Favorite Books

I know that in previous posts I've talked about how much of a nerd I am about reading. It's totally true, by the way. It's no secret that I've always wanted to be a writer, and I know that people who love to write, also love to read. Plus, every author that I admire has a 'reading list' post on their blogs. I am pretty sure that I inherited my love of reading and writing from my dad. As far back as I can remember, my dad was happy as long as he had a good book.

Side note: My dad would write, produce and direct plays and dramas for our church every year for Christmas and Easter, and skits for our Halloween parties. The actors would perform for audiences that packed the church, and we would even have to put on multiple shows because so many people wanted to come, but there wasn't enough room. I know this is off subject a little, but I think its awesome. I really feel that my dad could have gone places with his talents. But I digress.

I like to read all genres of literature. I'll read anything from Harry Potter to Twilight to Huckleberry Finn (I own all of those, by the way). Memoirs? Yes please! Dramas? Sure! Chick lit? Oh yeah! Murder mysteries? Ok! (I think you get the idea...) Here are some of my long time favorites that I just keep going back to time and time again. They are perfect for curling up by a fire or stretching out on a beach towel.

Julie by Catherine Marshall

Julie is one of the few books that I have read more than once (well I guess all the books on the list are books that fit that category). It is based on the true story of the Johnstown flood of 1889 in Pennsylvania. However, in the book, the story takes place in the 1930s. It's about a teenage girl who's minister father has taken over a small newspaper in Pennsylvania. For people of my generation who didn't experience the Great Depression, this book is a great look into that time.  

Blackbird by Jennifer Lauck

This is a beautiful memoir about a girl who goes through way more than any child should. Jennifer wrote this memoir as though she were writing it while she was living it. It doesn't feel like a re-telling of a story. It feels like you are right there with her. Jennifer is blessed to be born to loving parents and live in a lovely neighborhood. But after she turns 5-years-old her mother becomes very ill. This is the beginning of a downward spiral in her young life. Blackbird is extremely inspirational in the fact that Jennifer is so resilient. The follow-up to Blackbird, Still Waters, follows Jennifer through adolescence and into adulthood. Still Waters is a great read as well, but Blackbird is the one that I have read over and over and over.....etc. While I'm on the subject of memoirs (and Jennifers)...

Bitter is the New Black by Jennifer Lancaster

If you haven't read Jen Lancaster, you are severely missing out. Not only did she appeal to me as an author because she is from the same general area of the country as me (Indiana), but because she's just so stinking funny. Bitter is Jen's break-out bestseller following her through her fall from a successful career in Chicago after 9/11 and her subsequential journey to becoming a writer (new career path), and she has followed up with several other equally-awesome memoirs. All of her books are so funny, that I'm no longer allowed to read them while I'm in bed because I keep waking Bryan up with all the laughing. Apparently he's not as amused by Jennifer's neighbor-spying and f-bombs as I am.

Sphinx by Robin Cook

I first read Sphinx when I was about 12 years old. Let me just say, I adore Robin Cook. I have read almost all of his novels. Most of them are medical mysteries, but he has a couple that are a little different. This is one of them . Sphinx follows Erica Baron, an Egyptologist, to Egypt (because that's where Egyptologists go) so she can fulfill her dream of seeing the ruins of ancient Egypt. Erica witnesses a murder and is plunged into the world of black market profiteering. At 12-years-old and 28-years-old, I couldn't put this book down. Interesting fact: This books original release date was the day after I was born, which was my original release date.

Acceptable Risk (also) by Robin Cook

Edward, a scientist, is dating Kim, a nurse, who is researching her family's history, which just so happens to date back to the Salem witch trials. While they are on Kim's family's land, they come across a mold spore growing in the basement of a cabin that Edward tries to develop as a drug. During clinical trials, however, odd things start happening and the drug turns out to do horribe things to the mind. The movie for the book kind of sucks, but don't let that deter you from reading the book!

PS....obviously I got the picture from Amazon....

The Circle Series by Ted Dekker

The first three books of this series are A. MA. ZING. (I have not read book # 4, Green, so I can't speak for that one.) They are of the sci-fi/fantasy genre which can either be really good (Twilight, holla) or really bad. My favorite is Black, but for some reason, anytime there is a sequal, I always prefer the maiden-voyage book. The book that gets you INTO the story to begin with. Anyway, the lead character, Thomas Hunter, is hit in the head by a bullet and he wakes up in an ulternate universe. One where giant bats are the enemy and they live in a creepy black forest. There's an awesome place called "the colored forest" whose inhabitants don't know anything but happiness and awesomeness. Every time Tom goes to sleep in one world, he wakes up in the other. One reviewer put it like this: two worlds, one hero to save them both. In the alternate universe, there is a battle between good and evil and it has some similarities to CS Lewis books where there is a Lion who is symbolic of God. The religious ties gave me goose bumps.

A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins

A Walk Across America (or Walk, as I call it), is the true story of Peter Jenkins and his, wait for it, WALK ACROSS AMERICA in the 1970's. Peter had pretty much lost faith in America in the 70's and decided that he wanted to travel and meet as many people as he could to restore his faith in our nation. So Peter, along with his trusty Malamute Cooper, walked across this great country of ours, beginning in Connecticut and finishing the journey years later on the west coast, and met and lived with several different people and families along the way. At some point, National Geographic got wind of his journey and gave him a camera and asked him to document his adventures for the magazine. Which. Is. Awesome. Again, Peter has written several books since this one about his travels, but I keep coming back to Walk. You fall in love with Peter and his desire to uncover the true spirit of America's people. Also, Cooper is the cutest, most amazing dog to read about. He is a very important character in the story. This book is so amazing and so beautifully written, it will make you want to put on your Nikes and grab a big ol' pack and hike across the country. You may not actually DO it, but you will WANT to.

The Last Guardian by Shane Jenkins

Again, I got this picture from Amazon.

T.G. Shass comes across an artifact of otherworldly power, but he can't remember how he came to possess it. He is transported to an alternate reality that exists as though the Flood of the Bible had never happened. Once he finally makes it back to this reality, he discovers that his love, Jenni, has vanished. He becomes convinced that she has somehow been taken to the alternate reality and tries to return there. I can't say enough good things about this book! I couldn't put it down! I think I read it in something like 2 days.

Well, these are some of my favorites. I didn't want to review books like Twilight or The Da Vinci Code (both of which I adore) because everyone has either read them or has seen the movies. So please, try one of these books, if you haven't already. I know that you'll love them! Also, if anyone wants to borrow them, I own all of these. I was reading them so often that it got annoying to go to the library to get them. Ownership was the only way to go!!