Saturday, February 28, 2009

Desert island and books

The other day I was thinking about the books I'd like to have with me if I was stuck on a desert island (this is a recurring daydream of mine). I realized that a book being a "favorite" didn't necessarily mean that I would take it with me. Even though Crime and Punishment is one of my favorite books, I wouldn't want to have that with me on a desert island -- that would probably drive me mental within a few days. For a book to qualify, it had to be one that I would never tire of. So, without further ado, below are the top ten books I'd like to have with me on a desert island (in no particular order):
  1. The Bible -- Okay, an exception right off the bat. I've never read the Bible from beginning to end and would like to do so. What better time than when I'm stuck on an island?
  2. Persuasion (Jane Austen) -- No Pride and Prejudice? I know. Sacrilege for a girl. But Persuasion is my favorite. The older heroine. The bittersweetness of the story. And the letter that Captain Wentworth writes gets me every single time.
  3. As You Desire (Connie Brockway) -- The first chapter made me fall in love with this book.
  4. A Duke of Her Own (Lorraine Heath) -- A really romantic story.
  5. Three Men in a Boat (Jerome K. Jerome) -- One of the funniest books I've ever read.
  6. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (John Le Carre) -- Even though I already know what happens at the end, just the writing itself makes it worthwhile to read again and again.
  7. Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging (Louise Rennison) -- The female version of Adrian Mole.
  8. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 (Sue Townsend) -- Before there was Bridget Jones, there was Adrian Mole. Here's a snippet: "Thursday January 21st, My brain is hurting. I have just had two pages of Macbeth to translate into English." Hilarious.
  9. My Life and Hard Times (James Thurber) -- Another hilarious book.
  10. Any omnibus of P. G. Wodehouse -- An omnibus is a bit of cheating but P. G Wodehouse is my favorite author. Ever. Doesn't matter if it's a collection of stories with Jeeves and Wooster, Uncle Fred, or Mr. Mulliner -- as long as I have one, I'll be fine.
Lots of humor. Some romance. A little mystery. But what they all have in common is good writing which I think trumps everything. No matter how good the plot is, I can't read a story repeatedly if the writing isn't good (I'm looking at you, Dan Brown!).

What do you think of the list? What would you take with you?

No comments:

Post a Comment