Started reading this thread today...thanks PoT! I got through the first page an realize it'll take me a whole to cat h up so I thought I'd jump right in!
Some of you know that I am ADD which makes it very difficult for me to stay with a book for very long. Some of my recommendations will be books I read as a child, but most of the others are ones I began reading but never finished. It takes quite a bit of interest on my part to finish (lol)...and a lot of stimulation from the author to follow through
"The sleeping beauty trilogy". By Anne Roquelaure (AKA Anne Rice): started reading this at Barnes & Noble one day and started drooling and getting wet...couldn't afford to buy it at the time, and by the next time I went it was gone. Haven't been able to find it on shelves since.
Any travel books by Kira Salak. Started reading at a book store...same story as before, she's hard to find in shelves. I love how honest she is about the person she is, due to her past, struggles with intimacy and relationships, etc. You wouldn't expect this kind of candidness in a travel book but it's captivating how much of herself she reveals. You realize on her travels that she may have a secret death wish, and her travels and risky behavior are her way of dealing with her past. Sometimes I see myself in her character.
"The Jungle " by Upton Sinclair: started reading in high school for an advanced English class...deals with the oppressed and exploited immigrant situation in Chicago during the industrial period. The culture shock that one family experienced and the clash in their community was utterly fascinating.
"A Farewell to Arms," by Hemmingway. Romantic and full of symbolism...societal, political, and insanely human. Again, I love the struggle between cultures.
Burned Alive: A Survivor of an "Honor Killing" Speaks Out, by Souad- amazing account of the life of a woman who survives and escaped her family who tried to kill her. Wow...just wow.
"The Dark is Rising Series," by Susan Cooper. Read this when I was 10 or 11. It was a fantastical battle between the dark and the light with Will Stanton, a boy as the Chosen One. Very Harry Potter meets Frodo Baggins. Made me feel that one day I too would be special...that I was different because I had a purpose in life that had not yet been revealed to me. It was very consoling for me as a misfit girl...not to mention that reading was a great escape.
"Great Expectations," far better than Ethan Hawke and Gweneth Paltrow could ever truly portray.
"The Last Picture Show," by Larry McMurtry. The main character grows into a man. Very much a coming of age with a Mrs. Robinson to guide the way. Also it deals with the pressure on young beautiful women to please everyone in life...at the highest price of course.
"Lonesome Dove," McMurtry again...classic western. So long it felt like Gone With the Wind in that it spanned decades.
Self Help:
"The Surrendered Wife," by Laura Doyle. The title seems submissive and demure, but it is the opposite. It is about expressing wants and needs and trusting the man in your life to provide them. It also speaks to truly making a man FEEL LIKE A MAN. Maybe I should re-read this...my inner control freak does not like being in the passenger seat, and it's always my downfall in relationships.
"Sink Reflections," by Marla Cilley: a great way to recapture your home and disorganization one task at a time. I feel it is more suited for stay at home types, but when taken at a slower pace, her thoughts can be truly helpful.
Will think of more when I get some time and my texting fingers are recovered!
Properly inspired to read a good book now!
