Books have been dear friends to me since I was tiny. I always have more books than I have shelf space and parting with books is incredibly difficult. There is always sadness and regret when I pack them in boxes and send them off to find new homes, but it’s simply not possible to keep them all.
Trying to narrow it down to a mere ten (okay eleven in my case) favorites made me feel like I am slighting all of the other wonderful books I have adored over the years. But there are some that hold a special place in my heart, books I will keep until they are dog-eared and taped together.
11. Take the Cake by Sandra Wright – Sandra is a dear friend of mine and the first published author that I know personally. I’ve included her story because holding it in my hands pushed me to publish my own. The story is as sweet as the name, the characters real, and the setting, a Greenwich Village bakery, divine.
10. The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder – These were my childhood favorites. I read the entire series many times and never tired of the adventures of Laura and the Ingalls family.
9. The Flame is Love by Barbara Cartland – This was the very first romance novel I ever read, at the age of twelve. Cartland’s stories are always lovely and ethereal, and I read many of them over the years. This one has some intriguing and dangerous twists and turns, putting the virginal Vada in great peril but, as always, she gets her hero and her happily ever after.
8. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron – This book should be required reading for anyone pursuing a career in the arts. I learned how to nurture my artist and, ten years later, I still do my morning pages every day and my artist’s date every week.
7. Infamous Isabelle by Margaret Summerville – I hesitated to include this one because it is a series romance published in 1980! A Candlelight Regency Special, it’s far from perfect, but there is so much chemistry between the main characters that I can ignore the fact that aristocratic titles aren’t used correctly. I decided to include it because years after taking it to the Bookworm, I searched the internet for a new copy.
6. Emma by Jane Austen – Like Lizzie, I adore Jane Austen. Her characters are beautifully written and, in many ways, she is the mother of the modern romance novel. I love Emma Woodhouse in spite of her romantic meddling, and Mr. Knightley is my second favorite of Austen’s leading men.
5. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert – This is a beautiful story about self-discovery and one of these days I will embark on a journey like hers.
4. A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux – Another book that I gave away only to search for a new copy. It’s a gorgeous, romantic story and the time travel element is incredibly well-done.
3. Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding – Bridget is a hot mess, which makes her extremely relatable. This is another book where it’s the relationships between the main characters that make it so unique, particularly the evolution of Bridget’s relationship with Mark Darcy.
2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – This is Lizzie’s favorite book. I’ve read it many times (and watched the Colin Firth version more times than I should admit). Elizabeth Bennet is smart, witty, and wonderfully inclined to make snap judgments. Mr. Darcy is my favorite Austen heroine, mainly because I love how he grows and changes over the course of the story. Lizzie Kincaid is named in honor of Elizabeth Bennet, so P & P will always have a place on my bookshelf.
1. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling – I resisted reading these when they first came out because they were children’s stories. But at the insistence of my niece, Nicole (who refused to go to the movies with me until I had read the books), I read the first one and fell in love. These stories have such a remarkable combination of mystery, humor, and heart! I have read all seven books many times over, and they still make me laugh and cry every single time. I vividly remember attending the midnight release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, as excited for my copy as my nieces were for theirs. Jo’s personal story is nearly as inspiring as Harry’s journey and continues to inspire me. I am fortunate to have attended a reading of hers at Radio City Music Hall (Harry, Carrie, and Garp) with two of my nieces; it was, dare I say it, magical.
But then, for me, every book contains a little magic. They transport us to different times and different places. They help us see the world through different eyes. They teach. They inspire. They grant us permission to dream!
Trying to narrow it down to a mere ten (okay eleven in my case) favorites made me feel like I am slighting all of the other wonderful books I have adored over the years. But there are some that hold a special place in my heart, books I will keep until they are dog-eared and taped together.
11. Take the Cake by Sandra Wright – Sandra is a dear friend of mine and the first published author that I know personally. I’ve included her story because holding it in my hands pushed me to publish my own. The story is as sweet as the name, the characters real, and the setting, a Greenwich Village bakery, divine.
10. The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder – These were my childhood favorites. I read the entire series many times and never tired of the adventures of Laura and the Ingalls family.
9. The Flame is Love by Barbara Cartland – This was the very first romance novel I ever read, at the age of twelve. Cartland’s stories are always lovely and ethereal, and I read many of them over the years. This one has some intriguing and dangerous twists and turns, putting the virginal Vada in great peril but, as always, she gets her hero and her happily ever after.
8. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron – This book should be required reading for anyone pursuing a career in the arts. I learned how to nurture my artist and, ten years later, I still do my morning pages every day and my artist’s date every week.
7. Infamous Isabelle by Margaret Summerville – I hesitated to include this one because it is a series romance published in 1980! A Candlelight Regency Special, it’s far from perfect, but there is so much chemistry between the main characters that I can ignore the fact that aristocratic titles aren’t used correctly. I decided to include it because years after taking it to the Bookworm, I searched the internet for a new copy.
6. Emma by Jane Austen – Like Lizzie, I adore Jane Austen. Her characters are beautifully written and, in many ways, she is the mother of the modern romance novel. I love Emma Woodhouse in spite of her romantic meddling, and Mr. Knightley is my second favorite of Austen’s leading men.
5. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert – This is a beautiful story about self-discovery and one of these days I will embark on a journey like hers.
4. A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux – Another book that I gave away only to search for a new copy. It’s a gorgeous, romantic story and the time travel element is incredibly well-done.
3. Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding – Bridget is a hot mess, which makes her extremely relatable. This is another book where it’s the relationships between the main characters that make it so unique, particularly the evolution of Bridget’s relationship with Mark Darcy.
2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – This is Lizzie’s favorite book. I’ve read it many times (and watched the Colin Firth version more times than I should admit). Elizabeth Bennet is smart, witty, and wonderfully inclined to make snap judgments. Mr. Darcy is my favorite Austen heroine, mainly because I love how he grows and changes over the course of the story. Lizzie Kincaid is named in honor of Elizabeth Bennet, so P & P will always have a place on my bookshelf.
1. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling – I resisted reading these when they first came out because they were children’s stories. But at the insistence of my niece, Nicole (who refused to go to the movies with me until I had read the books), I read the first one and fell in love. These stories have such a remarkable combination of mystery, humor, and heart! I have read all seven books many times over, and they still make me laugh and cry every single time. I vividly remember attending the midnight release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, as excited for my copy as my nieces were for theirs. Jo’s personal story is nearly as inspiring as Harry’s journey and continues to inspire me. I am fortunate to have attended a reading of hers at Radio City Music Hall (Harry, Carrie, and Garp) with two of my nieces; it was, dare I say it, magical.
But then, for me, every book contains a little magic. They transport us to different times and different places. They help us see the world through different eyes. They teach. They inspire. They grant us permission to dream!
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