Favorite Books

I talk about books left and right so I figured it was about time that I post about my favorites....This is very much abridged....Just remember that as you read on and on and on below....It could be a lot worse :-)

Books are a funny thing.  I love them and I hate them.

I really enjoy reading.  If you asked me what my favorite thing to do is, I'd probably say reading.... maybe cooking, but probably reading.  Regardless, it's one of my favorite things to do.

It is relaxing, peaceful, enjoyable, and even fun.  I know some people disagree completely with that statement (especially the fun part) but, I think they are crazy.  There are so many books out there that I have a hard time believing that anyone can make the blanket statement that they hate reading and can't find a single book that they like.  They can find movies that they like.... many are based on book.  Even if it's not based on a book first, isn't a screenplay similar?  It's more or less a collection of pages with words on it telling a story.

Why do I hate books?  I hate that there isn't enough time to read all of them that I'd like to.  But more importantly, I hate bad books.  I hate it when I read a book that wasn't well written and wasn't a good story.  A book that contains both of those elements is obviously the superior variety but I can overlook poor writing if the story is that enticing.  No matter how well a book is written, if I don't find the story intriguing, I'm probably not going to like it much.... But I still have respect for good writing skills.

Anyway...

Back to my favorite books.  I've read a lot of books.  And there are still a lot more for me to read.  I have a list of some of my favorites so far.  Consider it one of my recommendations if I call it a favorite.  I'd love to hear your recommendations and favorite books.... I'm always looking for a new good book to read.

• The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho - A recommendation from a friend that I took with a grain of salt.  For whatever reason, the book didn't appeal to me at all over the millions of times I had picked it up.  Once I finally listened to him and read it, I liked it a lot more than I ever thought I would.
• Animal Farm - George Orwell - A lot of people don't care for this and I feel like they may have had to read it before they really understood it.  I liked it a lot but it did remind me of 'Watership Down' by Richard Adams which I hated when I had to read it at the age of 14 but appreciate the symbolism much more now that I understand it.
• Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut - This is quite possibly the funniest book I have ever read and is my all time favorite.
• Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut - Another Vonnegut classic - He just amazes me with his never ending, clever antics
• The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger - I've been asked many times why I like this book so much and what the point was.  To both of those questions, my answer is: I don't know.  I just liked it.
• Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card - Not normally a science fiction fan.  Again, a recommendation (P. Fisher's favorite book of all time) and I thought I would try it out.  I was shocked at the book and even more shocked  at how much I liked it.
• The Executioner's Song - Norman Mailer - For those of you turned away by 1000+ pages of journalistic, nonfiction writing, try to get past it.  I read the entire thing in less than 3 days.  My employer at the time was not thrilled with my unwillingness to put the book down.
• The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald - A classic read.  A good story.  
• The Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling - Another that I admit, I had no desire to read.  This was because they were 'kids books and how good can they really be?' Picked the first one up in an airport on a trip home from school and there was no turning back.  I own all of these books twice - once in paperback and once in the collectors hardback edition.
• Les Miserables - Victor Hugo - I hated this book when I read it the first time.  It's amazing what a sophomore English teacher can do to kill a student's love of reading.  The story is unbeatable.  Read it before you go see it in the theatre.  This was an excellent show, too.
• Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck - One of few books that I have read multiple times.  It is also one of few books that makes me cry.  And it does.  Every single time.
• Ordinary People - Judith Guest - What is ordinary?  Dysfunction... Probably my favorite required read throughout h.s.
• The Road - Cormac McCarthy - Another book that made me cry.  This book was exceptionally well written.  It is a story that even now, months later, I still think about.
• To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee - A classic that is definitely worth the read.  A good story and makes you think.