Top Ten Books I Read Over and Over and over….
Books.
The more they change these days, the more they stay the same.
It’s Monday and that means a list with Stasha @northwestmommy and the subject this week Books!
I’m sure there are books I thought magical when I read them. They fit into a particular angst teen-age, angst new mother and angst mid-life moment I was experiencing.
There are certainly books I greatly admired for their craft and shear art of the author’s writing.
But these 10 are those that seem to transcend any life stage and just sit squarely in the middle of me.
10. Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronte.
One I have to read over again every so often. Gothic romance at it’s best. Mr. Rochester, crazy wife, unrequited love. Love it.
9. Rebecca. Daphne du Maurier
“Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderly again”….
Another wonderful gothic, creepy love story. Wonder why I can so easily fall into these stories of young women/girls and crazy eccentric older men?
8. The Velveteen Rabbit.
Precious story. Timeless message. To truly live and love and live — we all end up ragged and worn. Another sniff, sniff ~ wipe my nose.
7. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. Fannie Flagg
Love the southern humor, characters and story. How she weaves brokenness and triumphs together with characters who are light and funny yet deep and honest.
6. The Ugly Duckling. Hans Christian Andersen
This is one of those books I had my parents read over and over to me.
The pictures accompanying the story flash through my head as I type this. Who doesn’t love the message in this story?
Other than what a delinquent mother swan to be so careless with one of her eggs.
5. Same Kind of Different as Me.
It should be required reading for all races. Maybe white folks would understand black folks a little bit better and hopefully persons of color would understand those of European-decent. This book changed me.
4. Gone with the Wind.
I have to include this solely on the strength of Scarlett O’Hara. So parodied and almost inseparable from the image of Vivian Leigh – to read Margaret Mitchell’s creation of her thoughts, motives and actions is a Southern complexion and accented beauty cut straight from a 6” x 6 foot plank of heart pine.
3. Charlotte’s Web. E.B. White
I came this one late in life…but I love how animals make us feel (or make me feel.) And how a mother spider’s heroics make me cry.
2. Pride and Prejudice. The tale of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth would be my favorite of all except for…
1. To Kill a Mockingjay.
No sillies, my favorite book of all time is Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. How I love to open those pages and be transported back to the South of my mother’s childhood – for I so see her as Scout.
It poignantly portrays the tragic Southern societal gaping flaw ~ cruelty and inhumane division of the races.
Perfect seen with honestly and humor through the eyes of a child.
What about you? What is a book you read over and over?
I LOVE Pride and Prejudice! I read it at least once a year.
I like to read ‘A New Day in Court’ Love the author.
Wow! Gone in the wind is my favorite as well! Actually, my all.time favorite is 1984 from George Orwell…
Books I have read at least 3 times-some of these more than that. To Kill a Mockingbird is on my list. Also: The Old Man and the Sea, Huckleberry Finn, All Over but the Shoutin’ (Rick Bragg), Fierce Invalids home from Hot Climates (Weird enough to fit my personality), This House of Sky (Ivan Doig), The Education of Little Tree, North Toward Home (Willie Morris) and All the Pretty Horses (Cormac McCarthy)
Rick Bragg is awsome. And v approachable in person. I forget about Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. Either would be great to read to Joe this summer. I’ll have to pick another from your list for me
Crazy about P & P too, but like you, To Kill A Mockingbird is just IT for me. I read it in Mrs. Gwinn’s class in 8th grade and have been enthralled ever since.
stopping by from monday listicles 🙂
awesome list — I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t read some of the classics, and your list is inspiring me! I had that same exact ugly duckling book as a kid…
I’m intrigued by Same Kind of Different as Me. I’ll have to check it out!
I don’t really read books over again, not because I don’t like to, but because of time, but my favorite book is Rain of Gold by Victor Villasenor. A really captivating story of two people who grew up separately in Mexico, but eventually came together in the U.S. and the difficulties they experienced their whole lives. I’ve been planning to read it over again, but have yet the time to dedicate to it.
Same Kind of Different as Me is a true story and I couldn’t put it down.