books
I'm making lots of lists lately and figured I'd keep going. Since I often get asked what my favorite books are and I can never answer, here are a few books I think are worth reading.
Siddartha, by Herman Hesse. The book that changed my way of viewing the world.
The Stand, by Stephen King. One of the best books ever. Archetypal good vs. evil, great writing, and interesting characters.
Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurty. Never have I experienced such real and rounded characters on the written page.
The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, by Christopher Moore. Laugh out loud funny and strange.
A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving. Funny but thought provoking. I think better, but very different than Cider House Rules, World According to Garp or Hotel New Hampshire.
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. Classic coming of age.
The Prince of Tides, by Pat Conroy. I think he'll be recognized as one of the great writers of the age. This one has sentences that are absolutely beautiful.
There are other books that have been influential or changed me in some way.
Macbeth (which is actually a play) by Shakespeare is to me the question of ambition and how good men go bad.
Various essays and stories by Edward Abbey, including "Havasu" and "Down the River with Henry Thoreau."
The Outsider, by Colin Wilson. To me the ultimate guide to the questions that are worth asking.
The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood. The first time I read this, while in high school it scared the hell out of me. Since then, it seems eerily real and no less scary.
Beloved, by Toni Morrison. Examines (among other things) the role of memory and re-memory and the relationship of past to present & future.
Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein. Grok.
I'm sure as soon as I hit "publish" I'll think of tons of others... but here's a start. I keep thinking of other great authors - Orwell, Vonnegut, Erdrich, among others. If you haven't read these, I'd recommend them.
If there's some I need to read or include - let me know!!
Siddartha, by Herman Hesse. The book that changed my way of viewing the world.
The Stand, by Stephen King. One of the best books ever. Archetypal good vs. evil, great writing, and interesting characters.
Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurty. Never have I experienced such real and rounded characters on the written page.
The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, by Christopher Moore. Laugh out loud funny and strange.
A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving. Funny but thought provoking. I think better, but very different than Cider House Rules, World According to Garp or Hotel New Hampshire.
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. Classic coming of age.
The Prince of Tides, by Pat Conroy. I think he'll be recognized as one of the great writers of the age. This one has sentences that are absolutely beautiful.
There are other books that have been influential or changed me in some way.
Macbeth (which is actually a play) by Shakespeare is to me the question of ambition and how good men go bad.
Various essays and stories by Edward Abbey, including "Havasu" and "Down the River with Henry Thoreau."
The Outsider, by Colin Wilson. To me the ultimate guide to the questions that are worth asking.
The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood. The first time I read this, while in high school it scared the hell out of me. Since then, it seems eerily real and no less scary.
Beloved, by Toni Morrison. Examines (among other things) the role of memory and re-memory and the relationship of past to present & future.
Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein. Grok.
I'm sure as soon as I hit "publish" I'll think of tons of others... but here's a start. I keep thinking of other great authors - Orwell, Vonnegut, Erdrich, among others. If you haven't read these, I'd recommend them.
If there's some I need to read or include - let me know!!
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