ten things tuesday

Based on yesterday's musing, I'm making a list of ten books that I consider my favorites:

1) Eureka Street: A Novel of Ireland Like No Other by Robert McLiam Wilson. I read this book when it first came out and it stuck with me, it reminds me of some former co-workers who were kind of get-rich-quick people.

2) Light A Penny Candle by Maeve Binchy. My first Maeve Binchy and it's one I have read several times--it's a book that moves me to tears.

3) The Widow's War by Sally Gunning. Historical fiction from the colonial time period (my specialty). Such a compelling look at the role of women. Or lack thereof.

4) Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. I read this when I was in high school and again last year. It's my favorite classic. I feel the despair and the internal tumult.

5) Me Before You by JoJo Moyes. A favorite read from last year. It's a love story without being a romance. It blew me away.

6) A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. This is one of the books that I like to give to students and former students as a recommendation. There is something irresistible in the friendship.

7) Different Seasons by Stephen King. These short stories and novellas are the basis of three different movies. What I like about King's writing is how accessible it is--a master of language and pop-culture.

8) Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. This is the first book in a very long time that had characters I thought were despicable. I couldn't relate to them and didn't like them.

9) Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. A book I read when it first came out and I kept telling everyone to read it. Patchett is one of my favorite storytellers. And I loved how music was a character in this story. And the ending. I loved the ending!

10) The Pillars Of The Earth by Ken Follett. A family favorite--everyone passed this book around when it first came out in paperback (a gazillion years ago). It's one that we all found our own bits to relate to. And it's one of the few books I've read multiple times. I loved the characters and thought it was rich in atmosphere.