Favourite books

Over Easter, I was asked by Karen to suggest ten of my favourite books that I might recommend to others. It was a long and thoughtful process, taking the entire long weekend, but I finally came up with a list and I'm so happy with it I'd thought I'd share it. If you have any particular picks that you wish me to read, please leave a comment!

Mind you, I'm not wanting for books to read by any means... we have a huge collection of books, supplemented by my brothers' books (since we have the space for it). I'll write more about our library another day.

The books, in no particular order:

Across the Nightingale Floor - Lian Hearn
The first of the "Otori" series of books by this author. A great tale of love, war and ninjas set in an older style Japanese-like world.

The Princess Bride - William Goldman
The movie is a classic and one of my favourites... The book is even better!

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
I studied "Persuasion" for my final year of high school but P&P is by far my favourite Austen.

Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
A truly excellent read - Sci-Fi, but don't let that put you off. The first time I read it took three days and not much sleep. I just couldn't put it down!

Dinotopia - James Gurney
The concept is wonderful and the artwork in this children's book is simply gorgeous.

Imperial Purple - Gillian Bradshaw
Recommended to me by my Latin teacher in school, Sister Philippa. A great insight into what life may have been like in Ancient Roman times.

The Lorax - Dr. Seuss
A really nice book to read to the kids to instill in them the dangers of over-capitalism (is that a word?) and not thinking about the environment that suffers because of it. Especially relevant these days with all the talk of climate change!

Boy and Going Solo - Roald Dahl
I was a HUGE fan of Roald Dahl when I was growing up. I even wrote him a letter and received a reply! Of all his books, these I love best - the true story of his childhood and young adult life.

Why Cats Paint: A Theory of Feline Aesthetics - Heather Busch & Burton Silver
Teeheehee! This is the funniest mock-non-fiction book.

Motherguilt - Ita Buttrose & Dr. Penny Adams
I recommend this book to every new mother I meet! So many things in it rang true for me. It didn't stop me feeling guilty about everything I do, but at least it helped me to understand the reasons behind the feelings and made me realise that I'm not alone, either.