What are your Favorite Books?
“Books give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything”
Plato
I am a graduate of Indiana University with a double major in Comparative Literature and History. As you can imagine I really like books. I grew up an unashamed ‘book worm’ and in my free time, or even my lunch breaks, you could often find me sitting with a fresh cup of coffee devouring my latest book.
Sadly after having moved multiple states in the last few years my physical book collection isn’t what it once was, and I finally broke down and purchased a Kindle. But my preference is always physical books. I often find myself wandering around the Barnes in Noble in Plymouth Meeting looking for a new favorite book. I even have a Pinterest board filled with ideas of what my dream home library would look like.
Recently I found a lovely book store/coffee shop in Roxborough that I can walk to from my house called Read & Eat. It is my new favorite place. You walk in and there is a full service café with coffee, chocolate treats and the further you walk the prettier it gets. There is a large 2 story room with floor to ceiling bookshelves on all walls filled with books! And they have great deals on books, I got a beautiful gilded copy of Anna Karenina by Tolstoy for only $7!
Enough about my love for books and bookstores. Below is a list of a few of my favorite books. I have a wide range of interests, most of them skew towards fiction but I’ve always felt that fictional stories, be it books, tv, movies, or even music are a way for us to view our world from the outside and learn important life lessons. In my opinion you’re never too old to read a fairytale, actually one of my favorite author’s C.S. Lewis states that sentiment more eloquently than I can
“Someday you’ll be old enough to start reading fairytales again.”
Sarah’s List of Favorite Books
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
I love the entire series but if I had to ranks them, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and the Last Battle would be my top 3. If you like this series be sure to check out his Space Trilogy, same great writing and even more imaginative! Who knew you could get more imaginative than talking animals…
Harry Potter by JK Rowling
Again I love the entire series but if I had to choose, The Prisoner of Azkaban, Order of the Phoenix, and The Deathly Hallows are the best of the series. This is the series that made me fall in love with reading and has stood as one of my favorites over the years.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
I read this for the first time a couple years ago and was surprised by how impactful Dale Carnegie’s writing was and how clearly it spoke to me. A definite read for anyone getting ready to enter the business world.
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Best character driven mystery I’ve ever read. And a Newbery Award Winner.
Love Does by Bob Goff
I could talk about Bob Goff’s writing for hours! But this book has a special place in my heart because he talks about loving people and treating them the way you would want to be treated.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
I’ve always been a fan of the classics, and it has been a tough race between Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice for me, but Jane’s clear and unadulterated view of the world and how she takes life by the horns always made her come out ahead.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
A story of revenge, lost love, family drama, wealth, and hidden identity, what’s not to love!? It also inspired the tv show Revenge which is one of my favorite Netflix binges at the moment.
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Ok I know this is one is a play but I just had to include it. And I’ve read the play instead of seeing it acted out so that count’s as a book right? A brilliant comedy with compelling characters and lots of sarcasm, sounds perfect to me.
Sarah’s Need to Read List
Like any good literature student I always have a list of books I “want to read”, and I usually am in the middle of 2-3 at any given time. Below is the short version, my top picks that are up next. If you have any suggestions to add, let me know!
Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
I’ve read the 1st in the series but haven’t been able to get to the rest yet.
Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee
The prequel to To Kill A Mockingbird. I’ve heard mixed reviews but still interested to see how this one turns out.
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
I’ve always been a fan of Arthurian legend and I hear this is one of the absolute best.
Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter
Probably the closest I’ll ever get to actually seeing the play Hamilton.
Killing Kennedy by Bill O’Reilly
I’ve read one of the previous books he wrote entitled Killing Jesus and think this one would make my inner history nerd very happy since Kennedy was one of my favorite presidents to study.
