15 books

Erin Alberty said to do this...and I did.

Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.

Side note: I wish, as an English Major, I could say this is a list of classic literature. I've read my share. Truth be told though - the books that "stick with me" are those that touch my heart more than my mind.

1. Where the Red Fern Grows. I totally stole this from Erin's list but I have the beaten up copy on my shelf to prove that I have read and re-read this boy and his dogs tale many many times.
2. Pillars of the Earth. I was sadly disappointed by the long awaited sequel to this Ken Follett novel, but the first one is exquisite.
3. The Scarlet Pimpernel. I think this book by Baroness Orczy was a favorite because, well, it was written by a Baroness and what teenage girl doesn't fantasize about the regency periods of Europe - even the bloody beheading ones. But truly, I fell in love with Anthony Edwards in the tv miniseries and that made the book a way to recapture his performance. (Sink me! there is quite a list of these stories here!)
4. I Know This Much Is True. I think Wally Lamb is genius.
5. She's Come Undone. Did I mention Wally Lamb is genius?
6. The Long Walk. This was read to me in elementary school and I've always wanted to seek it out and re-read it...the impression is very strong that this was a life-changing experience.
7. The Diary of Anne Frank. This book proved to me that mature expression can come from any age given the right (or wrong) circumstances.
8. Eric. Oh this book. Box of Kleenex required. The true story of one young man's fight with leukemia. Written by his mother. Oh this book.
9. Catch Me If You Can. I read this book when I was in my teens. I never imagined that 20 years later Leo would be playing the part in a movie. Rambunctious, irreverant, page-turning true tales of adventure and misadventure. Loved it.
10. Little House on the Prairie series. Loved this as a young girl. Much better than the tv series.
11. The Autobiography of King Henry VIII. A novel, not a true autobiography (obviously), but really stunning way to learn about history. Margaret George has done a whole list of 1,000 page tomes on various historical figures - Cleopatra, Mary Queen of Scots, etc. But this one is the best.
12. The Outlander Series. Can't help it. Loved the mixture of sci-fi and history with the romantic crazy scotsman Jamie in the lead...fell in love and had to read every book in the series.
13. The Dogs of Babel. A favorite. Something about the use of language. I thought it was lyrical and a good story to boot. This is the only book I've ever copied a page out of and kept it so I could read and re-read it over and over again.
14. Harry Potter Series. I know. I know. But I cannot get cynical about ANYTHING that gets kids to read like they did when this series was brand new (pre-movies). Plus, it's nice to bury yourself in a world of pure imagination.
15. The Prince of Tides. Again - pre-movie reading. While Pat Conroy tells the same tale in a variety of ways he has a poetic quality to his writing and if you're up for tales of the troubled family - he hits it on the head every time.

Like I said, not an impressive list of classics. But nothing I'm truly ashamed of here either. Sorry james joyce - you didn't make the cut - although Ulysses will live in my nightmares forever as the most agonizing required reading of my life.