My Favorite Books: 10 Top Books

Before I tell you about my favorite books, I'll tell you about me. Who am I? I am not a published author, I am not a world renouned literary critic, I am just a middle aged mother of three from the midwest who likes booksI No, I LOVE books. I love how they feel, how they smell and what they say to me whether I agree with them or not. Like old friends, many have given me comfort while making laugh, cry, think, or just take a little trip in my head. If you love books like I do, you understand.

Everyone has their favorites I suppose, but these are just a few of my favorite books. Most of them you probably won't find on anyone elses 10 top books, but I have seen one or two on some top 100 lists. think they deserve some attention. It is an eclectic grouping to be sure, but I'll bet you can find some of your old friends among them, and you might even meet some new ones.

If the book has been made into a movie, and I've seen it, I'll give you my two cents on that too.

As I was thinking about this list so many more books came to mind, but almost all of them were children's books, and I believe they deserve their own space. and I will tackle that list in my next article (that one might be my favorite 100) However, if you look closely, you might notice a few of the books listed here could be considered children's books as well.

1. The Bible: Need I say more? Maybe that the movies don't even come close.

2. The Education of Little Tree by Forest Carter: Yes, I know, Forrest Carter supposedly made the whole thing up. It is still a wonderful story of Little Tree, the orphan Cherokee boy sent to live with his grandparents in the Great Smoky Mountains. The movie starring James Cromwell as the grandfather, is a pretty good adaptation too. Get the Kleenx out either way, whether you're reading or watching.

3. Still Hungry After All These Years by Richard Simmons: Richards autobiography,deals with his own struggle with obsesity (there are pictures) with wit and sensitiviy.

4. Motherhood, the Second Oldest Profession by Erma Bombeck: Seeing the funny side of everyday life as she always did, Mrs Bombeck tackles the "joys" of motherhood, in a way that every mother can relate. Hysterically funny, in true Erma fashion.

5. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: For the first attempt of a young author, this work is astounding.The story of a young doctor, driven by grief, striving to create life from dead bodies, with horrifying results. It is disturbing to be sure, but Mrs Shelley's treatment has a compassionate side too. If you ever read it, you'll never see the film adapations the same way.

6. Rebecca by Daphne Du Murier: Great thriller in the traditional sense. When a young bride comes to her new husband's estate, she soon discovers it to be huanted by the memory of her husbands first wife...or is it something more sinister than a memory. This one's movie got the Hitchcock treatment with Lawrence Olivier and Joan Fontaine as the co-stars.

7. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom: When the Nazi's invaded Holland, middle aged Corrie, her sister Bess and their father constructed a hidden room in their home in order to hide jews. When they were discovered, all three were sent to concentration camps. This is a wonderful, heartwrenching true story of faith in the face of evil. I saw a movie of this when I was a kid. I believe I went with a church group. I was about thirteen, and I remember I was immensely moved. Between the book and the film, I was inspired to read some of Corrie's other works as well.

8. Call of the Wild by Jack London The story of Buck, pampered pet who must learn to survive in Alaska in the days of the gold rush. The closing paragraphs still give me goose bumps. Again, I have never seen a film adaptation that did this one justice.

9. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. I was required to read this book in a college prep class in high school, and the story never left me. The story of convict Jean Val Jean, his dauther Cosette, and the inspector that chased them. Have not seen the broadway version. The film version with Liam Neeson is very good.

10. The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe. What can I say? Its all here in all its morbid glory. As for film adaptations...there have been so many, but who better than Vincent Price?

When you can't pick just one. Some of my favorite authors in no particular order

• Anne McCaffery

• Stephen King

• Dean Koontz

• Terry Brooks

• CS Lewis

• JRR Tolkien