Favorite Books

When I’m out speaking about my books, I’m frequently asked what I like to read.

Here’s a list of 10 of my favorite books. I’ll no doubt add to this as I recall others that resonated with me.

I’ll also include a few novels that other people rave about, but which didn’t do anything for me. I’m always hesitant to criticize books by other authors, and I’m not saying these books are without merit, but for whatever reason, they fell flat with me.

My favorites.

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry: This is my all-time favorite book. It won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1986. McMurtry’s story of two former Texas Rangers driving cattle from Texas to Montana is sweeping and powerful.

Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck: For years, this was my favorite book until I read “Lonesome Dove.” If I had to pick a single author to read for the rest of my life, it would be Steinbeck. I can relate his masterful depictions of the common man to my blue-collar, Ohio Valley upbringing.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote: This narrative of the 1959 slayings of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, and the subsequent executions of Richard Hickock and Perry Smith changed crime writing forever. It is gripping and should be on everyone’s reading list.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey: I read this classic for a political science class in college. Until the seventh grade, I read a lot. I drifted away from reading about the time puberty and hormones kicked in, and my attention turned to other pursuits. Cuckoo’s Nest reminded me of how much I had enjoyed reading, and it rekindled that fire.

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett: A friend of mine suggested that I read this book, set in the fictional 12th century town of Kingsbridge, England. “It’s about a guy building a church,” he said. “Sounds boring,” I said. “You won’t be disappointed,” he said. I wasn’t. It’s a great book and the best of the Kingsbridge series.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain: Hands down, the funniest book I’ve ever read. This is Twain hitting on all eight cylinders.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: This is as close to perfect as a novel can be, which is why it’s on virtually every list of best novels. Did Capote help write it? Probably. However, avoid the authorship controversy and enjoy the book. It won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1961.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout: My agent turned me on to Strout years ago. This is a collection of short stories revolving around the residents of fictional Crosby, Maine. Olive is the main character in some of the stories and makes cameos in others. It’s also a Pulitzer winner.

Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt: This memoir of McCourt’schildhood in Limerick, Ireland, is outstanding and a Pulitzer winner. It’s been years since I read it, but I recall laughing out loud at the scene where young Frank is demonstrating the moves he supposedly learned in dance class, even though he had been taking his dance class money and going to the movies.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway: It took me a while to get used to Hemingway’s rat-tat-tat style. I admire his breadth of work, but this novella, which won the Pulitzer in 1953, is my favorite. The main character, Santiago, is a fan of New York Yankees’ great Joe DiMaggio and references him several times in the book. 

Here are five that didn’t work for me.

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger: Maybe my childhood in Brilliant, Ohio, was too Mayberry-like, but I just didn’t get this one. Holden Caulfield was too tormented and fighting too many demons to be relatable.

Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper: I’ve tried numerous times to get through this one. Perhaps Cooper doesn’t translate well in the 21st century. Or maybe it’s me.

Moby Dick by Herman Melville: The first page was great, but otherwise it was 36 hours of my life that I’ll never get back.Read the CliffsNotes version.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: I’ve read it several times, wondering why a novel so respected and admired didn’t resonate with me. And I still can’t tell you. For me, it just sits there.

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner: Yes, I realize that anyone reading this in Mississippi will consider it heresy that I’m not a fan of Faulkner. I found this book difficult to follow, and it was equally difficult to care about the characters.