A writer e-mailed me to ask, “What are your favorite books and why?”
Holy cow, what a huge question.
Since I don’t have time to spend hours writing this blog post, and since you probably don’t care to read my entire answer, I’m going to talk about my three current faves as succinctly as I can:
My three current faves:
My general fiction pick is The Passion of Mary-Margaret by Lisa Samson. This book challenged me not only as a Christian, but as a writer. For starters, the story is unique – Mary-Margaret is a girl dreaming of being a religious sister, and then Jesus asks her to marry a diseased male prostitute. And a story like this in the hands of someone as skilled as Lisa Samson … the results are breathtaking. I adore this book.
My YA pick is This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
Oh my gosh, I could read this book a thousand times. The narrator is delightful. Remy’s a mess of a girl who thinks she can control everything, even who she falls in love with. And Dexter, her boyfriend, just leaps off the page. Dessen has released four or five books since This Lullaby, but this remains my favorite. An excellent study in what “quiet” YA fiction can be.
My classic pick is (no surprise here) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. We didn’t read P&P in my high school, which is a little weird. My English teacher preferred the Bronte sisters, so we studied them instead. I “discovered” Miss Austen several years after I’d graduated. I picked up P&P at a book sale for 25-cents. Some of the best money I ever spent. Miss Austen is a master of complex plots and beautiful, witty dialogue. P&P is my favorite, then Sense and Sensibility, Emma, and Mansfield Park are all tied for second.
So. What are your favorite books and why?
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