Before we get too far, be warned — I want to know what YOUR favorite books are, too. And why. Get ready.
I used to be a voracious reader as a kid. At college, I ODed on reading and fell off the wagon a bit. I never STOPPED reading… I just slowed to a snail’s pace. But I’m getting back into it. I’m rediscovering the joy of it, reading what I WANT to read, and telling myself it’s ok to give up on a book I don’t like.
All of which has gotten me thinking about my favorites. I want to clarify that this list is only current as of Right Now. Favorite books are a fickle thing for everyone, dependent on where you are in your life and, of course, if/when a new book bumps one off the list.
So here you have it, the first 5, in no particular order. Well, except for #1, which gets the place of honor…
Why do I love it so? Its main characters may be rabbits, but at its heart Watership Down is an adventure story. Escapes, raids, scheming, battles (YES RABBIT BATTLES). The story is well-paced, the characters well-developed…it’s probably one of the best-written book I’ve read, actually. And even just writing this, I want to re-read it again for the zillionth time. It was my first true book love. Our romance is one for the ages.
“The next day I was in my car driving along the freeway when at a red light another car pulled alongside. A white woman was driving and on the passenger’s side, next to me, was a white man. “Malcolm X!” he called out — and when I looked, he stuck his hand out of his car, across at me, grinning. “Do you mind shaking hands with a white man?” Imagine that! Just as the traffic light turned green, I told him, “I don’t mind shaking hands with human beings. Are you one?”
Sounds fun, huh? Who doesn’t want a romping tale that leads down the spiral of depression! But that’s precisely why it’s on this list — it evoked a BIG reaction. Niffenegger creates this world that you dive into, a world that is at once familiar and surreal. The book doesn’t have a happy ending, but it has an honest one. And that’s how I like my stories — maybe happy, sometimes gritty, but always honest.
4. McTeague
But the ending is the best ending I have ever read. Hands down. It leaves you with a dropped jaw that turns into a grin. I’ve read that Norris actually tailored the entire book around the ending, which he dreamt up before the actual story. It’s a brilliant example of an ending that doesn’t completely wrap things up but is 100% satisfying.
Alright, let’s get this out of the way — Hemingway was by all accounts a prick. BUT. Homebody could write, and A Moveable Feast is undoubtedly his most charming book.
If you’ve ever dreamed of Paris, read this book. It paints a picture of a city that doesn’t exist anymore — and to be honest, probably never truly existed. Hemingway was clearly in love in Paris, and he casts a rosy hue over the city and its Bohemian inhabitants. His descriptions of Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, Scott Fitzgerald and other contemporaries are entertaining, but I think the true gems of this book are Hemingway’s brief, sporadic reminisces about his then wife, Hadley. Like the city, he views their marriage through rose-tinted glasses, and his nostalgia and regret is both poignant and real.
That’s a wrap for Part 1. Part 2 will come next week (edited to add: OMG Part 2 is RIGHT HERE — now with more books!) … but in the meantime, it’s your turn. What are YOUR favorite books? Tell me, tell me (and tell me why). The 2013 reading list needs to grow.
L.D. Oxford 
First book that comes to mind is “Last Days of Summer” by Steve Kluger. I always recommend it when someone is looking for a good book to read. It’s told through a series of letters, notes, report cards & newspaper clippings. It’s laugh out loud funny and “have tissues at hand” heartwarming. WWII is the backdrop and it involves baseball but you don’t have to like baseball to love this story. Basically, it’s a story about unlikely friendships, searching for a father figure and how we can make a family.
WWII AND baseball? Sounds like a win-win to me. That format sounds really interesting, too. I’ll have to add this one to my list!
My Watership Down is Anne of Green Gables. I’ve read it (by it I mean all 8 of them!) a million times and it’s my go to comfort book. I also really love Pride and Prejudice (not real original I know but still a classic and very witty). For your reading list – I just finished The Kid and The Commitment by Dan Savage. They’re short, funny, and easy reads.
Can you believe I’ve never read Anne of Green Gables? I know they’re “kid” books, but I feel like I need to add them to my list, just to be a well-rounded human being.
I was not aware Dan Savage had a book! Sounds like perfect Kindle reading.
Sometimes I think you and I are the same person. My writing habits have been the same (I used to read at the DINNER TABLE when I was a kid). I love The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I forgot about McTeague, but I do like that one. Haven’t read the others, but I am intrigued—especially that first one. One of my favs is still The Razor’s Edge. Oh, and Crossing to Safety.
One of those books you mentioned will be featured in Part 2 next week…
I am guessing it’ll be Razor’s Edge… :)