My Favorite 10 . . . Books

I've been trying to come up with something to blog about for a while now, but I haven't been able to think of something to say.  This morning, my sister gave me the right excuse.  She "challenged" me to share my top 10 books that have touched me in some way.  I thought a simple list was a little boring without the reasons why.  Being the lazy mom that I am, one of the things that I love doing with my kids is sitting in a snugly chair reading.  Sometimes I like it even better without kids and with a book that doesn't contain pictures.  So without further ado, my list of books, some adult, some children.

1.  Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
This is an amazing book about a small town in England that makes the decision that no one will leave or enter the town when The Plague arrives.  The heroine is one of the strongest female characters I've read in any book.  She endures, she survives, and she learns to live again.  I will admit to absolutely loving historical fiction, especially when it's done as well as this.




2.  My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Piccoult
Holy tear fest Batman!  I read this book when my daughter was 2.  If you read the book the significance of that age will hit you.  I think I started crying about 10 pages in and didn't stop until about an hour after I read the last page.  I haven't read any of her other books and I'm surely not picking this one up again to see if it stands the test of time.





3.  On the Day You Were Born - Debra Fraser
I dare you to read this to your kiddos and not tear up.  You wouldn't think that kids would enjoy it that much.  The pictures aren't exciting.  There's no real action.  The story isn't particularly exciting.  But the poetry of the language is magical.  Reading "We are so glad you've come." while your baby, regardless of size, snuggles in your lap is one of the best experiences of my life.



4.  God's Dream - Desmond Tutu

For those of you who know me, you know I'm not evangelical in any way.  I don't tell people that I'll pray for them, even though I do.  I don't talk about how amazing God is on Facebook, even though I think it sometimes.  I'm Christian, mostly, but I don't advertise it or talk about it.  So when our minister gave this to my daughter I was a little reluctant to read it.  What a mistake!  It's a beautiful story of God's dream that all people in the world will learn to live in harmony.  That we will learn that just because our outsides look different it does not change our humanity.  It's Christian the way I do Christianity and it's beautiful, filled with love and not an ounce of judgment in any way.

5.  The Night Before Christmas
This is the book my dad read to my sister and me every year on Christmas Eve.  I have many memories of spending the night at my Grandmother's house, sitting on the edge of the bed on Christmas Eve and listening to this book.


6.  The Politics of Reality - Marilyn Frye
The book that taught me how to think from a feminist perspective.  It has challenged me and pushed me.  I constantly go back to it and find new ideas that I haven't thought of or new ways to think about old ideas.









7.  Do They Hear You When You Cry - Fauziya Kassindja
In college I founded a group that worked to end violence against women.  It was the first time I had ever hear of FGM.  Fauziya Kassindja was on the same episode of Oprah where I learned about V-Day.  So I bought the book.  It took me two years to work up the nerve to actually read this account of a girl who sought political asylum in the US in order to avoid a forced FGM and eventual marriage.




8.  The Help - Kathryn Stockett
Honestly, the book itself was just okay to me.  Stockett's author's note at the end is what made this for me.  Her description of coming to terms with both loving her black nanny and being taught that black people were less than was one of the best explanations of those feelings I've ever read.





9.  Into Thin Air - John Krakauer
This is a book that makes you feel like a terrible person for liking it.  You know that pretty much everyone really dies.  It's a true story written by someone who survived.  Krakauer writes it so well though that you tend to forget it's non-fiction.






10.  The Velveteen Rabbit - Margery Williams
I vividly remember sitting under a tree in a friend's yard sounding out the words in this book.  I think I was in Kindergarten at the time.  When I was finally old enough to read and understand this story I just thought it was cool that a toy came to life.  As an adult, the story of love is one of my favorites.  Love is what makes us real.  It's not often pretty.  And as most mommies know, true love often tends to have negative effects on our bodies - just check out those stretch marks from kid #2.  The good news is, love also doesn't care.