crunchiesailor's "My 10 Favorite Books"
This is difficult…
Alphabetical by author:
"Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf," Edward Albee—I really wish I could write plays like this. Practice, practice, practice.
"The October Country," Ray Bradbury—I’ve got kind of a love-hate thing with Mr. B., I find I don’t like most of his sci-fi stuff (except the "451" and "Martian Chronicles" and handful of short stories), but really like his Midwestern-Gothic stuff (at least when he isn’t overwhelming the reader with purple prose). This is an early collection, filled with grotesque horror stories that are, by and large, tops.
"The Grass Harp," Truman Capote—completely charming tale about a small group of eccentrics and outcasts who take up residence in a treehouse. Sweetly wistful.
"Great Expectations," Charles Dickens—I love Victorian novels, and I have great affection for bildungsromans, so this is perfect for my tastes.
"The Talented Mr. Ripley," Patricia Highsmith—appeals to my darker side, I guess. Completely amazing.
"The Haunting of Hill House," Shirley Jackson—Modernism + Gothicism = a smashing horror tale.
"Lolita," Vladimir Nabokov—there is absolutely nothing I can say.
"The Things They Carried," Tim O’Brien—I completely melted with grief AND joy when I read this. The most intense reading experience of my life.
"Puddn’head Wilson," Mark Twain—fun, charming, AND socially conscious. Like me? Hmmm…
"A Streetcar Named Desire," Tennessee Williams—Southern decadence and grotesquerie. Glorious.
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