The first job I ever applied for was at my public library. I had been a camp counselor in my early teens, but at sixteen I was ready for job during the school year that would earn me some dough to spend on shoulder pads and hairspray. As part of my interview, I had to alphabetize a bunch of cards from the card catalog, while being evaluated on accuracy and speed.
The largest library in the world, the Library of Congress.
I didn’t get the job, presumably because I didn’t alphabetize fast enough. I then applied for and secured a job as a waitress at Friendly’s, making more money but wearing much more polyester than any human should ever wear.
My rejection did not damper my love for all libraries, however. At any given time I have at least two books checked out, and being surrounded by millions of pages of writing makes me happy. February is Library Lover’s Month, and in honor of this occasion I am sharing my ten favorite books of all time.
They may not be my favorite books ever, actually. They are the ten most favorite that I can remember, though, and listed in the approximate order in which I originally read them.
1. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
This is the first book I remember loving; I think I read it in late elementary school. When I saw it on a Scholastic Book form that Gwen brought home when she was in elementary school, I bought it for her. She was not interested and never read it, which makes me very sad.
2. Why Have the Birds Stopped Singing? By Zoa Sherburne
Last year I was thinking of this book, and how much I loved it as a teenager. I googled it and bought an old copy on Ebay, since it is out of print. I’m sure it took me longer to read it back then, but this time it took me less than two hours. The tale of teenage Katie going back in time as her great-great-great grandmother enthralled me as a girl, solidifying my love for time travel in literature. It was not as grand a love story as I remember, but that’s because I’m no longer fourteen and starry-eyed.
3. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
As required book for freshman English in high school, this novel made me begrudgingly admit that sometimes books I had to read were books I loved to read.
4. Watership Down by Richard Adams
I adored this book as a teenager, and I read it over and over. I haven’t read it since then; I’m afraid I won’t love it as much and I don’t want that to happen.
5. The Earth’s Children series by Jane Auel
I went through quite a lengthy period of devouring novels about prehistoric humans; Matt used to ask me if I was reading another one of my “caveman books.” Auel’s Clan of the Cave Bear started it all, and no other author’s attempts ever measured up. My mother sent me the fourth book for Valentine’s Day during my sophomore year of college; it was the best care package ever.
6. Night by Elie Wiesel
This was required reading for a Judaism course during my senior year of college, and it’s one of the few books from college that I’ve kept. I don’t know if I’ll ever read it again, but I feel like I need to hold onto the book as a way of never forgetting.
7. The Outlander series by Diana Galbadon
I’ve written about my love for these books before, so I won’t say anymore. Actually, I just searched “Outlander” on this site and came up with seven posts in which I mentioned this series. I could spend the better part of a year reading these eight massive novels, and I will probably do that at some point (for the third time).
8. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
It’s not a favorite for the text or the weird drawings, but for the memories associated with it. I read this with each of my children every night for what seemed like a million nights. I hope to read the very same board book to my grandchildren.
9. I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb
I don’t even remember the details of this book, but it’s never left me. I can’t explain why, but I just know that it made a difference to me. I closed the book and thought, “I’m so glad I read this.”
10. Me Before You by JoJo Moyes
I couldn’t shake this book for days after I finished it. I read it before it became popular, so I had no idea where it was taking me. It’s being made into a movie, and I’m not sure I’m going to see it unless I feel the need for a really good cry.
I read dozens of good books every year, but most of my top ten are those I read over a decade ago. I think a book needs time to seep into my psyche, and to settle into the my brain and heart before I can declare it one of my favorites.
What is one of your favorite books?
Stay tuned later this month for my first book review post of 2015, but if you need a good book before then, check out my recommendations.
Ok, I think you need to join our book club telephonically or something because you have the same taste in books as I do, which means you would totally fit in! LOL Loved “Island of the Blue Dolphins” when I was a kid. My sixth grade boy just read it and I don’t think it was the same for him. Also loved “Night”. Re: “The Outlander” series, have not read the books but I L-O-V-E the series on STARZ. I am counting the days until it returns. “Me Before You” another great read. So here would be my choices: “Big Little Lies” and “The Husband’s Secret” by Liane Moriarty, very clever and well written. “Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett is one of my all time faves. “The Forgotten Garden” by Kate Morton another book I loved. For kids’ books, “Where the Wild Things Are” and “Love You Forever” are two I will always keep and read to my kids, even as they grow and complain. : ) P.S. I am a library junkie too. My mom was a HS librarian and my first job was in a book store.
Kirsten – you have to read Outlander! The series is a great adaptation, but the books are even better. I completely agree with all your picks (although I still haven’t read Big Little Lies). I’m still hoping I’ll work at the library one day…
I think I read Island of the Blue Dolphins in school. I’m drawing a blank on my favorite books…the only one I can think of Harry Potter series!
I never read those! I’m sure I’d like them, but there are just too many other books I want to read too.
Of how I’d love to work at a library! Me Before You is one of my all time faves as well!
I still may work there one of these days…
Goodnight Moon still sits on my book shelf, it’s one of three that I couldn’t ever part with because I read them so many times and they hold special memories even though I may have been exhausted at the time. Such a weird book to love huh? I haven’t ready any of your favs. Me Before You sounds familiar, so if it is indeed and old book I probably read it before it became popular. I’ll have to read the description.
Me Before You is the most recent book on that list – 2012 maybe?
I love posts like this. So interesting to see people’s favorites. For me, number one would have to be To Kill a Mockingbird. I feel like it’s the book that made me a reader. Then in no particular order Catcher in the Rye, Pride and Prejudice, Beloved, One Hundred Years of Solitude, White Noise, anything by Alice Munro or Francine Prose. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Plus Game of Thrones. Libraries are my happy place. Plus bookstores. Have no idea it was Library Lover’s Month!
I didn’t either, Liz – there’s a month for everything, isn’t there? I still have Beloved and TKAM on my bookshelf – just couldn’t donate them like I’ve done with so many others.
I love lists like this! I keep hearing about Clan of the Cave Bear from a really wide assortment of people, I think that means I should try it! I love that you have books on the list that you loved when you read them but you can’t even remember them or don’t want to revisit them. The Power of One is like that for me, it was such a powerful book for me to read at the time (I think I was a sophomore in HS) but now I’m afraid it would be sentimental schlock. I will give it credit for exposing me to a part of history (apartheid South Africa) that I had no idea existed at the time I read it.
Some books are just not meant to be revisited…you want the memory to stay pure and good!
Gosh Dana, is it pathetic that I haven’t heard of any of these books? I need to get my eyes INTO SOME BOOKS!! Ack!
Which ONE out of these do you think I would really really love… I’m thinking “Me Before you” because I am a weeping mess of an emotional woman! lol
I have been reading (still) “Fly a Little Higher” (almost done) and a parenting book I am going to review this month. I want to read “I Am Malala”… it was a gift this Christmas, and I cannot WAIT to get into it.
Yes to Me Before You – read that one first! You will love it.
Gwen wrote a paper about Malala last year…how inspiring.
My go-to answer is Son Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. I’m going to change it up. “They Call Me Coach,” by John Wooden, reads like a guide for me. Not only on the sideline, but as a dad, and in life.
It’s interesting that the books we love are sometimes the ones we didn’t want to read in the first place.
Also, where’s the photo of you in your Friendly’s uniform?
I’m not a big Hemingway fan, but I did enjoy the Paris Wife, which is an historical fiction novel about Ernie and his first wife. Not the same, huh?
There is no photo of me in my Friendly’s uniform. And that is on purpose. It was the blue and white checkered dress that was heavy duty polyester. It would come out of the washing machiine almost completely dry, and NOTHING would stain it. Very fashionable.
I loved Clan Of The Cave Bear series too, although the last book was rather disappointing to me. Lesson learned: do not read that particular series during class – the teacher might get curious and demand you read it outloud right when you get to the tricky scenes between Ayla and Jondalar. I have a list of my favorite books somewhere but two that stick out the most are The Little Prince and Seagull Jonathan Livingstone.
I didn’t love the last book either, but I did like the way she wrapped it all up. I do like happy endings!
I used to work at my County Library as a Librarian Assistant… it was an awesome job. Great list, btw, thank you so much for sharing! <3 – http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com
I’m jealous – I always wanted to work at the library. Maybe someday…I do check for job openings sometimes.
It was fun, but the glamour DID wear off after awhile, lol! Our head research librarian was quite literally going senile (I wish I were joking) and it made working under her VERY hard…
One of my favorite books ever is To Kill a Mockingbird- and I just found out Harper Alex is releasing a second novel, with Scout all grown up and visiting her father. Can’t wait to read it.
My book club picked Me Before You to read this year, along with the Rosie Project- we’ll have to discuss. 😉
Yes – let’s discuss! My next book club pick is Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – did you read that? It’s a YA book, but good for middle schoolers too.
Loved loved Me Before You. That Wally Lamb book has been hibernating on my bookshelf for ages – must read. Night? Yes, a book to always remember. Thanks for the list; I adore books!
My pleasure, Amy. I love books too!
Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (By The Bloggess)…yes…let me tell you…if this woman can make a person on a psych ward laugh…..let me rephrase that….if this woman can make a severely depressed suicidal person on a psych ward laugh to the point of almost wetting herself, then she did a helluva good job. It’s not a life changing book and all that jazz, but it’s real and I connected with the dysfunction of it all.
I also read Wally Lamb’s book and I cannot recall the exact details of it, but it’s one of the few books that I refuse to get rid of. I think it’s time I go back and read it!
I love that you put in a child’s book. Mine are all of Robert Munsch’s…you know the guy who wrote the tear jerker “I love you forever”
I read the Bloggess’ book – didn’t love it, but I liked it. And Robert Munsch – he’s a definite favorite!
I think I need to give the Outlander series another go. I read like 20 pages of the first one and couldn’t get into it. Now granted Eve was 3 months old and I was still a bit sleep deprived, so that may have had something to do with it 😉 You always share such great books, Dana!
The first 100 or so pages of Outlander were a bit boring for me – it really gets started once Claire goes through the stones to the 18th century. Give it another shot!
So many books on your list I haven’t read! I think it’s because I grew up in a different country… Sometimes I get sad that I’ll never read all the books I want to. I’m with you on Outlander (I confess it’s why I dragged my family to Scotland this winter), but I cannot get passed the fourth.
My very favorite book of all time is Jane Eyre.
Can you believe I never read that? So many classics I never read, but so many other books that distract me from reading them.
I’m so jealous you went to Scotland! Did you watch the series on Starz? I can’t wait for it to come back in April.
I’ve read Watership Down and most definitely Night…one of the most powerful books ever. Good list and I remember the cards too, Dana! 🙂
Remember how they were typed on a typewriter? Ah, the good old days…
I can always count on you for a good book list!
Thanks Jen!
I hope you enjoyed your flare when fridays got you instead of the library:) awwww Thanks for the post a great read for book suggestions!
darn it I read it wrong so never mind Friendly’s didn’t have flare, just great ice cream:) doh!
My pleasure!
As far as the best books I’ve read, I agree with your distinction that they might not be the best pieces of literary works but for one reason or another, they stuck with me. I’d include The Little Prince, Beach Music and Still Alice. It might be cliche but I’d definitely put To Kill A Mockingbird on my list. And now Harper Lee is publishing her second novel!
I read that online yesterday – how exciting!
Oh – I always love to hear about new books to read; even though I rarely ever get the chance to read them myself. The Sweet Valley Twins and Babysitter’s Club books were probably my first addiction. Then I started with required reading in High School and loved most of the pics – the ones that stand out right now are The Rapture of Canaan, Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man, and just about anything from Barbara Kingsolver.
I’ve never read any of her books – more to add to the list!
Goodnight Moon is classic! The spoof books are pretty funny, too.
They are…it’s amazing how funny a kids’ book can be when you pick it apart.
Wow, some of those took me down memory lane! Like Island of the Blue Dolphins. That’s an oldie!
I still think Time Traveler’s Wife is one of my favorites, and maybe The Lovely Bones but it’s so dated now that I don’t know if it would touch me the same way.
Probably, it would.
I loved both of those, too – it was hard to pick just ten!
When I made my list for today of books I plan to read, I consulted your previous lists!!! I almost did a list of children’s books for today, but I had done that before & Good Night Moon was on that list. My oldest also read I stand of the Blue Dolphins. It was assigned for a project, but she liked it a lot.
I’m glad someone’s daughter read it!
What a cool first job that MIGHT have been. 😉 Mine was at a candy store and I gained ten pounds in a year.
Anyway, I could never make a top ten list for all time faves, but if I did, I would for sure put A Separate Peace on there. Good call!
Friendly’s wasn’t the best place for my figure, either – lots of ice cream.
A top ten list was hard – I’m sure there are others that I forgot. I wish I had started keeping track of what I read when I was a teenager!
great post. i could spend my life in a library, surrounded by books. i used to think i could become a librarian, but figured what was the point of getting a degree in library science, might as well just read books!
Exactly! Visiting the Library of Congress was like arriving in the Motherland for me. Just to know how many books were in those buildings…amazing. Did you know there are over 800 miles of bookshelves there? We could read forever and not make a dent.
Thanks for sharing! I haven’t read any of these books! Making a list…..
Make sure you check out my huge list of more recent books, Jenessa. I read lots of different genres, so you’re bound to find something you like.
Thank you. I will look through it now! 🙂
Goodnight Moon is the only board book that we still have – I just can’t get rid of it!
Another of my favorite to read my boys is I’ll Love You Forever – I cry every time I read it.
My favorite book ever is Little Women!!
I have both of those books too! I have the copy of Little Women that I read as a kid, and Gwen read it too. That makes me happy.
This is SUCH an interesting, varied list of books! I had a theory that only males really loved A Separate Peace (I detested it), but here you’ve proved me wrong.
Ha – I guess I have! And it’s not one of those books I gushed over; I just remember being really moved by it. And at age 14, being moved by a book is pretty rare (unless it’s a Judy Blume book).
What a great list. There are a couple I hadn’t heard of, that I’ll be looking into….and this is the second time I’ve seen Me Before You—might have to add that to my TBR list for this year!!!
It’s a good one, Teresa. Definitely read it before you see the movie, if you plan on seeing it. I like to read a book before an actor has been cast, so I can imagine the character however I want.
I read Night in high school. I see it on the book shelf at my parents’ house whenever I go to visit. Just seeing the spine brings backs a chilling feeling. I can’t imagine living through the atrocities that he did and I pray that our world will be rid of events like that in my children’s futures.
Me too, Rabia. Have you ever been to the Holocaust Museum? So, so powerful. I don’t think I could go again though.
Looks like I’m going to have to look into the Outlander series. And I forgot about Wally Lamb. I’ll have to read some more of his, too.
I didn’t read Island of the Blue Dolphins until after I’d seen the movie when a friend and I stayed up all night at my one and only birthday slumber party. It was on at 2:00am or so, and I just remember it being scandalous! 🙂
Really? I never saw the movie. But so many movies are horrible adaptations. Clan of the Cave Bear and Watership Down were HORRENDOUS. I wish I could unsee them. Was Island of the Blue Dolphins decent?
I’m going to have to go with no, it was not decent. Of course, I saw it when I was 10 years old, but I vaguely remember seeing it on TV not too many years ago. I didn’t bother watching the whole thing.
Good to know!
Shoulder pads and hairspray made me laugh out loud! Aquanet? Yes to #7 obviously! I can’t read Wally Lamb books, I can’t do depressing or sad books. I would put Pillars of the Earth on my list.
Not Aquanet, but something equally horrible for the environment, I’m sure! I liked Pillars of the Earth – not on the top ten, but good. That wasn’t particularly uplifting though.
Me Before You is definitely on my list as I read it last year and also couldn’t get over it for days. As for others, I also have many over the years and so hard to pick and choose but will add that one that I loved in my teens was The Catcher in the Rye and to this day still is one of my absolute favorites.
Funny – Gwen had to read Catcher in the Rye last year in English and she did not like it at all! I’ve actually never read it, but maybe I should.
My all time favorite book is Gone With the Wind. I’ve read that over and over through the years and I always get something new out of it! I’ll have to check out some of the books on this list!
I’ve never read Gone With the Wind – I’ll add that to my list!
Oh we have so much in common! I love that I can always take your book advice because we have such similar tastes! Three of the favs I share with you are Watership Down (do not attempt to read it again! I did and well, it wasn’t good), Me Before You (I cried buckets!) and I Know This Much Is True. I absolutely love Wally Lamb and, as far as I can remember, the book was about twin brothers (one of whom was mentally ill) and a lot of it took place in a town called Three Rivers in Connecticut! Can’t wait for your 2015 recommendations…
Yep, that’s the Wally Lamb one. I liked his others too, but that one was my favorite. I will not read Watership Down again – thank you for confirming my suspicion that it wouldn’t be as good if I read it again!
For me, it’s definitely tied for first place with My Family and Other Animals, and Birds, Beasts and Relatives – both by Gerald Durrell, both about the time he spent as a boy living on Corfu, just before WWII happened. The descriptions are utterly, utterly magical, and the lustre of that tiny, jewelled Greek island has seeped into my soul the way the sunshine there sinks deep into your skin, and I love them with all my WriterHeart. They are probably the biggest influences on my own writing.
(Shortly followed by Lewis Thomas’s The Medusa and the Snail, and Lives of a Cell, which have collections of essays in them, and there’s one about Bach, one about a whale, and one about parentheses (stacked parentheses, at that (stunningly beautiful ones (because who doesn’t love stunningly beautiful stacked parentheses (and if they don’t, they SHOULD)))) which send me into paroxysms of delight)
I have never heard of any of these books – thank you for expanding my horizons, Lizzi! I love that parentheses delight you – you’re such a word/writing nerd, and I love you for it.
I even have a pic of me somewhere in a ‘Nerd’ hat! *grins*
Stacked parentheses are gorrrrgeous. Beautiful punctuation makes me purr…
FRIST!
yep!