I was in Barnes & Noble the other day, and I discovered what may very well become my new favorite book. It's called Listography. It's a journal that consists of list suggestions for every entry, i.e. "List the names of every pet you've had," "list your favorite books," etc. I think this was made for me. As a registered listographer (yes, there is such a thing as a "registered listographer;" it's like being a registered Republican, but not really), my life is organized and sustained by lists. I have one for everything. Seriously. Everything.
So, as a registered listographer, which is such a thing, I have decided I must purchase this journal. I actually wrote "purchase list journal" on my To Do List. Under that is "bathe dog" and "finish bridal shower invitations list." My To Do List just spawns more lists, which then must be expanded, perfected, and completed. That's a lot of post-its to keep track of! That's the second reason I need this journal... so I can keep track of the list of reasons why I need this journal.
Anyway, before I list every list on my list of lists to keep track of, I thought I would kick off this list party with a little list. Say that ten times fast. With a lisp.
My Favorite Books Of All Time,
being the official list of books that I considered worthy of the "My Favorite Books Of All Time" list:
1.) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
This book changed my whole way of thinking. After I finished it, I immediately picked it back up and read it again. One could summarize it as a romance, but one would be missing the point entirely. I would lecture one and make one read it again.
2.) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
I read it for the first time in middle school, and thought it was a sad story about racism and civil rights in the South. I read it again in high school, and thought it was a sweet and poignant coming-of-age story. I read it again this year, and realized what it really is: awesome, just awesome.
3.) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
I love Mark Twain. Not only is everything he writes immensely funny, it's thought-provoking and highly entertaining.
4.) The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
What can be said about this series? It's the father of modern fantasy? Check. It's the best movie trilogy ever? Check. Orc-killing? Check. Action? Check. Love? Elves? Hairy feet? Magic jewelry? Check, check check, and check. (Notice: I just made a list within this list)
5.) Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
When I was a kid, my mom would take my siblings and me to the library once every two weeks. Once every two weeks, for the entirety of my childhood, I checked out this book. I have read it more times than I have read any other book. I loved every single character and dreaded the days I had to take it back to the library. Even now, whenever I go to the library, I have to make a stop at the junior fiction room and look at that book. I pet the cover of it, like it's my puppy. It's strange, I know, but I really like this book.
6.) The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
I picked up this book on a whim one day, because the cover is very pretty and it holds together many, many pages. I cannot resist long books with pretty covers. I wasn't expecting much from the story, but I ended up loving it. It reads like a fairytale or a poem. It reminded me of the way I used to feel when I was a kid, and I would get so caught up in a book that I would forget that the real world existed and that I was, unfortunately, stuck in it. The story covers a couple generations of women trying to unravel a haunting mystery (I should be a synopsis writer), with short, Grimm-like fairytales woven throughout.
7.) Manning by Peyton and Archie Manning
This book is great not only because I am a dedicated Manning fan, but because it's actually a good book. Archie and Peyton are unaffected, conversational writers, and they discuss football, family, growing up in the deep South, and just growing up. It's funny and engaging... unless you're a Patriots fan. But that doesn't matter, because all Patriots fans are illiterate and the most engaging thing in a Pats fan's life is watching Tom Brady cry over his long hair or something. Ahem... what was I talking about? Books? Right, moving on... Tom Brady is a pansy!
8.) Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose
I am a registered history buff (you can register for anything, nowadays), so I love Stephen E. Ambrose, but this remains his standout book to me. It reads like a novel, not a lecture. The men in the novel are not portrayed as superheroes or as being unrealistically perfect. They are men, who followed orders to protect their country, and learned the hard way how damaging war is. The men in the book aren't Captain America, but that's what made the story so perfect. It successfully achieves Aristotle's theory of catharsis through tragedy. Besides the human interest element, it offers a detailed history lesson of Europe in WWII, which is precisely why my brother loved it so much. I tried explaining the catharsis thing to him, but he just said he liked all the pages describing the weapons they used... *sigh* Greek theory is lost on him.
9.) Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Technically not a book, but I've never actually seen it acted out (Mel Gibson does not count), so I'm considering it a book. This is by far my favorite Shakespeare play. (Second? Macbeth, followed by Much Ado About Nothing). It's so dark and, at times, extremely confusing, but you can't help but root for Hamlet to succeed, even though the man is freaking crazy and his only goal is to kill preeeetty much everyone around him. There are only two characters in literature that maintain their craziness while still making the reader love them: Hamlet and Scarlett O'Hara. And Kate from Taming of the Shrew (especially Elizabeth Taylor's portrayal in the 1967 film.) And Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment. And Catherine and Heathcliff... Okay, consider my previous point about unlikeable characters moot. Moving on.
10.) A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
Of all Twain's novels, I found this one to be the wittiest, the most satirical, and the funniest. Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer are mischievous, Joan of Arc is moving, but Hank Morgan is hilarious. There's other stuff in there too; maybe some allegories and social commentaries and such, but the humor stands out the best.
Okay, so there it is in all it's glory. My top 10 favorite, best-loved, most read books of all time. I love lists and books, and lists about books, and even books about lists.
What are some of your lists?
Sarah
