“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! — When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
How true those words are in my life…though my “library” is Amazon, sites like Goodreads and the multitude of bookstores within a 15-minute drive of my home.
We all deserve to take a break from the daily grind and to immerse ourselves in a captivating story. This Mother’s Day, I offer some of the books that have made me laugh and cry — stories that keep me up reading late into the night.
Depending on my mood, I enjoy a good biography, romance, historical fiction, or fantasy novel, as well as a smattering of Civil War narratives. I’ve listed some perennial favorites as well as a few new titles at the top of my reading list.
What books make your all-time favorite list? Share them here.
Biography
- Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
- Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi with J. R. Moehringer, Jr. (Read my book review.)
- Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
- Shadow of the Titanic: The Extraordinary Stories of Those Who Survived by Andrew Wilson
Romance Classic / Contemporary
- Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
- Green Darkness by Anya Seton
- Splendor of Silence by Indu Sundarsan
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin
- The Orchard by Jeffrey Stepakoff (read author interview.)
- Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypus
Historical Fiction
- The Killer Angels: A Novel of the Civil War by Michael Shaara (This Pulitzer Prize winner topped my list of three must-reads of the war-time experience.)
- 11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King
- Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
- The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
- The Dovekeepers: A Novel by Alice Hoffman
- The House of Velvet and Glass by Katherine Howe
- One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus
Fantasy
- The Talisman by Stephen King
- A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Night Play by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Sherrilyn is quoted in my 2010 and 2011 DragonCon posts.)
Other Fiction
- Midwives A Novel by Chris Bohjalian
- The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
- The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner (out July 2012)
I printed this… thanks for all the lovely recommendations. Happy Mother’s Day!!
My favorites…
The Langhorne Sisters, James Fox (nonfiction)
The Help, Kathryn Stockett
Stones from the River, Ursula Hegi
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot (nonfiction)
And too many more to count. Those popped into my head right away.
(I must say my mother-daughter written and inspired book, Depression Cookies, here too.)
Have a wonderful mother’s day.
Thanks for sharing your list – The Help I’ve read and agree it’s a good read. Will need to check out the others. Hve a great Mother’s Day!
great list! I see a lot of new to-reads there! 😀