My Favorite Books

Okay, these are not all necessarily my favorite books now. But they were at the time I read them. Each had a profound effect on me for one reason or another. I have listed them in reverse order of that in which I read them. I will be adding more detailed descriptions of each one in the future.

LyingLying: A Metaphorical Memoir
Lauren Slater
(read March, 2003)

This book is harsh and beautiful and most probably untrue. If only I could read writing like this every day. [ 0 comments ]

The Power of Now The Power of Now
Eckhart Tolle
(read April, 2002)

Okay, this is the only book on this list in the "self-help" category. I swear! But it's the only book on meditation and being present (well, besides Thich Nhat Hanh's Miracle of Mindfulness, which is listed below) that makes sense to my damaged brain. Reading it is like waking up from a nightmare. [ 0 comments ]

Infinite Jest Infinite Jest
David Foster Wallace
(read in 2001)

This novel is 1,079 pages long, 100 of which are end notes. I lived with these characters and dreamed about them and was lost for a few days after the story was over. [ 0 comments ]

Ragtime Ragtime
E. L. Doctorow
(read in Summer, 2000)

This book is not at all like the loud, bombastic musical that was based on it. It is quiet and complex. I loved it so much I took notes. [ 0 comments ]

Cruddy Cruddy: An Illustrated Novel
Lynda Barry
(read in 1999)

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The God of Small Things The God of Small Things
Arundhati Roy
(read around 1998)

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The Satanic Verses The Satanic Verses
Salman Rushdie
(read either 1997 or 1998)

Rushdie is a genius. [ 0 comments ]

The Giant's House The Giant's House
Elizabeth McCracken
(read in 1997)

I have to love any book whose first sentence is, "I do not love mankind." This book about the friendship between a cynical librarian and an 8'7" boy is a beautifully written story about a couple of freaks - my favorite kind of people. [ 0 comments ]

Bird by Bird Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
Anne Lamott
(read August, 1996)

The funniest, most entertaining book ever written on writing and the creative process. [ 0 comments ]

The Passion The Passion
Jeanette Winterson
(read in 1991 or 1992)

A masterpiece. Unfortunately, Winterson has never been better, before or since. In fact, each of her subsequent books has been more disppointing than the last one. This one, though, is perfect. [ 0 comments ]

Beloved Beloved
Toni Morrison
(read in 1990 or 1991)

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The Miracle of Mindfulness The Miracle of Mindfulness
Thich Nhat Hanh
(read in 1988)

The first book I ever read on meditation and mindfulness. It was life-changing. You never forget your first, do you? [ 0 comments ]

Writing Down The Bones Writing Down The Bones
Natalie Goldberg
(read in 1988)

This book kept me writing after I graduated from college. [ 0 comments ]

Housekeeping Housekeeping
Marilynne Robinson
(read in 1987)

I remember the language in this book being so delicious, I had to slow way down to savor every word and ended up reading almost the whole thing aloud. [ 0 comments ]

Seeing Through the Sun Seeing Through the Sun
Linda Hogan
(read 1986)

Procrastinating one afternoon, I picked up this book of poetry at the University of Maryland bookstore and was so blown away by it that I decided to make it the topic of my honors thesis. Well, honors never happened. Not because of the book, but my lack of discipline. [ 0 comments ]

Franny and Zooey Franny and Zooey
J. D. Salinger
(read 1985 probably)

This book made the rounds of all the girls in my Honors English class. We thought Salinger was sooo cool. I have no idea what I'd think of this book if I read it again now. [ 0 comments ]

The Book of Nightmares The Book of Nightmares
Galway Kinnell
(read 1984)

Little sleep's-head sprouting hair in the moonlight... [ 0 comments ]

A Little Princess A Little Princess
Frances Hodgson Burnett
(read maybe in 1973)

My favorite book as a child, when I still believed people were basically decent and that if you were good and hardworking and unselfish, you'd be noticed and rewarded in the end. (Hah!) The original Tasha Tudor illustrations are gorgeous. I'd love to find a copy of the original hardback. [ 0 comments ]

Please send me your thoughts on any of these books or your own personal favorites.