Five Books Everyone Should Read is a new feature we’re running in 2015. We’ve asked some of our favorite authors, readers and bloggers to share five books that touched them or have stayed with them throughout the years.
Holy cow, was this a hard list to come up with! I can think of at least a hundred books everyone should read. How could Holly expect me to narrow it down to just five? Is she crazy? (The answer is yes. She is.) But somehow I did it. So here it is, in no particular order:
The Awakening, originally titled A Solitary Soul, is a novel by Kate Chopin, first published in 1899. Set in New Orleans and the Southern Louisiana coast at the end of the nineteenth century, the plot centers on Edna Pontellier and her struggle to reconcile her increasingly unorthodox views on femininity and motherhood with the prevailing social attitudes of the turn-of-the-century American South. It is one of the earliest American novels that focuses on women’s issues without condescension. It is also widely seen as a landmark work of early feminism, generating mixed reaction from contemporary readers and criticism. The novel’s blend of realistic narrative, incisive social commentary, and psychological complexity makes The Awakening a precursor of American modernist literature; it prefigures the works of American novelists such as William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway and echoes the works of contemporaries such as Edith Wharton and Henry James. It can also be considered among the first Southern works in a tradition that would culminate with the modern masterpieces of Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, Eudora Welty, Katherine Anne Porter, and Tennessee Williams.
I read this my senior year of high school and became completely obsessed with it for several years after. It’s the story of a woman who decides she wants more from life than just to be a wife and a mother. She wants freedom and an identity. It’s a tragic story of self-discovery, and it’s one of the most famous feminist novels written to date. The book has meant different things to me at different times in my life, and no matter how I feel about the choices the protagonist makes and the path she takes, I can’t help but relate to her a little. I think we all can at some time or another. The author’s voice is spectacular. The language in her stories is beautiful and evocative and immersive, and I’ve yet to find another author with such an astounding ability to make me feel.
Bet Me, Welcome to Temptation, and The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie
Welcome to Temptation
Sophie Dempsey wants to help her sister film a video and then get out of Temptation, Ohio. Mayor Phin Tucker wants to play pool with the police chief and keep things peaceful. But when Sophie and Phin meet, they both get more than they want. Gossip, blackmail, adultery, murder, vehicular abuse of a corpse, and slightly perverse but excellent sex: all hell breaks loose in Temptation as Sophie and Phin fall deeper and deeper in trouble… and in love.
Bet Me
This is New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Crusie’s novel about long shots, risk management, true love, and great shoes. . . .
Minerva Dobbs knows how to work the odds.
Calvin Morrisey always plays to win.
But when they face off, neither one is prepared.
Because when real life meets true love, all bets are off. . . .
Minerva Dobbs knows that happily-ever-after is a fairy tale, especially with a man who asked her to dinner to win a bet, even if he is gorgeous and successful Calvin Morrisey. Cal knows commitment is impossible, especially with a woman as cranky as Min Dobbs, even if she does wear great shoes and keep him on his toes. When they say good-bye at the end of their evening, they cut their losses and agree never to see each other again.
But fate has other plans, and it’s not long before Min and Cal meet again. Soon they’re dealing with a jealous ex-boyfriend, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, a determined psychologist, chaos theory, a freakishly intelligent cat, Chicken Marsala, and more risky propositions than either of them ever dreamed of. Including the biggest gamble of all—true love.
The Cinderella Deal
Daisy Flattery is a free spirit with a soft spot for strays and a weakness for a good story. Why else would she agree to the outrageous charade offered by her buttoned-down workaholic neighbor, Linc Blaise? The history professor needs a makeshift fiancée to secure his dream job, and Daisy needs a short-term gig to support her painting career. And so the Cinderella Deal is born: Daisy will transform herself into Linc’s prim-and-proper fiancée, and at the stroke of midnight they will part ways, no glass slippers attached. But something funny happens on their way to make-believe bliss, as a fake engagement unexpectedly spirals into an actual wedding. Now, with Linc and Daisy married and under one roof, what started as a game begins to feel real—and the people who seem so wrong for each other realize they may truly be just right.
I love Jennifer Crusie’s old romances. There’s no way I can pick just one, so I’ll narrow it down to my top three. The first two are pure fun—strong, independent heroines and smart, supportive men who appreciate their lovers’ quirks and flaws. The third is fun too, but it’s also sweet and sad and thoughtful, with some pretty important lessons about staying true to oneself.
The NASB is a smooth reading literal English Bible translation, which provides increased clarity and readability for greater understanding while maintaining superior accuracy to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Trust, discover, and grow in your faith with the NASB today.
This high quality pew Bible is also a great handy size text Bible for daily reading. It’s printed on high quality white Bible paper with a bold 8 point font, making it an excellent value! This Bible is complete with a concordance and 10 full-page maps with incredible detail.
I read it because it’s an important part of my life and the foundation of my faith, but the Bible is also just an important book, both historically and to the literary world. It contains history, moral lessons, love stories, war and intrigue and violence (a chick in the book of Judges hammers a tent stake through a dude’s head!), and it’s just a pretty cool book to read even if you aren’t religious.
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
Full of magic and appealing characters, this classic novel takes readers on a remarkable adventure.
It’s Omri’s birthday, but all he gets from his best friend, Patrick, is a little plastic Indian brave. Trying to hide his disappointment, Omri puts the Indian in a metal cupboard and locks the door with a mysterious skeleton key that once belonged to his great-grandmother. Little does Omri know that by turning the key, he will transform his ordinary plastic Indian into a real live man from an altogether different time and place! Omri and the tiny warrior called Little Bear could hardly be more different, yet soon the two forge a very special friendship. Will Omri be able to keep Little Bear without anyone finding out and taking his precious Indian from him?
I have such fond memories of this series. My fourth-grade teacher read the first book aloud to us in class, and it held me in absolute thrall. What an incredibly vivid and fascinating world this author creates. I can’t recall ever reading another book that sparked my imagination quite like this one. The whole series is great, but the first book is the best. It’s a shame most kids nowadays have never heard of it. (I, Houdini is another of my favorites by this author.)
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chester’s fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary. Since its first publication in 1993, this heartwarming book has become a children’s classic that has touched the lives of millions of children and their parents, especially at times of separation, whether starting school, entering daycare, or going to camp. It is widely used by kindergarten teachers on the first day of school. Stickers at the back will help children and their parents keep their Kissing Hand alive.
When I was in junior high, my mom started the tradition of giving each child a book for Christmas. It was always something meaningful about parents and children, and she would write a sweet message in the front and sign and date it. So my brother and I each now have a shelf full of these beautiful picture books with special notes from our mom, who is still with us and is now continuing the tradition with her grandkids. The first of these was The Kissing Hand, the story of a young fearful raccoon whose mother kisses his hand and tells him to carry the kiss around with him and remember her and not be afraid. It’s so sweet, and it inspired me to start buying a book for each of my kids every Christmas. I still can’t read it without sobbing.
About Jen
Jen B is a former romance blogger/reviewer turned copy editor extraordinare. She’s currently on hiatus from editing to keep up with two demanding kiddos, but she still reads every chance she gets, and tries to keep up with the crazy world of publishing via social media and the good ol’ Romance Gossip Network (which is made up but could totally be a thing).
This was fun! Thanks for having me. 🙂
Thanks for participating, JenB. This year is the year that I get my spirituality back so it’s neat to see the Bible on your list. I loved reading your thoughts on each book. I’m going to have to put The Awakening on my TBR list.