MY TOP TEN FAVE BOOKS
It’s the ultimate book-nerd dilemma: What are your favorite books of all time?
But as all book nerds know, it’s not easy winnowing it down. Particularly because a true book nerd has a GoodReads list, an Amazon wishlist, a Kindle library, and a Jenga-type pile of books on their nightstand, the floor, or in a corner taunting them daily with, “Read us, read us, read us!" Will I ever have enough time to read all of them before adding that one book that causes this pile to topple over and solidify my status as a crazy book lady living among hoards of books? The struggle is real, book friends!
So, I will preface my list below by saying that these are my favorite books up until this moment in time. I have books (and books and books!) I want to read and hope to read someday when, alas, I’m retired and living in an empty nest. But, for now, I fit in reading as much as I can but these books... These are the ones I’ve read and re-read. These are the ones that I remember where I was sitting when I finished them for the first time. These are the ones that I would take with me if stranded on a dessert island. These are the ones that made me fall in love with reading for the first time or all over again every time I re-read them.
Love these, too? Not so fond of them? Share your faves in the comments!
01
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
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It’s a cliche that this is one of the best books ever written and that female readers especially love this book, but, cliches are cliches for a reason—because there is some truth to them. And this book is very popular because it IS that good. It’s quite possibly the perfect mix of social commentary of Britain’s Regency Era, the depiction of an arguably feminist protagonist during a time when women were truly subjugated, and a hate-to-love romance. It has enthralled readers for decades—in book, movie, play, and TV miniseries forms—and doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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I first read this in middle school. I remember having a little trouble with the “period” language, but I fell for Lizzie and Darcy right away. Since Sam and Diane started bickering over the bar in Cheers, I’ve always loved a good “will-they-won’t-they” “I hate you, no I really love you" romance. I also can’t help but root for the strong-willed girl from the crazy family who gets to triumph over societal dictates and find her happily-ever-after with the rich, but still decent and “violently-in-love-with-her” guy. In every re-read, I still cheer when Lizzie tells off the odious Catherine DeBourgh.
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And really has their ever been a first line of a book that summed it up so perfectly?
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“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”
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I adore this book and am thrilled it has withstood the test of time.
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02
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
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03
The Time-Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
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04
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
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05
Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
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06
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
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07
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
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08
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
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09
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10
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