The What and the Why

A good book should leave you... slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it. ~William Styron, interview, Writers at Work, 1958

So today I had an idea. I know--stop the presses! Anyway, lately I've been feeling less well-read than I should be at my age and educational history so--rather than succumb to some "1001 Books to Read Before You Die" list--I thought I'd email a selection of friends and family and ask for 10 book recommendations from each of them.

It's already been a wildly successful venture in my opinion, with six responses so far. My wonderful cousin, Michele, suggested that I start a blog to both compare the lists and to track my responses to the books I read from them. So voila! One blog, made to order. I've taken the name of the blog from the quote above. It is an apt description for both good books and good people, many of which I hope will meet here.

The first response I got was from my father. He is the best history professor that never stood in front of a classroom and a human repository of golf and baseball stats like you would not believe.

anything by R.F, Delderfield
anything by David Halberstom, but especially "The Children", which I
believe Justin has a copy of
and, of course, if you have not already done so, "To Kill a Mockingbird".

And I was chagrined to realize that I have not read anything on that list.

The second response came from one of the most truly beautiful human beings I have ever had the honor to know: my friend Stefanie. It came in two parts, though, because she asked me for my 10 books and I gave her 11 instead, plus three short stories, and she felt she had to add to her list.

Mama Day by Gloria Naylor
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand (I was an angsty teen at the time, though...)
Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott
Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
Linden Hills by Gloria Naylor
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Freakonomics Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt

Oh yes--please add Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver to the list and The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman Both are resplendent. And for the short story set, I myself love A Beast in the Jungle by Henry James.

I felt a little better when I read her list because I've actually read three of her favorites (and don't you just love her usage of the word resplendent?), but look! There it is again! To Kill a Mockingbird!

Don't worry, I'll put my list of recs at the end of this post.

The third responder is one of the very best there is...and I've never met her. I've known Rachel for going on 9 years now but a pesky ocean separates us and we have not had the pleasure of a cuppa and a snack--yet.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (obvious, I know, but it has to be included)

Gaudy Night by Dorothy L Sayers - you need to read Strong Poison and Have His Carcass first though, because they introduce the character of Harriet Vane, and it's through her introduction and the love story element that Gaudy Night went from being a puzzle book to a piece of literature that spanned several genres from crime to love story to social commentary and a look at the place of women in modern society (modern being 1930s - I think - England).

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Stoner McTavish by Sarah Dreher

Talking Heads and Talking Heads 2 by Alan Bennett - these are both collections of monologues, so you might prefer listening to them being read (the audio books are superb), but they're also a very good read and character study.

Wilfred Owen - there are several collections of his poetry, all of which should include his more famous Great War poems - I'm not the kind of person who's in to poetry, but we read these in school and they've stayed with me ever since. Haunting indictment of the cruelties of war. (If you're interested in reading more about the Great War and the poets Owen and Sassoon you might want to read Pat Barker's Regeneration trilogy, which I've heard is excellent, although I haven't read it yet so can't officially put it on my list).

Wild Swans by Jung Chang

The Monarchs are Flying by Marion Foster - not a particularly well written book, I suppose, but I love it nevertheless.

Mallory's Oracle by Carol O'Connell - the first in a series of crime/thriller books.

Back to feeling like crap, because I haven't read any of these either. Did you notice the third book on the list, though? Yep, there it is again. At this point I felt the Universe was spelling something out quite clearly.

Then my beautiful cousin, Michele, answered. Have I mentioned that I'm named after her? It's one of my bragging rights.

THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee
ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell
1984 by George Orwell
WANDERLUST by Danielle Steele (Story behind the book-It was in the Piedmont baggage service office and I read it to pass the time!)
A SEPARATE PEACE by John Knowles
EAT PRAY LOVE by Elizabeth Gilbert
THE CRICKET IN TIMES SQUARE by George Selden
STILL LIFE WITH WOODPECKER by Tom Robbins
THE HOBBIT by J.R.R. Tolkien

Back to feeling a little better again because I've read three of these, as well. But the Universe is most definitely telling me something and that is "Read To Kill a Mockingbird already!" I immediately went to paperbackswap.com and ordered the book. When the Universe is being that obvious, I listen. I also ordered an anthology of Wilfred Owen's poetry, To Serve Them All My Days by Delderfield, and The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton.

I will continue with the other posts I've received tomorrow but before I go, I promised to post my recommendations, such as they are. I reserve the right to revise this list later. Just so you know.

Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (I'm on my 8th copy, I think)
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Lessons in Becoming Myself by Ellen Burstyn
Succulent Wild Women by SARK
The Carpet Makers by Andreas Eschbach
Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
Anger by Thich Nhat Hahn
Dune by Frank Herbert

and one more, because I couldn't resist:

Gulliver's Fugitives by Keith Sharee (this is almost a "guilty pleasure" book because it is a Star Trek: The Next Generation novel but it is by far one of the most amazing stories I've ever read and it touches exactly on point here--it's about books and how, in one community, imagination and fiction are crimes punishable by death and the resistance has memorized their favorite books/works of fiction to pass on to their children...)

and, as an honorable mention, these short stories:

Leiningen Versus the Ants by Carl Stephenson
A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor
Try to Remember by Frank Herbert

Take from it what you will.

Happy reading!

Erin