So, Ive been tagged by my former classmate Paula Geister to list in my status 10 books that have stayed with me in some way. My instructions were: Dont take more than a few minutes and do not think too hard. They do not have to be the right books or great works of literature, just ones that have affected you in some way. This is a stream-of-consciousness list, totally lacking in forethought and pretension. Ive long since passed the point where I need to impress anyone: 1. Charlottes Web taught me the importance of good friends who are also good writers. 2. How to Lie with Statistics made me look at information presented as facts with a skeptical eye. 3. Geek Love is the one book I wish David Lynch would make into a movie. 4. Sharp Objects Every character in this book is completely reprehensible, but I cant get it out of my head. THAT is what makes it great. 5. When Bad Things Happen to Good People was recommended to me by an otherwise unforgettable Humanities professor; this book was very influential in my spiritual journey. 6. Peanuts Anthology There are several of these, but my Grandmother had one with a heavy emphasis on the early years, when Charles Shultz was at his most creative and relevant. Much wisdom here. 7. Birds of North America is, I believe, the title of a book I had when I was a kid that had brightly colored paintings of—you guessed it—birds that can be found in North America. I still dont know one bird from another, but I loved this book; my favorite was the Baltimore Oriole. 8. The Mouse and the Motorcycle was another childhood favorite. I was lucky enough to get to read the final chapter of this to my daughters grade-school class when I was a volunteer one day. Truly one of my favorite books of all time. 9. Pretty much anything by Mark Twain. I was late to the Twain party, but living in Elmira, New York gave me an appreciation for the man and his work. Ive been lucky enough to visit his study, gravesite and the cottage at Quarry Farm where he wrote his most famous works, and his presence is strong there. His work is timeless. 10. The Stand by Stephen King is the best apocalyptic pandemic book out there, and one of the first real novels I ever read. Say what you will about Stephen King, but the man knows how to tell a tale. I nominate no one, unless youre interested in doing this and want to give me credit for the idea.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 15:10:02 +0000