My Bookshelf

I guess we all have books that made an impression on us and I'd like to share some of my all-time favourites with you.  I read them over and over again and still enjoy every word!

The works of Jane Austen with the exception of Northanger Abbey which I could never get into.  My absolute favourite here is Emma.

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham. Just why I love this book so much I don't really know, maybe it is because of those wonderful descriptions of the river bank and Mole and Rat's friendship and the mysterious Badger who lives in the Wild Wood.

A Kind of Anger, The Nightcomers, The Schirmer Inheritance and A Passage of Arms by Eric Ambler. These are superbly written thrillers. Writers in particular can learn very valuable lessons in reading them and seeing how Ambler built up the story and the tension.

Away from Home by Rona Jaffe.   Perhaps best known is her book Class Reunion.  Certainly Away from Home does not get much mention and yet this book is a real favourite of mine.  It captures the problems and challenges of ex-pats the world over and as I was an ex-pat when I first read it, it struck a chord with me.  A first rate novel which captures the atmosphere of the early 1960's.

Under the Tonto Rim by Zane Grey. Just love the description of the forest and wildlife.  The plot is interesting, too, and it gives very good insight as to how people in the backwoods lived in the early 1920's and how their way of life was slowly changing.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  This is one of the most successful books of all time. Written through the eyes of a child it portrays small town America in the 1930's. A very special book.

Do you have a list of favourite reads?  If so, I would be delighted if you would share it in comments below.