My Books
My Favourite Books
This is a bunch of books I've read and enjoyed, for lots of different reasons.  Hopefully you'll try some.  Some of them are available as e-texts thanks to Project Gutenberg.  Others are available on Amazon.co.uk - I've just joined the Amazon Associates Scheme, so if you use these links I might make some commission, which would be lovely :D

To Kill a Mockingbird
A powerful story by Harper Lee, examining attitudes to black people in the South during the Depression.  It tells the story of the unfair trial of a black man convicted of rape as told from the perspective of the defense lawyer's children.  
Uncle Tom's Cabin
On a similar theme, this incredible book, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, is unforgettable.  Based on true stories of slavery in America, it was the first American International Bestseller, and you can tell why when you read it.  I found a copy at home so old that as I read each page it fell out of its bindings.  I took the final half on holiday with me to finish, and I think it's definitely one of those books everybody should read.  My sister has since gathered up the scattered pages to read it herself.  
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Another classic - the only Hemingway book I've ever read, but a real eye-opener.  As a pacifist, it was really interesting to read about how the people actually involved in the Spanish Civil War felt about it, and how they struggled to justify what they did.  A very readable novel that sucks you in.  
Les Miserables
Set during the French Revolution, this is the longest book I have ever read, but if you're after epic, this is the stuff.  A truly marvellous creation by Victor Hugo, it tells the story of an ex-convict who finds it in his heart to forgive his captors and start a new life.  There's so much to this story, I can't possibly do it justice, but it digs deep into all sorts of issues we face in life and as such goes on my Must Read list.  
What's so amazing about Grace?
And while we're on the subject of grace, what is it?  This book by Philip Yancey is a brilliant examination of that mysterious quality that sets Christianity apart from every other belief system.  
CS Lewis
While we're on the Christianity theme, this guy wrote more than the memorable Narnia series.  Mere Christianity presents the arguements that convinced him to give up his atheistic stance. The Screwtape Letters is also a great book for Christians.  
Gandhi
I haven't read the book - Waiting for the Mahatma by R K Naryan, but the film is an inspiration.  It tells of this young lawyer's non-violent fight for freedom from oppression for South Africa and then for his homeland, India.  
Nevil Shute
A less well-known author.  My favourite of his is The Pied Piper, a story of a man making his way back to England across war-ravaged Europe, and the children he finds or has entrusted to him along the way.  He has to look after them and get them to safety, and the way the story is told is truly enchanting. A Town Like Alice is also a great book.  Read them both!  
John Steinbeck
Back to the American authors, this man has written some brilliant books.  The Pearl tells of the way finding a fortune ruins a family as greed turns everyone against them. Of Mice and Men is also a must.  My favourite, though, is The Grapes of Wrath, telling the story of a farming family during the Depression, desperately trying to find work along with thousands of others in the same situation while big businesses cause devastating slumps in labour prices to fill their own pockets.  It made the prospect of struggling to provide for one's family real for me, which was scary.  
Mark Twain
Apart from the classic Tom Sawyer books, he has written a lot of other good stuff.  I disagree with the author's world view, but it doesn't stop him being a great storyteller.  Most, if not all, of his books are available to download as e-texts from Gutenberg.  
James Herriot
A little closer to home - the Herriot books, chronicling the poignant and frequently humourous ups and downs of the life of a Yorkshire vet, are a staple diet of country-bred children.  They are full of life, and give a taste of the tough, yet ruggedly beautiful, Yorkshire dales that you don't get anywhere else.  
Don Camillo
Not so well known, but equally well written, these short stories are based in  a village in the Po valley, in Italy, and revolve around the Catholic priest and Communist mayor.  Originally published as political satire in a newspaper during the middle of last century, the characters are just as realistic and just as loveable now as they were when first created.  The Amazon reviews for this are worth a look.  
Rudyard Kipling
I always loved The Jungle Book and his Just So Stories.  He's written a lot more, though.  A more recent favourite is Kim, the story of a young white boy in British India who grows up as a native.  The storyline is good, but the descriptions of India and the diversity of the people are absolutely wonderful.  I love Kipling's poem, If (read it here), as well.  Well enough to know off-by-heart, anyway, which can't be said for many poems.

 
Robert Jordan - Wheel of Time
More recently, I have been introduced to the Wheel of Time series - think of Lord of the Rings, but readable, and four times as long.  The fantasy world he creates is amazing, and the sheer scale of the series means he can pursue a dozen characters in the same detail you would expect a main character to be developed.  He's working on the twelfth at the moment - go here for a full list of the books.  

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