First, the rules: This should be a quick one. Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. Tag as many people as you like, including the person who tagged you.
Here are Pattie's memorable books:
1. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
2. Mistress of Mellyn, Victoria Holt
3. Helter Skelter, Vincent Bugliosi
4. Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
5. Portnoy's Complaint, Philip Roth
6. Mary, Queen of Scots, Antonia Fraser
7. Dr. Zhivago, Boris Pasternak
8. Lord of the Rings, Triology, J.R. Tolkein
9. Centennial, James A. Michener
10. The Lottery, Shirley Jackson
11. Chariots of the Gods, Erich von Daniken
12. Animal Farm, George Orwell
13. The Color of Turquoise, Ellen Meloy
14. Ten Little Indians, Agatha Christie
15. The Bible, mortals
Here are mine (in no particular order):
1. Hawaii, James A. Michener
The beginning of a long love affair with Michener's wonderful novels that combine fiction with history and do it well.
2. Sonnets from the Portuguese, Elizabeth Barrett Browning
The most glorious love poetry ever written.
3. The Clowns of God, Morris West
What if the Pope had a vision of the Last Things? This book gave me a lot of food for thought.
4. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
A perspective on the Civil War and yeah, Rhett Butler won my heart.
5. Telling Lies for Fun and Profit, Lawrence Block
The best and most fun book on writing fiction ever.
6. The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, St. John of the Cross
Painfully beautiful thoughts on one man's struggles with God and his faith.
7. 1984 -- George Orwell
Scared the hell out of me at thirteen; now I think he was right but got the year wrong.
8. Les Miserables -- Victor Hugo
Jean Valjean's adventures in 19th century France fascinated me.
9. Crime and Punishment -- Fyodor Dostevesky
Caught my attention with its radical philosophy and gave me a different perspective on the world.
10. The Devil's Dictionary -- Ambrose Bierce
Wordplay at it's finest. I fell in love with Bierce's piercing wit.
11. Love in the Time of Cholera -- Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Possibly the most beautiful love story ever written. Garcia Marquez has the soul of a poet. I read it in both English and Spanish and the translator did a wonderful job.
12. The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter -- Sharyn McCrumb
The first of a beautifully written mystery series that retells the legends of Appalachia.
13. The Deep Blue Good-bye -- John D. MacDonald
The first in the Travis McGee series that rekindled a love affair with mystery series that began with Nancy Drew. I'd go sailing with Trav anytime.
14. The Metamorphosis -- Franz Kafka
Definitely food for thought in this surreal novel.
15. Proteus -- Morris West
A fictional albeit believable commentary on violence and terror in the modern world.
I'm not tagging anyone. If you decide to take the challenge, let me know. I'd love to know what books y'all love!!!!!!!
Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!
My brain is such that I forget what books I've read and what they are about within a few months of reading them. I enjoyed reading your choices, and some of them would be mine, too.
ReplyDeleteWow - you've given me some new avenues to explore in literature!
ReplyDeleteExcept Kafka - I can't read him, won't stick with it long enough.
I love lists of books. I've added some of yours and some of Pattie's to my own long list. I just remembered a great one by Lawrence Sanders: The Tenth Commandment. It about a detective in NYC and it's funny and edge of your seat at the same time.
ReplyDelete