I am always reading something, and while I'd like to say that most of the time I am reading literary marvels, in reality, 90% of the time I am reading purely for entertainment. Some people watch trashy TV, but I like to bury my face in a book. I want to get lost in outlandish characters, and far fetched storylines. So here it is... My Guilty Pleasures reading list. I make no apologies for these gems, they are all well written, and highly enjoyable.
1. The Driver by: Alexander Roy
2. I Am Dracula by: C. Dean Andersson
3. The Dark Hunter Series by: Sherrilyn Kenyon
4. The League Series by: Sherrilyn Kenyon
5. The Hunger Games Trilogy by: Suzanne Collins
6. The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by: J.R. Ward
7. Incarceron by: Catherine Fisher
8. Sapphique by: Catherine Fisher
9. Alice in Zombieland (The White Rabbit Chronicles) by: Gena Showalter
10. The Vampire Chronicles by: Anne Rice
11. Southern Vampire Mysteries (series) by: Charlaine Harris
12. The DaVinci Code by: Dan Brown
13. Angels & Demons by: Dan Brown
14. Digital Fortress by: Dan Brown
15. Wicked by: Gregory Maguire
16. Son of a Witch by: Gregory Maguire
17. My Horizontal Life by: Chelsea Handler
18. Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea. by: Chelsea Handler
19. Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by: Chelsea Handler
20. The Plum Series by: Janet Evanovich
21. The Wicked Series by: Janet Evanovich
22. Just One Look by: Harlan Coben
23. Fallen Series by: Lauren Kate
24. Lord of the Rings Trilogy by: J.R.R Tolkien
25. The Mortal Instruments by: Cassandra Clare
26. Lords of the Underworld Series by: Gena Showalter
27. House of Night Series by: P.C. & Kristin Cast
28. Divine Series by: P.C. Cast
I could go on and on and on, but these are a few off the top of my head. I may have to include a follow up list to this at some point, but if you are looking for something to zone out and just enjoy, laugh, etc. these are all great choices.
Because I am a firm believer in the endless benefits of reading to children, and teaching them a love of reading from their earliest moments, today's list is Children's Classics. These are stories that appeal to the young, and young at heart. Filled with whimsy, adventure, magic, and wonder, these are books that teach a child that anything is possible, and to dare to dream. They will trigger their imaginations, and open up new worlds for them. They will teach them about love, understanding, compassion, kindness, and more. Some are old favorites, some new treasures, but all worth having in your child's library. This is also a great list to turn to when you need a book for a baby shower gift, or for the new reader in your life.
So here is a list of 33 Children's Classics. Enjoy! And as always, I am open to hearing your favorites as well. Please feel free to comment with ones you think I've missed.
1. A Light In the Attic by: Shel Silverstein
2. Where the Sidewalk Ends by: Shel Silverstein
3. The Monster at the End of This Book by: Jon Stone
4. Goodnight Moon by: Margaret Wise Brown
5. Love You Forever by: Robert Munsch
6. The Complete Tales of Peter Rabbit by: Beatrix Potter
7. I Love You Through and Through by: Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak
8. The Complete Grimms Fairy Tales by: Jacob Grimm
9. Curious George by: H.A. Rey
10. Frog and Toad Are Friends by: Arnold Lobel
11. Where the Wild Things Are by: Maurice Sendak
12. The Poky Little Puppy by: Janette Sebring Lowrey
13. Mother Goose Rhymes
14. The Little Engine That Could by: Watty Piper
15. Oh, The Places You'll Go! by: Dr. Suess
16. Guess How Much I Love You by: Sam McBratney
17. You Are My I Love You by: Maryann Cusimano
18. Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You by: Nancy Tillman
19. Ramona Forever by: Beverly Cleary
20. The Chronicles of Narnia by: C.S. Lewis
21. The Secret Garden by: Frances Hodgson Burnett
22. Indian In The Cupboard by: Lynne Reid Banks
23. A Wrinkle In Time by: Madeleine L'Engle
24. Because of Winn-Dixie by: Kate DiCamillo
25. Bridge To Terabithia by: Katherine Paterson
26. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by: Lewis Carroll
27. Charlotte's Web by: E.B. White
28. The Giver by: Lois Lowry
29. The Hobbit by: J.R.R. Tolkien
30. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by: Mark Twain
31. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by: Mark Twain
32. The Watsons Go To Birmingham - 1963 by: Christopher Paul Curtis
33. The Sword in the Stone by: T.H. White
It's no secret that I'm a BIG fan of reading, and have been since I learned how, at the age of 4. Books can take you on adventures, make you laugh, make you cry, inspire you, and enlighten you. I often get asked for reading recommendations, and while my answer generally depends on what type of books you like to read, I also think that you should expand your horizons from time to time to include ones that make you stop and think about life. There's no shame in loving 'Twilight' (ok, maybe there's a little shame in it) or 'Harry Potter', but don't limit yourself to only those.
There are so many thought provoking, inspiring, life changing novels out there. Stories that will stay with you long after Bella & Edward have fizzled from your memory. Books that will move you, break your heart, lift you up, and make you see the world just a little bit differently.
Here is a list of 25 of my favorite Powerful Reads.
(In no particular order.) If you don't see your favorite on the list, please comment and let me know, maybe I haven't read it yet, but I am always looking for suggestions. And even if you only pick one or two of these, please add some to your reading lists, I promise you won't regret it.
1. The Celestine Prophecy by: James Redfield
2. The Rose That Grew From Concrete by: Tupac Shakur
3. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by: Lewis Carroll
4. Through The Looking-Glass by: Lewis Carroll
5. Siddhartha by: Herman Hesse
6. Where The Heart Is by: Billie Letts
7. Where The Red Fern Grows by: Wilson Rawls
8. Bridge To Terabithia by: Katherine Paterson
9. The Lovely Bones by: Alice Sebold
10. The Kite Runner by: Khaled Hosseini
11. A Thousand Splendid Suns by: Khaled Hosseini
12. For One More Day by: Mitch Albom
13. The Time Keeper by: Mitch Albom
14. Tuesdays With Morrie by: Mitch Albom
15. The Five People You Meet In Heaven by: Mitch Albom
16. The Giver by: Lois Lowry
17. Nineteen Minutes by: Jodi Picoult
18. The Jungle by: Upton Sinclair
19. My Brother Sam Is Dead by: James Lincoln Collier & Christopher Collier
20. The Outsiders by: S.E. Hinton
21. The Collected Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe
22. Of Mice And Men by: John Steinbeck
23. Charlotte's Web by: E.B. White
24. The Secret Life of Bees by: Sue Monk Kidd
25. To Kill a Mockingbird by: Harper Lee
