Friday, July 25, 2014

My Life In Books

Books in my life
I have recently been thinking about books from childhood – books I read many years ago. In recent years I have done blog entries on “notable books of  the year” and I can look back at them anytime. For the earlier ones I have only memory.
I wondered what an exercise in trying to pull books out of my memory from previous years would produce. No prodding, no hard work, just simply going back over the years to see what stuck with me.
I suppose it is not really surprising that they tumbled forth and are still tumbling. I find it interesting to note that while I have read quite a few of the great “classics”, they did not rise to the surface in this process – although I think some on the list should be considered classics, and perhaps some are.
As the list grew, it became apparent to me that many would stand the test of time – that they could be read again and still enjoyed, and in some cases, perhaps would be more meaningful to me now than they were then.
My mind continues to dredge up books overlooked in this initial effort, and perhaps I will add to the list sometime.
For now, the first pass has 70 listed.
One final note – perhaps the book that has had a greater impact on me than any other was the grade 3 reader – Golden Windows! Why? It was because of this beautiful book that I became completely infatuated with reading – stories, poems, learning, wonder.
Any comments appreciated

Books in my life
1. The Bible (old and new testaments)
2. Robinson Crusoe
3. Kidnapped
4. Freckles
5. Girl of the Limberlost
6. Bambi
7. Lassie Come Home
8. Riders of the Purple Sage
9. Tom Sawyer
10. Huckleberry Finn
11. Anne of Green Gables 
12. Little Women
13. The Yearling
14. Last of the Mohicans
15. Leather Stocking
16. The Robe
17. The Silver Chalice
18. The Saracen Blade
19. Cry of the Wild
20. The Shoes of the Fisherman
21. The Clowns of God
22. Stranger in a Strange Land
23. Dune
24. The Avatar
25. The Narnia Series
26. Nanook of the North
27. Border Music
28. High Plains Tango
29. The Magicican of Lublin
30. The Winds of War
31. Chesapeake
32. The Bridge at Andau
33. Who Has Seen The Wind
34. The Seven Pillars of Wisdom
35. King Rat
36. Shogun
37. Sarum
38. Whirlwind
39. The Haj
40. Trinity
41. Meditations (Marcus Aurelius)
42. Pillars of the Earth
43. The Professor and the Madman
44. The Meaning of Everything
45. The Last Days of Pompei
46. Mere Christianity
47. The Silent Spring
48. The Carpetbaggers
49. A Stone for Danny Fisher
50. The World According to Garp
51. Shoeless Joe
52. A River Runs Through It
53. The Hiding Place
54. The Old Man and the Boy
55. The Old Man’s Boy Grows Up
56. The Honey Badger
57. Five Smooth Stones
58. Life after Death
59. Berlin Solstice
60. Lonesome Dove
61. Commanche Moon
62. A Prayer for Owen Meany
63. The Glass Castle
64. Never Cry Wolf
65. Grey Seas Under
66. The Serpent’s Coil
67. Sibir
68. Three Day Road
69. The Owl’s Nest
70. The Boys of Summer



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