Good Reads

I've posted many a post on this blog about books that I'm currently reading, but I cannot recall ever having done a post on my all-time favorite books.  I happen to be re-reading one of my personal favorites, so I thought this would be a good time to share about some of my other favorites. 

Instead of posting about my favorites which are also classics, I thought I would post about my favorites within a genre.  These are not necessarily classic genres- they are ones made up by yours truly.

1. All-Time Favorite

My all-time favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

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If you've never read this one, then I reckon you need to get yourself to the nearest library or bookstore asap.  This is actually the book I'm currently re-reading.  I haven't finished it just yet, but I've been forcing myself to put it down so I don't stay up all night reading it.  I just think it is a beautiful story about human character, friendship, and life-long learning. 

2. Favorite Play

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams 

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I absolutely love all Tennessee Williams' works, but The Glass Menagerie is my favorite.  A Streetcar Named Desire is also a close second.  My parents actually met when they were working on a college production of Streetcar.  Kind of romantic minus the whole fictional-abusive-marriage thing.  

3. Favorite Children's Book

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

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Just a warning to the wise: I cannot read this book without straight-up bawling... and it is a children's book so you can probably imagine that it isn't very long.  This story is just such a precious tale of a mother's unending love for her child.  I think it might even top To Kill a Mockingbird as my all-time favorite book, but it's easier to categorize it this way (and people will judge me less).

4. Favorite Children's Series

The "Frances" Series by Russell Hoban

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This series was my absolute favorite when I was a little girl, so it still remains a personal favorite.  Frances is just such a normal little girl (even if she is a badger) and she deals with many of the same problems that other little girls deal with, including moral issues. 

Funny story about Frances: When I was a kid, my parents absolutely refused to help me with any school projects beyond answering my questions or making sure I had the right supplies.  They thought that it was my responsibility to do my projects.  (Truth be told, I think it was also a bonus for them that they didn't have to do anything.)  So, in second grade there was an assignment where we had to paint a pumpkin like our favorite book character.  Well, Frances was my favorite.  So I used watercolor paint (hey- I didn't know any better) to paint a pumpkin like Frances, who is a badger.  Basically you got a pumpkin that looked like it was rolled around in mud because watercolors don't really adhere to pumpkins.  Yeah, good times. 

5. Favorite Chick Lit

The "Shopaholic" Series by Sophie Kinsella

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This is definitely not in the category of best all-time "literature."  Not even close.  But, the shopaholic series is some of my favorite "chick lit." These books are light and funny.  For the record, Kinsella's other stand-alone books are also great- especially Twenties Girl.

6. Favorite Memoir

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

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I just want to say for the record that I read this book before it was so mainstream and before it was a movie- long before.  I wasn't jumping on a bandwagon with this one, I was just reading something I thought would be interesting.  Through this book, I realized that it is okay to not know what you are looking for.  In fact, sometimes it is better to live your life looking for something you aren't sure of than it is to live your whole life looking for one thing that really isn't the right thing.

7. Favorite Novel of the 21st Century

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

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I've reviewed this book on the blog before, but I really think this has been my favorite book of the twenty-first century so far. It is really wonderful if you haven't read it yet. 

8. Book that Really Made Me Think

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

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If you've lost someone close to you, I really highly recommend The Lovely Bones.  But, read the book and avoid the movie.  This book just gives really vivid insight into what heaven might be like.  I really loved reading it. 

By the way, the title of this post was semi-inspired by the goodreads site. If you are a reader, I recommend goodreads to keep track of what you've read.  The site is well-operated and well organized.

P.S.  A reader asked me to keep you guys posted on Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way. It was definitely very good and insightful, but very heavy on the leadership theory.  I think it is a good, straight-forward read on Mrs. Roosevelt, but I would still like to read the Doris Kearns Goodwin book on the Roosevelts, No Ordinary Time, at some point.