10 Books That Stay With Me

Oops, I kind forgot about my blog for awhile! I blame my kids. And summer. And fun. Anyway, I miss it and want to get back to it. This seemed like a good reason to start.

I noticed a meme going around on Facebook, 10 Books That Stay With You, and I had to add my list to the pile. These are books that I just love, ones that I read long ago or recently, that left a deep impression on me. To supplement, I also listed 10 Books That Won’t Go Away. Either because people just keep insisting I read them, or because they are somehow “classic” or “life-changing”, or because they just suck.

In no particular order…

10 Books That Stay With Me

Great Expectations, Charles Dickens – I love Dickens. He is a master storyteller. The epic sweep of this book along with themes of regret and revenge and the fantastic twists make this possibly my favorite book of all time.
Atonement, Ian McEwan – His writing draws you in immediately. The setting – English pastoral, wealth, grand estate – is beautiful and the main character has such deep regret and love which drive the story. Also epic and grand.
The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery – If you think this is just for kids, you are lame. Go draw a lamb in a crate.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman – I just read it last year and it went straight to my top ten. Magical realism when done well let’s you really get lost in an alternate universe. Reading this is a true experience. So original.
Swamplandia!, Karen Russell – Some people love it, some can’t get past the first 20 pages. I was just in SC staring out at a marsh and lost myself again in this unique and odd story that takes place on a touristic island off Florida.
Watership Down, Richard Adams – I never would have thought a book told fem the perspective of rabbits would make this list, but this classic is incredibly smart and there is so much to analyze in the trials and tribulations of the well rounded, and lop eared, characters.
Freedom, John Franzen – Do not let the length dissuade you, it reads fast. About people that are so normal and boring you don’t even know why you absolutely cannot put the book down. But you can’t.
Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand – Doesn’t read quite as fast, but the philosophies really make you think about how the world works, whether you agree with it or not.
Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky – A classic exploration of the head of a murderer. I read it recently and it went much quicker than I expected. A great book.
The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger – I love anything to do with time travel. The guy has a ‘chronological disease’, so it ends up reading pretty realistically. I did not want it to end.