There are tons of book lists out there and here is another one. These are some of my favorite pool side reads for when I'm to cheap to buy the latest US magazine and have to pull something off the book shelf. Just to let you know, I'm a fan of light reads with happy endings. Novels that you can read on a plane or on vacation and not have to think to hard about. In these picks if there isn't a happy ending, then it's told in a way that the main character either isn't touched by what has happened or has found what they were looking for. I won't bother with a tear jerker or anything to serious...life is serious enough don't you think?
1. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
This was on the best seller list for 216 weeks, longer than any other novel and it's still left off of most must read lists. I love the novel because I can identify with the reporter in the story. Personally I often find myself in situations where I'm surrounded by larger than life characters that I'm not really interacting with but mearly observing. The book gives an interesting look at southern life amoung the elites, an interesting history about Savanah, and a nice touch of southern hoodoo...just to keep things interesting. Beautifully written, morbidly fascinating, and unusual..I've never read anything else like it. Here is a piece of advice from the author, always stick around for one more drink, that's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you need to know.
2. Everything's Eventual
14 short stories by Stephen King. Look I love King but he honestly doesn't seem to know when to shut up 50% of the time. He excells at short story writting and this collection is arguably his best. This book is so good that my non horror novel reading mom stole my first copy of this book! Ha! The book is the perfect beach read as you can finish one story then run for a quick dip.
Basically this complication is unique because the stories range from cheap thrills to classic horror tales. Because there are 14 stories, I'm not going to go into commentary on each story. You are just going to have to trust me that it's a wild ride.
3. Freakeconomics
Technically this isn't a political book. It's a book that takes issues and gives you the actual numbers behind that issue. It takes emotion out and puts logic where it belongs. This is the book that made me a libertarian. The authors make no decisions on the issues they discuss. They simply give you information and let you decide. The writing is easy to digest and written in an interesting format to get the readers thinking and interested in learning how to question and ask better questions.
4. To Kill a Mockingbird
The author builds a world with vivid characters and a story that happens around the main character and not directly to her. This form of story telling always seems to draw me in. Yes, the story has a grand ideal it's teaching but that's not why it's a great read. It's a great read because the story is full of eccentric characters and the well told surface story about what is happening in the main characters
life. To Kill a Mockingbird is actually a pleasant undemanding read.
5. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
This book is ridiculous. What is supposed to be funny is really just weird but that's exactly why I love it. This book doesn't take itself seriously and makes you slow down and realize how much better life can be if you don't take yourself quite so seriously. To enjoy this book you must give yourself up to the author and realize it's randomness is due to design. This is a book where stuff happens, there isn't much character development or useless details given to build worlds you don't care that much about. No, this is a book where things 'splode and go boom! Don't forget your towel.
6. The Eyes of the Dragon
This is my very favorite book. Very favorite...ever. It's a fairy tale in every sense. There is a hero prince and an evil magician. I personally fell in love with the characters, all of them but the bad guy
of course. Again I've picked a story told by someone watching everything happen, which gives the epic fantasy it's interesting tone. I read it and imagine I'm sitting by a fireplace being told this yarn by a traveling storyteller who witnessed everything actually happen. I love happy endings, the bad guy getting it in the end and the hero unequivocally being just that. This is a book that gives you that sense of completion. It has always been for me, the characters that made this story.
7, We Need to Talk About Kevin
This is a horror story told in an unusual format. The mother of a young teenage boy who goes on a shooting spree writes letters to her ex husband. In the story she questions if she herself is a monster
too. The story plays on the fear that you might one day give birth to evil. Is this just a woman thing? I don't know but I know even I, who have no immediate plans to have a family has had that thought cross my mind. Is the boys evil behavior due to her parenting, genetic disposition or just fate
8. The Bloody Chamber
So, fact is I am a girl and I love fairy tales. There I said it, I'm not all bloody gore, occasionally I like a little romance thrown in with my gruesome tales. The Bloody Chamber is a collection of fairy tale adaptions. Sexy, scary, fun and yes, romantic...it beats Twilight or 50 Shades out any day in my opinion. Of all the books I've listed this one is actually the most complex. It uses metaphors...changes tenses and requires you to think. At the end of the day though it is another fun read..and never delves to far into its own ideology.
9. Shining Through
Yes, there is a film version and honestly it's a little better than the book version but there is just so,etching about the main character I love. She is smart, brave and just a little bit nieve. Her story is
told with lavish sweeping description and biting wit. This is a story for anyone who has ever felt under appreciated or like an ugly duckling. The one draw back or plus depending you what your looking for is that it is sexually explicit, however, the narrator is so compelling...much like hearing the account of an old friend..that you will easily forgive her any vices and eagerly listen to her chatter.
10. A Spell for Chameleon
This is the very first Xanth novel. If you don't know what that means....google it. Piers Anthony is a great writer and each novel in this long running series is all fun..even the bad guys usually don't end up being that bad when all is said and done. It's full of puns, crazy situations and magic. You can pick up any novel in this series and feel comfortable reading it. I myself did not know Anthony was still writing on this series and I was pleased to find out while writing this top ten list that he is! Honestly, this isn't well written and it is a bit childish and sexist. That said the world that is created, the ideas, the way one story runs into the next. Few authors can put so many ideas into each story so effortlessly. The entire series is fluff but if you haven't guessed by now, I basically like fluff. The world is a serious dark hard place. Give me happy ending fantasy, no matter the genre! Lord knows, we all need to escape now and again.
