I have to admit that my favorite books are mostly outdated books or ones written years ago, but some things just don't go out of style, y'know? I'm probably going to date myself with this list, but that's okay. These are books that I couldn't put down and I feel are still read-worthy.
Of course, I could probably list more than just these five, but that would make for a really long post!
#5 - Twilight Saga
Yes, I am a closet Twilight fan. You can blame it on my two older daughters who got me into the series when they were teens. Despite the controversy that eventually surrounded Stephenie Meyer and her rise to stardom based on her series, it's still a great series if you like young adult paranormal fiction. And I do.
I could so relate to Bella Swan and her painfully shy, introverted, and clumsy self. I could relate to being a teenager and having to uproot everything to move to a new place, to try to fit in, find new friends, and all that teenage angsty stuff.
And yes, I still watch the movies.
#4 - Memoirs of a Geisha
Be still, my heart! The movie was really good, but as usually happens, the book was so much better. I could not put this one down. What a great story of love, sacrifice, and loss. I'm sad that he never wrote any other books because I would devour any book that came from his immense talent.
#3 Into the Wilderness
I read this book before I ever knew who Diana Gabaldon was. Had I known who she was, I would have read the book solely on her recommendation. But, the recommendation aside, Sara Donat's Into The Wilderness stands on its own merits as being a spectacular read. In fact, I'm reading it for the second time and it's just as satisfying this time around. What I wouldn't give to run into the likes of Nathaniel Bonner.
#2 Outlander series
Of course, you knew this was coming, right? Diana Gabaldon's series is one of my all-time favorites. She weaves amazing stories full of detail that gets me lost on so many different levels. When I first started reading this series, I loved it so much that I began to read it out loud to my husband. It became our nightly thing. (He's of Scottish ancestry, so, y'know...)
These books are among my most prized possessions. As a writer, Gabaldon's style is one I go back to time and time again. The way she weaves her words to tell such deep and compelling stories is something I strive for in my own writing. She's my muse.
#1 Love's Tender Fury
And this! Oh, this! This is the first romance book I ever read when I was a teen. I began reading romance novels at sixteen. After this one, boy, was I hooked!
Intrigue, romance, suspense, thrills, emotion.... and did I mention, romance?
This book is my all time favorite. Much of its content would probably not be popular today, but Jennifer Wilde could certainly deliver a story. I read the whole series and then moved on to her others.
But, did you know? Jennifer Wilde is a pen-name. The author was actually a man - Tom Huff. I didn't know this for many years, but after this discovery I was highly intrigued that a man could write such heart-felt stories from first-person point of view - as a woman. Let me just say, he nailed it!
And there you have it! Five of my all time favorite novels.
How about you? What are your faves?
