what secret combinations in our day are, and what our responsibility as members is in that regard.

6. Six Events. Covey at his best, as always. He breaks the restoration of the gospel into six parts (that logically make perfect sense) and shows how they apply to every type of interpersonal interaction in life, be it marriage, home teaching, or basic friendship.

7. What Would a Patriot Do. Anybody who thinks President Bush is a good president needs to read this (120 page, $4 on amazon.com) book. Seriously.

8. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. An interesting look into the lives of the founding fathers and their generation.

In not much of a particular order:

1. The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoyevsky. The book that made me believe that man is naturally good.

2. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh. More than just a panegyric for a past age, but a testimony of the position of faith as the only salvation in the modern world. Also some of the most beautiful prose ever produced.

3. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson. For the same reasons as Brideshead Revisted, yet set in Iowa rather than 1920s-30s England.

4. The Book Against God. My favorite literary critic–James Wood–attempts to prove that God doesn’t exist, and although he can’t admit His existence explicitly, cannot deny it fully, either.

5. Confessions, Augustine. Extraordinary in terms of its literary prowess, its psychological depth, and its spiritual and philosophical brilliance.

6. Piers Plowman, William Langland. If you ever thought that medieval allegory was dull and staid, chances are this won’t sway your opinion. But that moment when Piers rips the pardon…

7. The Master and Margarita, Bulgakov. Satan visits Moscow with a naked witch and an enormous black cat in tow. Interspersed with the telling of the Pontius Pilate story by a 20th century Russian Faust. It’s difficult to get any funnier.

8. John Donne. Greatest poet to have ever written in the English language.

9. Shakespeare.

10. Baudelaire. One of the greatest poets in the French language.

11. The Dream of the Rood, anonymous.

12. Persuasion, Jane Austen. I find it to be her most heartfelt and most profound book.

13. (almost done) Roald Dahl. All of it.

14. Beowulf, anonymous. An extraordinary rendering of the inevitable pain and emptiness of death.

15. Rilke. Some of the best poetry ever written in German.

(I had to make it to 15, or my ocd would kick in and I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.)

a side note, since i can never stop recommending books to you, it seems. i think that you would highly enjoy jonathan strange and mr. norrell, by susanna clarke.
just, you know, in case you ever have time.

the little prince. over and over again.

First of all, I must concur with Anna on Roald Dahl–he is an inspiring man for children and people who still have children inside of them. His words jump off the page into the heart of the reader (which is true of all of these great authors).

I don’t have time or decision-making skills to even attempt a longer list, but I couldn’t let the opportunity go by without mentioning my other childhood favorite (I do read beyond children’s literature occasionally!): The Last of the Really Great Wangdoodles.

It is by Julie Edwards (Julie Andrews’ married name) and although upon a more recent reading I found it to be quite a bit more moralistic than I remembered, I didn’t mind one bit and was delighted to rediscover my old friend.

Also, I get to put my plug in for The Magician’s Nephew–one of the unsung heros of the Narnia tales.

Lastly, thanks Ben. This is a great resource for expanding my reading horizons after graduation.

1) my all time favorite is Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Its the best character development I’ve ever read.

2) I’m reading Notes from Underground by Dostoevsky. I didn’t think I’d like it, but it is another narrative that reminds me of a Salinger style. Its pretty good.

3) Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Not only for the religious enlightenment (which, by the way, is the most influential book I’ve read. I’ve grown up with the scriptures my whole life, so I haven’t been able to see what they’ve done for me), but because you can really get an idea of what he was like and how he dealt with running a church.

4) Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad just because it is so awesome and he was a native polish speaker writing in english. That’s hard core.

5) Franny and Zooey and Nine Stories, also by J.D. Salinger.

6) John Steinbeck. Tortilla flats and grapes of wrath.

7) Guts by Gary Paulsen. I read it over christmas break, it’s just a short autobiography explaining where he got the events for hatchet and Brian’s Winter. It’s cool though.

Where to start? And, sadly, I think so many books have the potential to be my favorites, if I just had time to read them. These are in no particular order, I think.

1. Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Not only a dystopian (one of my favorite kinds of stories) or a response to McCarthyism (one of the most fascinating parts of US history, in my opinion), but puts my deep-down passion for books into words, and poetic ones at that.

2. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. Okay, so this is technically a play, but it’s definitely one of my favorite works of literature.

3. C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia. I enjoyed these when I was a kid and they were just good stories, and I enjoy them now as an adult when I see the Christian themes woven into the fabric.

4. Bridge to Terabithia (can’t remember the author). What can I say? This book made me cry.

5. I have always loved the stories of James Herriot, the English veterinarian.

6. Michael Crichton’s Timeline. The book is way better than the movie.

7. John Grisham’s The Pelican Brief. Good story.

8. Most of Sharon Shinn’s stuff is pretty good. The whole Archangel series is great, and I also really like one of her stand-alones, Summers at Castle Auburn. They’re all science fiction/fantasy, but she deals a lot with class issues, I have noticed (women’s roles, slavery, etc.). It fits into the whole science fiction/fantasy paradigm that if you stick humans in a different time, planet, etc., they’ll still make the same mistakes and have the same problems.

9. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Of course.

10. J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. Gotta love teen angst.

11. Barbara Kingsolver’s The Bean Trees. You love the complex but down-to-earth people in it, and Kingsolver’s descriptions of an otherwise normal world are magical.

12. Bettie Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Once again, you love the people and the stories that make up who they are.

13. Terry Dearie’s Horrible Histories are great fun. I think The Vile Victorians is my favorite.

Thirteen. Wonder what that means.

Hi Ben! I am the former Elder Lott’s sister. *Hand shake.* It is nice to meet you or, rather, to read your blogs and such. You have a splendid way with words and some interesting things to say. I love it!

Anyways…

All of the mentioned books sound wonderful. Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I really do need to read more. If only there were enough hours in the day. Okay, so 24 hours is probably enough. I simply choose to use my free time in other ways. My music and schooling take precedence, these days. I shall have to whip out my monstrous “need to read” list, here soon, and endeavor to cross off a few titles. It has been awhile and my imagination is in need of a workout.

Books I recommend go as follows:

~ The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
~ The Work and the Glory Series by Gerald Lund
~ The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling
~ The Anne of Green Gables Series by L.M. Montgomery
~ The Ender’s Game/Shadow series by Orson Scott Card
~ Peter Pan J.M.Berry
~ The Little White Bird by J.M.Berry
~ The Lord of the Rings By J.R.R Tolkien
~ Rocket Boys Homer Hickem
~ The Farthest Away Mountain by Reid-Banks
~ Most things written by Jane Austen
~ Sarah Plain and Tall series by Patricia MacLachlan
~ The Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingles Wilder
~ The Little Women series by Louisa May Alcott
~ Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
~ The Eye of the Storm by John H. Groberg
~ The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
~ The Red Wall series by Brian Jacques
~ The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall
~ The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids books by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones
~ Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith
~ The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner
~ Hank the Cow Dog books by John R. Erickson
~ Shilo and Saving Shilo by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
~ Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
~ The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox
~ Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
~ The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli
~ Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
~ Love that Dog by Sharon Creech
~ Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
~ The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede
~ The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
~ In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
~ Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn by Mark Twain
~ The Grimm Fairytales
~ The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
~ The People’s Pianist: Wladimir Jan Kochanski
~ etc. :)

Thanks, everyone! This is like Christmas. :) I am so glad I’m graduating next month, because I’ll actually have enough time to read. No more homework. Ah, bliss… :) Anyway, y’all’s suggestions are great and I look forward to reading them. If anyone else would like to chip in, feel free.

Oh, and welcome, Linda, Bethany, different chris, Haley, and Brooke. :)

Finally–I have my list of favorite books. They start from farthest back to most recent.

1. Nancy Drew books (I don’t know what I’d think of them now!)

2. The Black Stallion series by Walter Farley. Mmm, Arabian horses are the best!

3. Lad, A Dog and others by Albert Payson Terhune. Collies are the best, too!

4. Magnificent Obsession and others by Lloyd C. Douglas.

5. Les Miserables and Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo.

6. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.

7. Little Women and others by Louisa May Alcott.

8. Charles Dickens. I’ve read a lot of his books. My favorite is David Copperfield.

9. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

10. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.

11. Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.

12. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

13. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

14. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

15. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury and about three other books by him.

16. The Chosen and The Promise by Chaim Potok

17. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom.

18. All Creatures Great and Small and five others by James Herriot. ‘Must-reads’ for animal lovers!

19. Anne of Green Gables and The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery.

20. Madeleine L ‘Engle, several by her.

Now for the final more recent books:

21. J.K. Rowling–Harry Potter.

22. Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. I still have a couple to go. It sounds like that last one is really a good one. Sure could use a couple more hours each day!

23. Go Forward With Faith Biography of Gordon B. Hinkley by Sheri Dew.

24. A Disciple’s Life, Biography of Neal A. Maxwell by Bruce
Hafen.

25. The Bruce R. McConkie Story by Joseph McConkie–I really liked these three biographies. I hadn’t gotten into that type of book much. I loved learning from their examples.

26. With Malice Toward None The Life of Abraham Lincoln. My sister sent me this book in January 2006. After a lifetime of thinking of history as boring (with the exception of family history, that is) I immediately read more than a dozen other history books, discovering David McCullough along the way.

27. David McCullough: 1776, John Adams, Mornings on Horseback, Truman, in order of reading. Excellent!! I’m ready for another biography one from him!

I’m excited to read the one you mentioned, Ben: The Life of Washington by Weems and also one mentioned by Linda: Team of Rivals.

28. In progress, Lord of the Rings. I’d say it was about time I got around to reading this. It’s proving to be very good. Once in a while it’s a little long-winded–too much geography–but as my four-year-old granddaughter, Madalin, likes to say, “I can deal with it!” Mmm, I’m looking forward to seeing the movies again after the reading!!

It’s been fun going back in time. Thanks Ben!

Thanks for your list! Seriously, reading book lists like these is like a feast in miniature. (And then when I actually go and read the books, the feast becomes gigantic. And positively scrumptious. :)) I’ve wanted to start reading more biographies — I used to read a ton of them as a kid, but lately I haven’t read much.

I’m glad you’re enjoying Lord of the Rings. Some don’t like Tolkien’s style, but I really do. As for the long-winded parts, the key is to realize that Tolkien was writing myth, something like the sagas or the Greek and Roman myths in a way — in other words, it’s supposed to have somewhat of a feel of antiquity, and the long-windedness helps (in my mind) to create that feeling. I see it as being part and parcel of the atmosphere of the book. If you want short chapters, go find a Dan Brown novel, I say. :)

[…] This morning I came across a great post by Michael Drout, called Children of Húrin or, Tolkien: The Scholars and the Critics. It’s a brilliant response to Bryan Appleyard’s review of The Children of Húrin, and it does a much better job at expressing what I tried to say in a comment a few days ago. […]