The Ten Books Challenge

I've been Nominated by Susan Yorke on facebook to list The 10 books that have stood out for me.  Since I have things to say about some of the books, I decided to do the explanation part as a blog.. The funny thing is the longer I think about it more books/stories occur to me as important to my life!  Here are the 1st 10 I thought of...

The 10 books that have stood out for me(in no particular order) would be:

1. Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
   the whole series is amazing, but this is the first Lois book
I read.  I thought about naming my daughter after Cordelia
but after Buffy came out and I'm glad I didn't.... (not that I didn't
like Buffy's Cordelia but naming your child after her?)
Lois is absolutely my favorite Author.  I could go on for HOURs
on how impressive this book ( the the series) in general
is, but this book is not only very good read it really will
make you think.

2. the Hobbit by Tolkien ( what else can I say about this?)

3. Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs.  I read this when I was
maybe 12? it made a huge impression on me.. the whole gorilla
warfare part was mind blowing at 12.

4. Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert A. Heinlein.  this would be
one of the first science fiction books I ever read, again
around 12.  This and Have spacesuit will travel.  I'm still
a huge fan of Heinlein.  Starship troopers is another
favorite. 

5.Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden  I read this when I was
14-15 and it was a life changer.  At that point I wasn't
into guys, so I was "scared" that maybe I was .. gay? In the mid
80's this was a scary thought indeed.
This book helped me figure out I wasn't gay, but if
I was , that would have been OK as well. We are all
just people at the end of the day. I believe this book
helped me move past my parent's views into my current views
on homosexuality.

My mother was horrified I read this book!  It's one of the really
bad fights I had with her growing up. She wanted the
library to pull the book, which is about the only
time I can remember her hating a book.. I get my love of reading
from my mom, and I consider it one of the greatest
gifts she gave me!

I think she was
afraid I was gay too.. she was probably afraid I was gay
until I met my now hubby. She even asked me once when I
was 21-22... which pissed me off not that she asked but
that it should MATTER either way!  It really doesn't you know.
If everyone was the same how boring this universe would be.


6.Fragments of Isabella: A Memoir of Auschwitz

by Isabella Leitner  I read this in high school and it really
rocked me.  I've always been interested in WWII and the
Holocaust.  This is a autobiographical book, and it's
very emotional. 


7. Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer.  The first heyer I read,
and still one of the best.  1st true regency romance I read as
well... I'm very lucky that way.  Regencies are now
one of my favorite types of books.  Any book by Heyer is recommended
but this one is still special to me.  If you would like to
try Heyer, this is a good option... you can also read Arabella,
Cotillion, or the Grand Sophy as excellent starts.

8. The Heart of Man by Erich Fromm
I read this as a freshman in college. I feel some of my personal
code of ethics comes from this book.

9. OK, I am sad to say I don't remember the name of the book.
Read it in high school, and it's a collection of feminist
essays.  One of them was all about marriage.  It's from this
book I decided I would not give up my last name
if I ever got married. I wasn't gonna hyphenate either as
that just seemed a sop to the whole issue.( Jerry and I decided to share.. we
combined our names into a brand new name, complete with
brand new social security cards: BarronMiller.  No hyphen allowed)

10. Maus by Art Spiegelman This is another survivor's tale
of the holocaust, drawn and written by the son (Art Spiegelman)
This is like witnessing therapy in the best possible way.  It's hard
sweaty work but it needs to be done.
if you have never read a graphic novel, read this.  I'm not
the only one who thinks this.. this is the first graphic
novel to win a Pulitzer prize!  Have a box of Kleenex handy
and you will be ANGRY/depressed after reading this, so plan something
to run off that energy/depression.  Having said that, I think everyone should
read this book, along with the Diary of Anne Frank, the fragment book above and watch
Schindler's list.