50 Books (well, almost)

Back in January, Kelly and Debi gave their lists of the 50 most beloved books they have read thus far. I knew I wanted to create a list, as well. I've spent the better part of the winter reading, books having always been my drug of choice. But it's taken me some time to put my list together. And in the end, I can only come up with 45 that hold a place of reverence. With my current appetite for literary brilliance, I have little doubt the next 5 slots will be filled by years' end.

Some titles are fiction, some are not. Some are meant for adults, some for children. The top 10 are the top 10 as of this moment. The rest could not be put in any specific order, all holding a unique reigning place. I finished State Of Wonder just yesterday and cannot rave about it enough. The descriptive language is stunning. I plan on putting the book under my pillow in hopes of becoming a better writer.

If you have a list of your own, I'd love to see it. If you don't have a blog, why not share it on Facebook? We could all use the inspiration and I'm always looking for my next fix.

1.      A Return To Love~ Marianne Williamson

2.      Olive Kitteridge~ Elizabeth Strout

3.      The Celestine Prophecy~ James Redfield

4.      State of Wonder~ Ann Patchett

5.      The Hobbit~ JRR Tolkien

6.      Charlotte’s Web~ EB White

7.      What Dreams May Come~ Richard Matheson

8.      The Secret Life Of Bees~ Sue Monk Kidd

9.      The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle~ David Wroblewski

10.  Watership Down~ Richard Adams

11.  Jane Eyre~ Charlotte Bronte

12.  The Postmistress~ Sarah Blake

13.  The Kite Runner~ Khaled Hosseini

14.  A Thousand Splendid Suns~ Khaled Hosseini

15.  Water For Elephants~ Sara Gruen

16.  Snowflower and the Secret Fan~ Lisa See

17.  Life Of Pi~ Yann Martel

18.  Nine Faces of Christ~ Eugene Whitworth

19.  The Joy Luck Club~ Amy Tan

20.  Love In the Time Of Cholera~ Gabriel Garcia Marquez

21.  The Book Thief~ Markus Zusak

22.  On The Banks Of Plum Creek~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

23.  Elegance Of The Hedgehog~ Muriel Barberry

24.  Like Water For Chocolate~ Laura Esquivel

25.  Gift From The Sea~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh

26.  Stones From The River~ Ursla Hegi

27.  The Tomten and the Fox~ Astrid Lindgren

28.  The Four Agreements~ Don Miguel Ruiz

29.  A Tree Grows In Brooklyn~ Betty Smith

30.  Mists of Avalon~ Marion Zimmer Bradley

31.  The World Is Flat~ Thomas Friedman

32.  Alice In Wonderland~ Lewis Carroll

33.  Thirteen Original Clan Mothers~ Jamie Sams

34.  The Giving Tree~ Shel Silverstein

35.  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society~ M. Schaffer and A. Barrows

36.  The Bastard Of Istanbul~ Elif Shafak

37.  Outlander (Series)~ Diana Gabaldon

38.  East Of The Sun~ Julia Gregson

39.  The Art of Racing In The Rain~ Garth Stein

40.  Sarah’s Key~ Tatiana de Rosnay

41.  Harry Potter(series)~ JK Rowling

42.  Brida~ Paulo Coelho

43.  Our Lady of the Forest~ David Guterson

44.  The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox~ Maggie O’Farrell

45.  As A Man Thinketh~ James Allen