Mar 16, 2010

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn



And speaking of Gregory Peck... I thought it would be fun to list your favorite fiction books in the comments section. Now I know I have more followers that the ones who actually admit they follow this so I would love to hear from everyone. You can list as many as 5 or as few as one. I want books that have impacted your life i.e., books you just cannot forget. Here are mine:
1.) A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (pictured above.)
2.) To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (yeah Gregory Peck! An awesome old movie as well!)

3.) Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
4.) East of Eden by John Steinbeck (I love, love, love Steinbeck)
5.) The Stand by Stephen King
I would love to read a book from everyone's favorite list! You can even choose which one! Note to Jennie: PLEASE don't ask me to read Anna Karenina. Please.

5 comments:

Jennie said...

Hahaha! But it's soooo good. It's like a soap opera!

Ok... Steinbeck grabs my top two...

1- Grapes of Wrath
2- East of Eden
3- Bel Canto - Ann Patchett
4- In the Skin of a Lion - Michael Ondaatje
5- (and for my sister who loves the classics ;)
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

Ta da!

SECRET PEPPER PERSON: said...

Which one should I read? I feel like I need to read Grapes of Wrath...I mean what self-respecting Steinbeck fan can say the loved Cannery Row but never read Grapes of Wrath? You choose

Michelle said...

Before I got to your list, I said "The Stand," out loud. And then my memory fizzled out. I'm either socially stunted on the smart people's book front, or I'm more like Granny in that I like to read gory modern mysteries that don't necessarily impact you or change your life.

I do spend a lot of time at the Mirror Lake library's drive-thru, picking up books I randomly choose online, but those books are more for informational content or entertainment value. I might recommend Norwegian Wood by Murakami - it was good, and the only one that stood out to me this year.

I did try a Vonnegut book this year (zzzzz), and I really tried hard to read Inferno last year, but couldn't get through the first 50 pages. I would also recommend The Gold Coast but more for entertainment value than anything.

Does Sidney Sheldon still write books? Haha!

Jennie said...

Yeah, if the question was list good books you've read half of... I would take up your entire blog. I'm afraid I could never compete with Shelly or Granny in a shear number of books completed battle.

You HAVE to read Grapes of Wrath. Seriously. It's perfect and Tom Joad is one of the best characters ever.

I would also say to read In the Skin of the Lion. A quicker read than Grapes for sure. Sort of dark and dreamy. Same author as the English Patient which I could never get into... but this has been a fave for years.

I would also add... Wesley the Owl which Clare recently made me read. It is a SUPER quick and easy read about a biologist who adopts a barn owl. I know how you feel about animals stories and yes he dies but... after 19 years with this awesome lady. Being a scientist her writing isn't sappy and holy cow, barn owls are fascinating.

That's all :)

SECRET PEPPER PERSON: said...

I will not read any animal stories. That's why I hate Disney. The mother animal always gets it in the end. I think he had something against his mother.