I may be more of a sap than I thought!
When I started compiling the list of my top ten favorite books, I found that romance may actually be more prevalent in my thinking than I thought! I always assumed I liked horror and mystery novels the best...but, that might not actually be true. I guess it's good to discover something new about myself.
Anyway...here it is:
MY TOP 10 ON TUESDAY BOOKS:
10) "Summer At The Lake" - Andrew M. Greeley (This is the first in a series that is followed by "A Midwinter's Tale", "Younger Than Springtime", "A Christmas Wedding", "September Song", "Second Spring" and "Golden Years"...I've read and own them all in hardback. All of them are about the O'Malley family, an Irish-American clan in Chicago, and follows the family through several generations.)
9) "Heart-Shaped Box" - Joe Hill (This book is about an aging death-metal/rock star who collects paranormal memorabilia. A suit in a box shows up at his home and haunts him like nothing ever has. There are several references to 90's rock bands and his dogs are named Bon and Angus. I loaned this book...a First Edition, I might a add...to a friend and haven't seen it in years...I may have to buy it again.)
8) "Message In A Bottle" - Nichlas Sparks (This is just one of the many books by the author that I can read over and over. I also recommend "The Guardian" and "The Notebook" as good reads for a long crying spell. My bookshelf has several hardback Sparks' novels taking up space.)
7) "Circle Of Friends" - Maeve Binchy (This is most definitely a 'chick novel' since it delves into the world of female friendships and how we tend to support AND betray each other. This late Irish author has several places on my bookshelves and most of her stories are set in Ireland.)
6) "Irish Gold" - Andrew M. Greeley (Once again, these Greeley novels take up many slots on my book case at home. This particular book is the first in a series..."Irish Lace", "Irish Whiskey", "Irish Mist", "Irish Eyes", "Irish Stew!", "Irish Cream", "Irish Crystal", "Irish Linen", "Irish Tiger" and "Irish Tweed". The series follows an Irish-American psychic named Nuala Anne McGrail. Did I mention that Greeley is also a Roman Catholic priest? I have all of these books, as well.)
5) "Wish You Were Here" - Rita Mae Brown (This is the first in the Mrs. Murphy Mystery series. Mrs. Murphy is a character in the books...but she's modeled after Brown's cat, Sneaky Pie Brown. The animals all talk and help solve the mysteries...but the humans never quite figure that out! This hardback series I own includes 20 more books!)
4) "Pet Semetary" - Stephen King (This book scared the daylights out of me when I was in college. I borrowed it from my sorority sister, Elizabeth, and read it in two nights. For many nights that followed, my room mate had to let me get in my bed so I could cower under my covers while clinching the stuffed animal my boyfriend won at the fair...and then she could turn off the lights. It didn't help that my dorm window looked out over the Richmond Cemetery. I finally purchased it a few years ago, but I haven't read it since 1984. It just sits on the shelf daring me to open it!)
3) "Salem's Lot" - Stephen King (This was my introduction to the weirdness and warped writing mind of King. By the end of my 7th grade year, I had already seen the movie, "Carrie", but had not read the book. I've always loved vampires so this particular vampire-infused book seemed more my cup of tea when I was in the 8th grade. I remember I could almost smell the scents he described and feel the dampness of the vampire's resting place. It was great writing the made me a King fan forever!)
2) "To Kill A Mockingbird" - Harper Lee (This is such a classic. When I was a little girl, I read this for a book report and immediately wanted to have the same adventures that Scout encountered. I was sure I knew Science Hill's own version of Boo Bradley, as well. The depiction of the south in that time period was a perfect way to introduce me to great American literature.)
and finally...
1) "Gone With The Wind" - Margaret Mitchell (I actually saw the movie before I read the book. When I was about 6 years old, there was a special showing of the movie at the old Kentucky Theatre in downtown Somerset. The showing was to commemorate 30 years since the movie's release in 1939. My mom worked at the theatre as a second job and was able to get me a Scarlett O'Hara promotional doll to go along with my first ever viewing of the movie. It was when I was about 10 that I finally got around to reading the book. It soon became my favorite book and has remained either as number one or number two for most of my life. Every now and then, "To Kill A Mockingbird" will take the number one spot. "Gone With The Wind" helped introduce me to my life-long love of the Civil War period and was instrumental in helping my understand how the war affected our country. By the time my Grandpa Singleton took me to a reenactment at Mill Springs Battlefield, I felt I knew about as much about the Civil War as anyone my age could possibly know.
So that's my "Top Ten On Tuesday" list for this week!
What are your favorite books? Share that with me!
~Nona
