Mah Favorite Readz

A quick list of my favorite books - I thought it would be hard to compile, but it really wasn't, which is a testament to the greatness found below.  I also added a brief comment about why each is included.  I would LOVE to know if anyone out there feels the same, or completely the opposite.

In no particular order:

Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

I didn't read this until college, but I was literally blown away by the language and style of prose - from a 16 year old.  If I ever do anything with my own writing desires, I will surely re-read Frankenstein; it is completely inspiring on approximately eleven levels.  EDIT: Ok, I was not "literally" blown away.

Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

I was pretty stunned to find out this book is NOT about pedophilia. Well, kinda. Again, stunning prose and a real thinker. I guarantee you'll come out on the other side with a perspective different from the one going in. Also, further demonstrates my well-known preference for Brit lit.

Suspect - Michael Robotham

Omgah, I cannot say enough good things about this freakin awesome newish author.  Also, I just noticed, my third Brit. Hmm. Anyway, if you like a good mystery with fair amounts of snark and clever wit that is also incredibly intelligent, this author is for you. For some reason, I hate to call it a "mystery."  I would rather call it a novel; i feel like that casts a wider net for readers. Regardless, you WON'T be able to put it down. The only one in his repertoire not worth reading: Night Ferry.

Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris

David Sedaris. That is all. Good day.

Tuck Everlasting - Natalie Babbitt

Yes, it's a children's book and yes, I read it in 4th grade, but this book will stay with me forever. Much like the Tuck's. I think it was perhaps this book that first alerted me to the fact that I am a hopeless "romantic" - note that the word does not mean "Meg Ryan," though modern culture has determined it so - it means "one who lives as if in a novel." Beautiful.

Foucault's Pendulum - Umberto Eco

After reading this novel, I realized I was a genius. Well, I had a genius moment. I don't advise reading it, actually. But I had to add it to the list b/c genius moments are few and far between.

Franny & Zooey - J.D. Salinger

Though I found "Catcher in the Rye" to be a load of crap, THIS book is actually worth the merit. I learned at least one, if not several, life lessons from its pages.

Eat Pray Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

It took me a year, if not more, to get the courage to buy this book. And it was a highly embarrassing moment. I lumped it in the category of self-described "bandwagon books" - mass marketed, read by everyone you know and usually sporting a shiny badge on the front that says OPRAH.  But SO many people counted this book as their favorite, I was feeling left out.  The only thing intimidating in life, for me, is not knowing. I wanted to know why. And I do now. It's in my top three.

The Road - Cormac McCarthy

Oprah has her stamp on this one, too. Maybe I should revise my opinion about her. In any event, HOLY crazy book.  There is a part so devastating and scary that I had to read an extra 50 pages that night just to get past it. But don't let that scare you. If anything, it should be mandatory reading. Sparse, difficult because it's so sparse and probably not wholly satisfying in the end...but brilliant. Just brilliant.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon

Not a book I normally would have bought after reading the back, but I must have been in a mood. Such a unique and powerful novel. Quick read, too. Excellent for perhaps the end of summer, when you're ready to get your winter intellectual groove back on, but aren't quite ready for The Road.

A Walk in the Woods - Bill Bryson

You. Will. Pee. Yourself.  Is there anything left to say after that?