Top Book List

As I was browsing through the works on Associated Content I came across Carrie Mathilde's article which made me think of all the years I spent with my nose glued to a book. I love books and reading was my favorite pastime before I had children. Over the years I've read so many books that made an impression on me in some way or another. While bits and pieces stand out from the story within; there are some books that evoke vivid memories.

Some of these books were part of the school curriculum and some weren't; but each touched me none-the-less. From the moment I was read The Mouse and the Motorcycle in kindergarten my love of books has never faltered. The combination of reading was well rounded and I still love to open up these books for the memories that correlate to my past lives.

Lords of Discipline

The Lords of Discipline is by far my favorite novel. Old Southern charm wrapped with love, manipulation and betrayal only stood out even more when I had the chance to visit the Battery during my college years. Every description of the sticky sweet days of summer in Charleston, SC is close to my heart. The Southern portrayal of aristocratic society and true Southern traditions remind me of home.

Wuthering Heights

Of all the books on my junior and high school reading list Wuthering Heights was not one of them. After graduating Georgia Southern University (GSU) I decided there was no way I could graduate from college and never read Wuthering Heights. I purchased a paperback copy and stayed home one afternoon and became so intrigued in Catherine and Heathcliff that I couldn't put it down. Perhaps it was the trials of a love story or the intricacies of the characters that made me love it so much. It was the first book I read in the very first home I ever bought. It was just one of many that would follow in my small southern brick home.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

My family and I were living in Japan at the time and adjusting to the country was a shock. Reading this book for the first time in our new military quarters, on a borrowed couch, in a country where I couldn't speak the language made me realize books were a place of momentary escape. Fantastic Mr. Fox opened the doors for me when it came to reading. Although I had read other books prior; this children's novel made me realize characters on the pages were just as in depth or more than people in real life.

The Iliad, The Odyssey and The Aeneid

The battles between the Gods and mortals always touched me and Mr.Rowe, my freshman and sophomore English teacher at London Central High School, opened up new avenues for books I could and would never have sought out on my own. During my freshman year we read The Iliad, The Odyssey and The Aeneid much to my chagrin. It wasn't until later after re-reading each novel in college that I realized how wonderful these books really were. So much so, the very first book I ever purchased for my daughter before she was born was a leather bound copy of The Iliad. Although it is not everyday reading it's one that I found myself reading to her before she was even born.

Nectar in a Sieve

I was introduced to this book by Dr. Kundu, my comparative literature professor at GSU and after all these years it still stays fresh in my memory. Perhaps it's his interpretation of the novel that makes me remember it so vividly or the fact that people can relate to Rukmani's family struggles on so many levels. After all of these years I can see this small,soft spoken Indian professor and remember what it was like to be in the presence of absolute brilliance.

Little House on the Prairie

Although I never read this book as a youth it is one of my favorites as an adult. Little House on the Prairie was given to my kids from Santa as a Christmas gift and was one I could not wait to read to them. Reading this hit me with the realization of how naive I happened to be on the hardships of the settlers and the differences between children of then and now. Receiving a penny, white flour cookie and piece of mint was a treat for Laura Ingalls and every time I pick this novel up I wonder what my children would do if that's what they received for Christmas.