'Jane Eyre, 'Running with Scissors' and More!

Below is a list of my top five favorite novels and quick blurbs and summaries about why. But why should you read my list? I can not really answer that except to say that I like books that keep me reading, books that make want to read more, books that are smart and books that are written by great writers. For those of us who consider ourselves writers as well, these books are what made me, and still make me, want to stay and always be a writer.

In order of least to most.

5. "Jane Eyre"
By Charlotte Bronte

I read this book more than once because when I first read it, I did not understand it. I was in an all girls private school, and they gave it to us in eighth grade. I was definitely too young for it. When I switched to public school the next year, they did not give us this book until my senior year, and by then, I just wanted to do well enough to get into college rather than understand a book I was reading. Finally, I indulged myself once more in college and loved this book about a modern woman for her times (the book was publsihed in the 1840's) who becomes a governess at a strange house where strange things happen - noises from a cellar, teaching the master's ward who he claims is not his own etc...Jane is a woman who is strong and wants a full life which was not the way of life during the 1800's. The book is eerie, mysterious, romantic and thrilling.

4. "Running with Scissors"
By Augusten Burroughs

This book was so bizarre and raw, I could not put it down, even though sometimes, I wanted to out sheer necessity. A young boy who has an alcoholic dad and a crazy mother ends up living with his psychiatrist's family which is not exactly a healthy environment either. I was rivetted and appalled and stunned and even warmed by this book. It was worth every word I read. I heard there was a movie made, but I never saw it. The book was enough for me, and my guess is the movie was not quite as good. (I also read his book "Dry" which I also thought was very well written.)

3. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
(as well as "The Girl who played with Fire" and "The Girl who kicked the Hornet's Nest")
By Stieg Larsson

I am not sure which is more exciting, this fabulous trilogy about mystery, family, murder, sexual assaults, media, police, secret security, love and death or the story about the author himself who died right after he turned in the manuscripts to these books. The author having his own intriguing real-life story made the first book more exciting for me, but the writing in all of the books, the details and the stories of crime(s) in Sweden are amazing.

2. "The Catcher in the Rye"
By J.D. Salinger

I was always fascinated that Salinger was a recluse, which could have been part of my intrigue with this novel. I always felt like only boys would love this book, but I was blown away the first time I read it and have read it over and over since then. The main character is a teenager, 17, on the verge of becoming an adult, but he can't seem to cope with the adult world. We spend three days with him while he tries to figure himself out through teachers, friends, girlfriends and family. A great book for a lot of us who were not sure what was next for us after the possible agony of high school.

1. "I Know this much is True"
By Wally Lamb

I loved this book. And it's long. A lot of pages. And when I got to the end, I was almost depressed. I wanted more. I wanted to know more. Lamb's excellent writing drew me in from the start and kept me involved and caring about every word said, every character that was important and every emotion felt. This story about twin brothers, both with "ailments" (one was badly abused as a child and the other is paranoid schizophrenic) in their forties is so painful, but even when each one does horrible things, we are still rooting for them to help themselves, to find themselves, to find peace in themselves. Because no matter what, there are small pieces of us within these characters, and even though we don't want to admit that, we understand. A great, great novel.