Once again, I am borrowing an idea from a friend on Facebook. Mostly I ignore these things, but one of my book club friends did this and since I really do love reading, I thought that I would give it a try myself. Here are the instructions.
List books you've read that have stuck with you. List as many as you can recall.
In Alphabetical order:
All Quiet on the Western Front – Erich Maria Remarque
This novel tells the story of a WWI veteran from the perspective of a German soldier.
Animal Farm – George Orwell
Definitely not a children’s book.
The Bread Bible – Beth Hensperger
This is the book that really got me started making my own bread in a way that my bread machine ultimately failed. Because of the awesome recipes in this book, I now happily make pretty much all of my own bread by hand. Normally I hate a cook book without pictures, but the recipes are so good that despite this failing, it is still probably my most used reference book in the kitchen.
A Brief History of Time – Stephen Hawking
This is a book about Physics that is written for mainstream audiences. It is a great overview of various subjects in cosmology that is simple enough to understand without specialized knowledge, but with enough scientific detail to keep it interesting and genuinely informative.
The Brothers Lionheart – Astrid Lindgren
It’s a children’s book about two brothers who have adventures in a fantasy world while fighting battles against the forces of evil. I remember reading it at night in my room with a flashlight and loving it. This is the same author that wrote the Pippi Longstocking series.
The Blue Castle – L.M. Montgomery
I read this one as a teenager and it is probably the least well known of her books, but totally the best (in my humble opinion), about a woman that decides to stop caring about conventions and to say/do exactly what she thinks and feels, with hilarious consequences.
A Christmas Carol- Charles Dickens
Great Christmas reading.
A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess
This is a dystopian novel that takes place in the near future. In describing the adventures of the violent and amoral protagonist/anti-hero, the author practically invents a new language, which is meant to portray futuristic slang but is oddly understandable within the context of the story.
The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
This was the first book that I read by her and definitely my favourite. I wish that they would make a better movie version.
The Importance of Being Earnest – Oscar Wilde
Hilarious comedy of manners.
Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
What’s not to love about Jane and Rochester’s forbidden love affair?
Les Liaisons Dangereuses – Choderlos de Laclos
A controversial and much banned book written in the 1700’s as series of letters between two morally corrupt aristocrats, this was the book that movies like Cruel Intentions and Dangerous Liaisons were based upon (originally set in 18th century France).
Like Water For Chocolate – Laura Esquivel
This is a story of doomed young love set during the Mexican Revolution. The heroine is forbidden to marry her true love due to a family tradition that demands the youngest daughter must not marry so that she can care for her mother until she dies. She is only able to express herself while cooking, and each chapter begins with a recipe. Reading this will make you hungry.
Moll Flanders – Daniel Defoe
The full title is really the best plot summary I can think of so I will quote that:
The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, Etc. Who Was Born in Newgate, and During a Life of Continu’d Variety For Threescore Years, Besides Her Childhood, Was Twelve Year a Whore, Five Times a Wife (Whereof Once To Her Own Brother), Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year a Transported Felon In Virginia, At Last Grew Rich, Liv’d Honest, and Died a Penitent. Written From her own Memorandums.
The Name of the Rose – Umberto Eco
A murder mystery set in an Italian monastery in 1327.
Night – Eli Wiesel
A haunting and tragic memoir of a Holocaust survivor.
Pride & Prejudice – I started reading Jane Austen in High School way before it was cool. Other kids thought I was weird (and probably still do, oh well), but I am glad about the current trendiness because it means lots of movies and adaptations. I love anything by Jane Austen, but P&P will always be my favourite.
The Road – Cormac McCarthy
I know, I know, the movie was sketchy, but I love post-apocalypse stories and the book really drew me in with its sad tale of a man and his son trying to survive and retain their humanity in a world gone terribly terribly wrong.
The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
About a young boy that finds a mysterious book and attempts to find out more about the author, only to discover that someone has been systematically destroying all of his works.
Stitch’n Bitch: The Knitter’s Handbook – Debbie Stoller
This is the book that really got me addicted to knitting. I am a pretty lazy knitter and mostly stick to easy stuff like hats and bags, but I love that I can make something by myself that is one of a kind, inexpensive and fabulous.
A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” Set in London and France during the French Revolution. It took me some time to get into it, but I loved the story and particularly some of its unforgettable characters. My personal favourite is the twisted and vengeful Madame Defarge.
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
I love time travel stories, especially when the various time jumps do not result in inconsistencies. It’s confusing, but they all line up in the end. I am hoping that the movie will not be a disappointment.
The Velveteen Rabbit - Margery Williams
A classic children’s story about a much loved stuffed bunny. I really have to get this out of the library to read to the monkey.
War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
Epic novel set in Russia in the period leading up to Napoleon’s invasion and how this eventually impacts the lives and fortunes of various aristocratic families. It is long, but totally readable.
The Zombie Survival Guide - Max Brooks
It's nice to know that I am not the only one out there that is obsessed with zombies. When in doubt, aim for the head.
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