Dusty Stars on My Bookshelf

Check out some of my favorite books currently collecting dust on my shelf. Let’s dust them off together shall we?

First let’s meet my librarians: Kermit has been with me for about 15 years now, Van Gogh (with removable velcro ear) I obtained at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta around 2005, and finally Bobble Thor is a very recent edition. They all share shelf space with my collection of Lego mini figures and various other knickknacks.

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Now let’s take a look at the oldest book in my collection. The Adventures of Robin Hood by Patricia Leitch was a gift from my great-uncle Euclid circa 1985, and as you can see it is falling apart. I obtained a newer, less used copy a few years ago so that I could still read it and keep from utterly destroying the original gift. Great compilation of Robin Hood stories in a short novel format.

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Next up is a really fabulous book I discovered about three years ago. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin is a story about a young Chinese girl named Min Li who leaves home on an quest to bring fortune to her poor family and village. The book is interspersed with Chinese folk tales and legends, and teaches the importance of family, friendship, and kindness.

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Here we have my all time favorite series of books, The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis. This particular set was a gift from the same great-uncle who gave the Robin Hood book. Uncle Euclid really knew how to pick them. I have read these to pieces, and I also have two different audio recordings and a single volume with color illustrations. Highly recommended for all ages. Don’t waste your time with the movies (in my opinion anyway.)

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You can probably tell that my tastes tend to run towards children’s fiction, but I actually have favorites in most every genre of literature. If you are interested in military or action fiction in any way you will like Red Storm Rising, by Tom Clancy. It’s a huge book, weighing in at 725 pages in paperback format, but the pages fly by. It’s based on a World War III “what if” scenario, and jumps back and forth between several different battle theaters during the war. I especially enjoyed the description of the anti-missile, ship defense action scenes.

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If you’re a fan of Sherlock Holmes like I am, you need to read The Seven-Per-cent Solution, by Nicholas Meyer. It deviates from the facts according to original Holmes author Sir. Arthur Conan Doyle, but it is still highly entertaining and fast paced. Another of my favorites that had to be replaced due to wear and tear.

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My favorite, non-series book of all time has to be The Wind in The Willows. I own several copies in multiple formats, including the BBC, full-cast audio drama. There are several scenes in the narrative that make me choke up every time I read it with sentimental thoughts of home, family, loss and friendship.

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Two more of my absolute favorite adventure books are Zorro by Johnston McCulley and The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy. Both have superb scenes of heart pounding action, mixed with danger, and scenes of passionate (but G-rated) romance.

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The Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan is a stellar collection of stories about a young orphan boy who trains to become a ranger (a kind of medieval secret service) for the King of Araluen. The books have a great sense of humor along with the action and adventure. At times I actually laughed out loud while reading.

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Here is a list of a few more “must reads” from my library. While I can’t guarantee that everyone will enjoy the same books I do, I can promise that I have read every book listed here multiple times; not from lack of anything else to read, but because they are all highly entertaining and quality literature. Please note that these recommendations apply to the book only, not any movie adaptations.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Harry Potter 1-7 by J. K. Rowling

The Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge

The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

The Lincoln Rhyme Series by Jeffrey Deaver

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Martian by Andy Weir

The Longmire Series by Craig Johnson

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

World War Z by Max Brooks

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank

The Green Mile by Stephen King

 

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