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Monday, January 13, 2014

Hey, you! Do you read? Well, read on!

So Eli over at Coach Daddy participated in a literary challenge to list your favorite books and tag other bloggers to join in the fun. And while he didn't actually TAG any other bloggers, I jumped in and added my own favorites in his comments. And because I'm a lazy slug, I thought it would also make a great blog post, and rather than try to come up with a fresh, new idea, I'd use Eli's. So thanks Eli! If you are a blogger, or a cashier or a diaper changer or a wiper of other peoples' noses or if you've ever just read a book, please feel free to chime in and give your opinion on YOUR favorite books and why. You'll learn a little about me, I'll learn a little about you and if you want to use this on your own page, have at it! The more the merrier.

My faves, in no particular order:

Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom
I saw the original interview that Ted Koppel did with Morrie before he died and I was moved beyond words by what an amazing person Morrie Schwartz was. I loved Albom's book.

Night - Elie Wiesel
Mandatory reading in Catholic High School. I think I had the reaction they most certainly WERE NOT looking for, as it changed my beliefs in God forever. Haven't been a regular church-goer ever since I closed the book after reading the last page.

The Talisman - Stephen King & Peter Straub
The epic and wonderful story of Jack Sawyer and Wolf (right here and now!) that I have read at least 4 times because I love it so much. It's so funny that after having read this amazing book so many times, I always try to figure out which author wrote which part of the book. Very fun.

And now YOU go! Give me 3!

34 comments:

  1. oh boy- hard to pick. Here goes-
    Sarah's Key- this one hit me right in the gut. Truly made me feel physically ill. The story of the round-up of Jews in Paris during WW2 and making decisions that have fatal consequences...

    Harry Potter- I read this on bed rest while pregnant and I fell in love with the series and passed it on to my kids. It's a staple in our home, truly.

    Divine Sisterhood of the Ya Ya Sisterhood- I didn't see the movie. But I loved the book. It made me realize how different mother daughter relationships can be. I've always been close to my mom, but reading this book keeps me from taking it for granted.

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    1. Never read the Ya Ya book but I did read the whole Harry Potter series with my oldest and LOVED every word of every book!!

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    2. Have you read her other books, Sisters in Bloom is one of my favorites

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  2. Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon - a WW2 nurse is somehow transported back in time 200 years. not your typical romance. Written in the first person and she has quite a sense of humor at her situation.

    Darkfever series by Karen Marie Moning - Girl travels to Dublin to find out more about her sister's murder and discovers a world of Fey and other assorted monsters poised to take over the world.

    Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - Actually anything by Kelley Armstrong but she has 4 books about this female werewolf, Bitten, Stolen, Broken and Frostbitten. I like her female characters, they are very strong women.

    Seeing a pattern here ? Yes, I like sci fi and paranormal...but I am drawn to books where the women are strong...and authors with humor ;)

    I did read Divine Sisterhood of the Ya Ya Sisterhood as well and did enjoy it...for the mother/daughter relationships but also the era they lived in.

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    1. LOVE strong leading women in books. And I know so many who LOVED the Outlander series, I may just have to pick it up!

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  3. Oh wow. Great idea! I loved Tuesdays and Steven King scares the crap out of me so I am probably skipping that one. But Night? Maybe I'll check that one out.

    I second all of the above from frugalistablog and add:

    Defending Jacob (William Landay) not only was it well written it had twists I never saw coming beginning in chapter one.
    Laws of Gravity (Liz Rosenberg) This is a heart breaker, because you fall in love with all the characters and the author depicts pain, love and friendship in ways I still think about
    The Percy Jackson Series (Rick Riordan). Okay a kids book. But it should be an adult book. Especially for me who knows nothing about mythology but I couldn't put the book down and preorder the next installment as soon as I know about them

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    1. Kerri, some kids books are phenomenal reading! Harry Potter sticks out most on my list!

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  4. How to pick? Too many to choose from.
    Outlander series (Diana Gabaldon) - a huge series that is part historical fiction, part strong woman lit, part sci-fi/time travel, part romance. I have read the series several times and cannot wait for the next book to come out in June. When I'm done with the books (a good 7100 pages for the 7 books so far published), I feel like I've left my best friends behind.

    ...And Ladies of the Club (Helen Hooven Santmyer). This is a long saga that starts in 1868 and follows the lives of 2 young women from the day they graduate from high school until their death. It's life in a small town and the book club the women are a part of and the intermingling of lives through the marriages, births, deaths, and just daily life in small town Ohio. Another book I've read repeatedly.

    Gone with the Wind - just a great classic and another long book. I really like books that are at least 700 pages.

    The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II - a book I recently read that talks about the women who were part of the team that built the A bomb. I've been getting into women's history lately.

    A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - an oldie but a goodie. I like to read this every once in a while. I love the story and the strength of the characters.

    There are a million others, but those are some of my favorites.

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    1. Sounds like you enjoy the strong female characters as well, Tracy! Great list!

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  5. 1) Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. I learned so much about history, geography, and medicine while I read amazingly compelling story.
    2) Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. It is just one of those MUST reads! Examines love and the human spirit in a fascinating way.
    3) Once We Were Brothers by Ronald Balson. Could not put it down. It is a modern day mystery and a love story that takes you back to WWII and the Holocaust. Extremely compelling story!

    I've read your first two but am putting The Talisman on my list! Thanks!

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    1. Julie, you won't be sorry, The Talisman is truly EPIC!! and Once We Were Brothers sounds amazing!

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  6. Now this is the way to spread a blog idea! Thanks for jumping on it, Teri.

    Did I ever tell you I carried Stephen King's bags when I was concierge in a Hilton?

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    1. You did not tell me that! I just met the man who designed and made the gated fence that surrounds Stephen King's house in Bangor!

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  7. Let's Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson. Always makes me laugh! I love a good book that can actually make me laugh out loud.

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    1. I've got it on my bedside table and am hoping to read it later this season!

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  8. I can't get over The Glass Castle. It's stuck in my brain and heart.

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  9. Dune- Frank Herbert (a deep and fascinating look at the possible evolution of the human race while commenting on our current unsustainable reliance on fossil fuels).

    The Jungle- Upton Sinclair (a timeless classic focused not on the meat industry, but the inequality of wealth and opportunity in America).

    23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism- Ha-Joon Chang (an enlightening look at the current global "free" market and the consequence of following the policies we have for the past 30 years; very accessible for us non-economists)

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    1. I think we read The Jungle in high school, Marc, but since that was a hundred and nine years ago, it's hard for me to remember.

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  10. Oh gosh, so many choices!
    The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins- written way back in 1859 it is a great thriller about an elusive Woman in White that has escaped from an asylum and the way she is connected to a local family where a man that assisted her has been hired. Don't let the "1859" scare you away! Great book.
    Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton- memoir of a restauranteur; fascinating
    The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan- what would you do if your ship sinks and you find yourself in a lifeboat filled beyond the recommended capacity? Be a follower? Stage a mutiny? The book starts at the trial of Grace for her role in the events on the lifeboat. Innocent or not quite? Read!

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    1. I remember seeing The Lifeboat as an old movie when I was a kid, so it must be a pretty old book. Sometimes those are just as awesome as present day stuff!

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  11. I don't want to sound like a nerd but I guess I am anyway when it comes to books and movies.

    World War Z - a more intelligent zombie story than most and way better than the movie. It's really about world politics and economics and describes how the world's powers are shifted.

    Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter - I love a goofy mash up of genres. A guilty pleasure.

    The War of the Worlds - the definitive science fiction story that launched so many other copycat books and movies.

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    1. No judging, Phil! And The War of the Worlds is definitely the granddaddy of all sci-fi!

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  12. The Glass Castle- Jeanette Walls
    Reading it made me realize my screwed up childhood was a piece of cake compared to the author's!

    White Oleander- Janet Fitch
    Again...at least I didn't grow up in foster homes!

    All Creatures Big and Small- James Herriot
    I LOVE animal stories!!

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    1. Great list and good for you for not being as screwed up as Jeanette Walls!! :)

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  13. I loved Tuesday's with Morie. I also liked John Steinbeck's of Mice and Men - damn you Lenny. Add in Upton St. Claire's The Jungle (made me want to be in business). And finally I guess I gotta go with Ten Little Indians by Agatha Christie (launched a lifetime love of all things mystery).

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    1. Oh God, Ten Little Indians!! I read that when I was around 12 or 13 and LOVED it!

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  14. Favorite Books, ugh it's like picking a favorite food... I love so many!

    19 Minutes and The Pact by Jodi Picoult
    same Author so I say it counts for one ;)

    The Enclave trilogy by Ann Aguirre
    Okay, so its 3 books but they go together so again, counts as one

    The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkau

    aaannnnddd I'm stealing this as a blog post ;)

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    1. Carrie, I read 19 Minutes and was BLOWN. AWAY. I want to read everything Jodi Picoult has written!!

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    2. I loved The Pact by Jodi Picoult as well
      Guess I need to try 19 minutes, Sing Me Home pulled at my heart in ways I didn't expect

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    3. I have read almost everything from JP. Perfect Match and My Sisters Keeper should also be on my favs list!
      Here is my Books Books Books post ;)
      http://justmildlymedicated.com/books-books-books/

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  15. Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand. Some slow parts, and a lot to get through, but made me wonder where we stand in relation to this as a society today.
    The "In Death" series by JD Robb (pen name of Nora Roberts). Great mystery/sex/thriller series! Reading in order helps you better understand the characters and their backgrounds.

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    1. Pam, you've taught me something new! I had NO idea Nora Roberts also wrote as JD Robb! Thanks for the education!

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  16. I loved reading everyone's favorites. I was asked this same question the other day at a Book Club and my brain completely went into frenzy mode.
    I am in the minority that I really didn't care for Tuesday with Morrie however I really liked Mitch Albon's The Time Keeper.
    The Red Haired Brat ~ I read this in High School after visiting London and it launched my lifelong love affair with Royal Historical Fiction
    Little Women ~ Named my youngest MaryEllen Grace so her nickname is MEG
    Redeeming Love and The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers I like these books despite not because they're christian fiction but despite that they are. Anything that makes you look at yourself in a new positive light works for me

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