In no particular order, here they are:
{1} Jane Eyre: by Charlotte Bronte
The first time I read Jane Eyre I thought it was boring and couldn't read past her living at the school as an orphan. Which is ridiculous because that's the very beginning of the book and it's a short section. Eventually my younger sister read it all the way through and was in love with it. So of course, I had to try it out again.
I love this part... "Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless?... And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you."
(Also, just reading that has my mind singing the song from the broadway that uses that exact same line in the lyrics.)
{2} Life of Pi: by Yann Martel
When I was younger, the cousins would draw names for Christmas gifts. One year, the cousin whose name I had drawn had this book on her list. I bought it for her and was immediately curious about it. Eventually I read it and instantly fell in love.
The book has these little nuggets of goodness throughout the book.
"To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation."
That line! It gets me every time.
Some people have a hard time getting into this book. It's slow at first and they can never make it to the ship sinking. Which is a bummer because after that is where it really gets good!
People also have a problem with the ending of this book. I love the idea that it carries though. "The world isn't just the way it is... we bring something to it, no? Doesn't that make life a story?"
It's the idea of creating a story in order to live through or with a moment. To remember things just a little different so you can still enjoy the memory.
If you've seen the movie, Big Fish, the dad does this same thing with elaborating the stories and weaving in all sorts of tall tales. It's his way of becoming immortal through his stories, even though his life was more plain and ordinary.
{3} Cyrano de Bergerac: by Edmond Rostand
I have a special place in my heart for this little play. The movers packed this book with the cover bent and I nearly had a fit when I unpacked it.
I was introduced to this book in high school. It was one of the books we studied in class. It's a play about a man with an abnormally large nose who is very witty and eloquent with words and also handy with a sword. He's in love with Roxana but she sees him as just a good friend. Christian is a new soldier and is very handsome and has caught the attention of Roxana but he gets tongue tied very easily and Roxana wants poetry and eloquence. So Cyrano helps Christian win over Roxana by telling him what to say and writing the letters for him. "You plus I equals one hero of the storybooks,"
Now it doesn't end there of course, but this book has little lines sprinkled throughout that make me laugh out loud sometimes! Cyrano is so witty and clever. "Call it a sort of lie, if you like, but a lie is a sort of myth, and a myth is sort of truth. No reason why Roxana should be disillusioned. Let's start a fruitful collaboration."
{4} The Fountainhead: by Ayn Rand
My last year in junior high, my English teacher gave us a list of books to read for the college bound student. Well, I love reading and I was obviously college bound so I would thumb through the list and underline titles that sounded interesting. Most of the time I had no idea what the book was even about. That's how I discovered The Fountainhead. It's kind of a catchy title and when I found out it was about an architect, I was sold. (I was interested in architecture at the time as well.)
Roark is an architect who battles conventional standards. He is a modern architect and in my mind I envision his style to be similar to Frank Lloyd Wright.
This paragraph defines Roarks ideas about architecture.
The book is all about individualism instead of collectivism. Which is everything Ayn Rand is about. The book is a little bit of a hefty read as far as length goes. But I love her development of characters and her writing.
{5} The Screwtape Letters: by C.S. Lewis
I can't rave enough about this book. I don't even remember how I came across it, but it's high up there on my list. And C.S. Lewis is pure genius.
It's about a devil named Screwtape who writes letters to his nephew devil, Wormwood, about how to go about tempting the human he's been assigned. He gives his nephew advice about how the humans work, what areas they are weak in and how to use that to an advantage.
As you read, you have to flip things around a little to gain the full perspective. When he says, "the Enemy" he's referring to "God."
This is a hefty book, not in length but in quality. You almost have to read one letter a day and just soak it in until you can move on.
Really, the book is amazing and well worth anyone's time. I think I end up relating every church lesson back to this book.
So there you have it, five more books to potentially add to your reading list!
Enjoy.
