Favorite Books

 I can't believe that I am the first to comment on favorite books!  I love children's books; I love teen books; I love adult books; I just love books!!!  I love Barbara Parks.  I still read her Junie B. Jones series which always give me a chuckle!  I also love Gary Paulson, Louis Sachar, and the list just goes on.  For books on my own reading level, I love the cozy mysteries often involving food.  If you look close, you will probably see my eating lunch reading a Joanne Fluke mystery to see what Hannah and her sisters are doing and what cookies are being baked back in the shop.  It's funny that I love to eat, love to read about food, but I never cook for you!!  Go figure.

If I reveal the name of my favorite book, I would also reveal my password, so instead I'll talk about a book that I just love and re-read about once a year--Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel!  (I think all the sequels are a big disappointment.)  It combines several of my interests--prehistoric peoples, language, plant lore, survival, etc. into a riveting adventure story about the ultimate outsider and her desire to belong.  I know it's not classic literature, but I just don't care--I plan to keep on reading it annually!  In fact, I think I'll get back into the world of shamans and sabertooths (or is that saberteeth) tonight!  Flutiemim

My favorite book is The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkenson -- this book inspired me to follow my dreams and be what I believe I am meant to be, even in the face of opposition or lack of resources.   For an entertaining read, I read ALL of the Los Posadas mysteries by Stephen Havill -- I think I got so into it that I actually wanted to go to New Mexico and visit the characters, have some Mexican food with Bill Gastner, drive up into the surrounding mountains -- oh yeah, darn... it's not a real place!  Catterwoman

confederacy of dunces  by John Kennedy Toole is a good one. 

rhythm oil by Stanley Booth

It Catches My Heart in Its' Hands Charles Bukowski

-- Stone Swagger

I also love books of many different kinds.  (What self-respecting librarian doesn't?)  My favorite authors are probably Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, although it is hard to limit myself to two.  Jane Eyre is probably my favorite novel.  I have read it many times during my life, and it always provides me with such inspiration.  I really love the strong character of Jane.  She is a woman of such great integrity, and I have always admired that.   I enjoyed the latest BBC adaptation of the novel that aired locally about a year ago.  I thought that the actor who played Rochester was the best one I've ever seen in that role.  The actress who played Jane was still too pretty, though, I thought--but she was a very good actress.  Right now I am reading Twilight  by Stephenie Meyer, and I can't put it down.  I never thought I would get into vampire fiction, but I find her to be a very good writer--and not just for teens!         --hm, thelibrarylady

 My favorite book is The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. The niece of the former President of Chile, Salvador Allende, who was killed in a coup d'etat in 1973, Isabel Allende tells the history of her family through the eyes three generations of women. She beautifully weaves the changes in her family with the changes in the political climate of the country and shows how everything that happens to the women in the novel can be traced to one man, Esteban Trueba. This novel is truly a masterpiece!

-- Ben

My favorite book of all time is Watty Piper's Little Engine That Could.  I loved the perseverance of the little blue engine, who cared so much about the toys and the children.  And of course, the fact that she was a she really stuck with me; as a child, I wasn't used to girls being able to do something that hard.  Kathy