Earlier, I compiled a list of my 50 top movies (which I've already revised a few times!) I was recently challenged to compile a similar list of books, which actually has proven to be more of a challenge. I've been adding and subtracting for a couple of weeks and I'm sure I'll do more of it in the future but I'm pretty comfortable with the following list. You may notice that I've cheated a few times and have included a title that actually represents all of the works of authors I like. Here's the list in alphabetical order.
3 Cups of Tea (incredible difference one man can make)
7 Habits of Highly Effective People (I followed it for a few years anyway!)
A Prayer for Owen Meany (representing all of John Irvings books)
All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten (I love all Fulgham books)
And Then There Were None (just using this title to represent Christie books)
Angela's Ashes (humor, compassion, and poverty)
Animal Farm (high school requirement. first example of the power of allegory)
Atlas Shrugged (I have problems with Rand but recognize the importance of her work)
Big Rock Candy Mountain (Stegner is a great writer)
Call of the Wild (perfect book for a teen boy)
Charlotte's Web (tears for a spider)
Cold Mountain (civil war love story)
Crime and Punishment (stream of consciousness look into the mind)
Dancing at the Rascal Fair (Ivan Doig should be more famous)
Dandelion Wine (Ray Bradbury is one of my favorite authors. He's not just sci fi)
Everything is Illuminated (3 expertly written interconnected stories)
Freakonomics (I look at trends and statistics a different way after reading this)
Great Gatsby (classic that I've reread a few times)
Green Eggs and Ham (Thank-you, Thank-you, Sam I am)
Hardy Boys Mysteries (same plot told 50 different times. But I read them all)
Harry Potter series (popular for a reason)
Hawaii (all of Micheners books) (Centennial, Chesapeake, Texas, The Source, Alaska)
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (the human condition)
How to Win Friends and Influence People (all improvement books are versions of this)
Into Thin Air (excellent research)
In Cold Blood (thought Capote was just famous for being famous until I read this.)
Jonathon Livingston Seagull (Don't want to reread, but it was inspirational at 15)
Last Lecture (Inspiring)
Life of Pi (most unusual plot)
Lonesome Dove (very best western ever)
Lord of the Rings (The Trilogy plus The Hobbit)
Louis LaMour (same plot over and over but I read them all as a teen)
Mans Search For Meaning (life changing)
My Friend Flicka (my first novel)
Ode to Billy Joe (my first love story)
Oh The Places You'll Go (for every graduate)
Of Mice and Men (Steinbecks best...according to me!)
Oliver Twist (Dickens best...according to me!)
Poisonwood Bible (just a very talented writer)
Power of Now (light bulb went off over my head)
Princess Bride (great movie, better book)
Roots (gave me a life long hobby)
Stumbling on Happiness (how come we don't know what will make us happy?)
The Road (dark, disturbing, but ultimately a love story)
The Stand (favorite Stephen King)
The Things They Carried (Veitnam, but really a summary of all wars)
To Kill a Mockingbird (how can it not be on everyones list?)
Walden (One of the few books I own)
Water For Elephants (at some point we'd all like to join the circus)
Your Money or Your Life (If I had a do-over, I would live this way)
So what do you think? What am I missing?
2 comments:
I have only read 7 of these. Thanks for the ideas. Oh, and you put Lord of the Rings twice so you owe us another book.
When we were talking about this list you recommended The Elephant's Journey - at least that's the title I found because I couldn't remember Water for Elephants when I was at the library. Anyway, you should read it - very unusual style and very good. I also read True Grit right after it. As different as 2 books could be, but it was also very good - and both of them referenced the same Bible story to make a point, which almost never happens.
-Rick
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