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I’m loading my iPad up with books, audiobooks, and podcasts in preparation for my long flight to and from Uganda. Long long flight. ย For one reason or another, I’ve downloaded a lot of personal classics: books that I take comfort in. ย I guess it’s the literary version of comfort food like tater tots for me. ย I feel so out of my element traveling this far from home and it feels good to be grounded in stories that remind me of growing up. ย Here are a few of my favorites. ย What did you read growing up? ย My favorite part of book posts is when you share what you love. ย Happy Sunday!
If you’ve ever driven through the center of California then you understand John Steinbeck. ย He’s my boo. ย He’s my everything. ย Ofย Mice and Menย โขโขย sealed the deal for me when I was young thenย East of Edenย destroyed me in the best way possible.
To Kill A Mockingbirdย โขโขย There is not one piece of this story that is out of place. ย It’s perfect.
Remember the first time you cried about a mouse in a book? ย It wasย Flowers For Algernonย โขโข. ย Remember the first time you cried about a mouse in a movie? ย Fievel in An American Tail. ย Sorry.
If I ever have a daughter, I think I’m going to slip this book onto her desk when she’s 11 years old and quietly back away. Judy Blume says it allย Are You There God? It’s Me Margaretย ย โขโข. ย Alsoย Freckle Juiceย might come in handy.
A Light In The Atticย โขโขย The poems in this book are about being curious, being young, and being human. ย It’s perfect.
The Witchesย โขโขย I read Roald Dahl growing up and knew I wanted to be a writer. ย His granddaughter Sophie Dahl is author to one of my favorite cookbooks. ย Runs in the family, I see.
I still can’t believe thatย Memoirsย of a Geishaย โขโขย was written by a man.
Flowers In The Atticย โขโข ย I’ve never been good at reading scary stories. ย This book proved it.
A Widow For One Yearย โขโขย John Irving knows how to create characters that we care about. ย I still think about his people. ย Crazy.
Have a happy Sunday, my friends!
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50 Responses
I remember my mom reading me To Kill a Mockingbirdโฆand actually enjoying it! Of course I also loved the entire Narnia series, but I may love The Magician’s Nephew even more than The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe! There’s a few on this list I haven’t readโฆI need to change that!
Oh my gosh, Fievel, yes! I bawled my eyes out and still would I think…
I never really thought you have this huge collection of old story books.
I was thinking maybe you could share some recipe books too?
Such good books! I love We The Living by Ayn Rand. And Anthem by her as well. . Wuthering Heights. .and Howl. Harry Potter(duh) and The Lord of the Rings (second duh). . I feel like this list puts some unavoidable part of my crazy brain out to see.
The Divine Dance is one that I have gained much from both growing up. And since.
I just adored the Ramona books as a kid: Ramona the Pest, Ramona and Beezus, etc…
Til We Have Faces is one of my favourites – I think I should pull it out and read it again…
The Witches scared me so bad when I was little. The movie was even scarier!
Ooo! You got some good ones here. That John Irving one though, that book I read over the summer and the first half was so amazing, I was just loving it, the second half lost me a little, but I did like the ending. I also think Steinbeck’s East of Eden is amazing and I heard they are getting ready to make a movie based on it with Jennifer Lawrence. Flowers in the Attic – Love it! V.C. Andrews was such a big part of my adolescence, I’ve often thought about going back an rereading some of her books, but I am afraid of ruining my memories of them being as good as I remember back then. Good luck on your trip to Uganda! : ) Happy travels.
“….then East of Eden destroyed me in the best way possible.”
YES. I’ve never been able to put into words the impact or experience of this book…until now. Thanks! : )
I’ve read, and loved, almost all of those books! Oh the memories they churn up when I remember the age I was when I read them. I totally understand why you want to bring something so familiar with you to a new land. Enjoy your trip!
Of Mice & Men adn the The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe were huge for me along with Charlottes Web, and Anne of Green Gables and every Dear America Book out. I’m a historicle fiction dork. Oh and I love these posts
You’ve started to bring nostalgia back to me too. It was a while ago since I’ve read my last Roald Dahl book… a few years to be true. I read Mice of Men a while ago as well, although to Kill a Mockingbird more recently. I didn’t like Watership down at all. But Judy Blume? <333 I loved her as I was growing up. Especially the one up there and Deenie.
Check out my post on relaxing here (it also mentions books!) https://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/2014/01/chaotic-days-how-to-relax.html
My favourite was definitely Memoirs of a Geisha!
What a lovely list, childhood favourites galore!
I hope you’re having an amazing time in Uganda!
I love to read books by authors of the country I’m travelling through, I just think it adds to the experience. Sadly, I’ve not been to Uganda yet so I don’t have a recommendation! Promise me if you ever go to Barcelona though, you’ll read “Shadows of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
Ah books make me so happy. I am glad you included some Judy Blume-I recently reread Superfudge!
Joy, I love you. Books and food and defining oneself. What better things are there to write about. What I love about all of these is the ability to have a book take you to another place, and then be able to revisit that place as you yourself grow. All of these and the ones mentioned in comments are among my favorites.
If you love Steinbeck, have you read “Travels with Charley”? It’s my favorite of his books, which is saying a great deal. And if you like Travels, read “Blue Highways” by William Least Heat Moon. You are so spot on about “To Kill a Mockingbird.” And finally, possibly my favorite book of all time — it’s out of print, but might be available somewhere, “I Heard the Owl Call My Name,” by Margaret Craven. And if you want to get lost in a longer book — probably also out of print, but worth searching for: “The Secret of Santa Vittoria,” by Robert Crichton. These last two I could barely put down. Have a wonderful trip!
I absolutely loooove To Kill A Mockingbird! I read it in high school and Scout was my favorite. Atticus is my favorite name ever.
Are you There God? It’s Me Margaret was my favorite when I was little! My dad bought us the audiobook (cassette tapes!) and we listened to it every night before bed. We got so good that we could recite parts of it word for word……
Shiloh was also my favorite – it may be the first one that made me cry. Oh, and Charlotte’s Web!
you have some great ones here. I would add (thinking back to pivotal coming of age books for me) Cold Sassy Tree (in my opinion on par with To Kill a Mockingbird which is another of my top books). Also loved: Davita’s Harp. The Bread Givers. Sister of my Heart. Oh and the Zion Covenant and Chronicles series by the Thoene’s. Current YA obsession the Ashtown books (starting the The Dragon’s Tooth). I could go on and on…
I lived in Lira (Northern Uganda) for three years. One week will not be enough time for sure; enjoy it but also remember how you will probably be changed more than you will change things. Read the Poisonwood Bible while you’re there, it takes place in Congo but the similarities are incredible. It’s the book that first made me want to go to Africa :) Wot aber!
wonderful book suggestions! i know exactly what you mean about comfort reading. c.s. lewis is my favorite author, and “till we have faces” might be my favorite of his works (though “perelandra” would give it a run for its money).
I loved everything by Jane Austen.Pride and Prejudice was and is still my favorite.
The Brontes were good too both Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights so different the two but both so good.
“Are you there God, it’s me Margaret” changed my life as an eleven year old. Life would never be the same from that day forward. Also I just finished listening to the Chronicles of Narnia audiobooksโฆso, so, so, so goodโฆI highly recommend them, they’ll make any road trip magical…
I loved Roald Dahl growing up and The Witches was my favorite! One of my favorite books from childhood is Time Cat. I was so excited when my niece picked it up (on her own!!) and loved it. When I was a teenager I read a lot of Lois Duncan and Carolyn B. Cooney.
Oh, man, just SEEING Flowers for Algernon hurts. Phew.
If you’ve never read Harriet the Spy (kid’s book), by Louise Fitzhugh, PLEASE consider it. It is SO funny, quirky, and real. I recommended it to my cousin, who later complained that he got in trouble ’cause he was reading it in class (on the sly) and burst out laughing.
Grown people book faves (that I’ve read several times):
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett several times–it’s SO beautifully written, oh my.
Smilla’s Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg (https://www.nytimes.com/books/97/04/20/bsp/28867.html) –just a fascinating book, on a number of levels.
White Oleander by Janet Fitch Also, such beautiful writing, and very interesting characters w/in.
Fun topic, thanks for sharing yours, and I hope you bought the compression socks for your trip–super good for you. =) I hope your trip is fabulous. xo
You have posted about such great books! Cutting for Stone is an excellent book too. I recently went back and read all those books that I was supposed to read in high school: Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Pride and Prejudice. They are my new favorites!
So many great books…here is one not to be missed…Cutting for Stone! You will love it..I think. :) Anyway it’s an amazing story…
Bon Voyage..I so admire what you are doing…
I loved A Wrinkle In Time. I read that book over and over in the 6th grade. Good list, I had forgotten about a lot of those. Have a safe trip Joy and I can’t wait for future post about it.
Book lists have to be one of my favourite things. As if my list isn’t long enough already :) I loved A Widow for One Year. I am almost to the end of John Irving’s newest In One Person. Somehow, he manages to take the same themes (adolescent boy, growing up in New England, sans biological father, fetish for older women, etc.) and makes them all new and different again. Enjoying this one just as much as I have enjoyed his older ones :) Happy traveling!
Joy, these are all such great books! I love all John Irving’s writings and A Widow for One Year is especially good! I also love The Hotel New Hampshire.
I loved Little Women, The Little House on the Prarie series, Harry Potter series, and the Bell Jar. I read so much more when I was younger. Must get back to that old version of me.
I’ve enjoyed reading all your favorite books so much, and have created a “must read” list of those I missed out on. The Secret Garden sparked a reminder of another one that I loved – Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. I raised two strapping boys who just wouldn’t relate to a revival of my girlie books! If they were on this thread, they’d say one of their favorites was Captain Underpants. Groan….
You have posted a great selection of books, some of which are my favourires. I read the entire series of Flowers in The Attic (very sad story) in high school and kinda got hooked on VC Andrews. I read all her books and most of her series I have. I collect books and love to re-read them over and over. It never gets old for me hahaha.
Did you see the Lifetime remake of Flowers in the Attic? It was on again last night and omg so bizarre!!!
Reading as a child brought me needed, wonderful escape. As an adult I happened on an obscure book in an antique store that I’d loved as a kid. That spurred me to collect books from that time and I’ve had a blast rereading them all as an adult. You’re so rightโฆthey are literary comfort food. My collection is at about 300 books. Some of the first ones I sought were: The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Sing Down the Moon, A Wrinkle in Time, Island of the Blue Dolphin
East of Eden is my favorite Steinbeck book ever! I read it every few years and am just as amazed each time.
I loved to read when I was young and my mom worked at the local library, so many summer days were spent hanging out there. Watership Down was a favorite, and then I read everything by S.E. Hinton – The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, That Was Then, This is Now…oh, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn…look what you started! And, if you have children, you will LOVE both old favorites and many of the new ones. Have a great trip, Joy!
Yes – a tree grows in Brooklyn. Yes yes yes!
What a great list! There’s a few I haven’t read — must change that! :)
I loved every one of the books on your list! Once I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I followed with all the other books in the series. I also adore the Tolkien series. And if you haven’t read The Phantom Tollbooth as the commenter above mentioned, it is a fun classic loaded with creative puns.
A great book to add to your list is State of Wonder. Great book!
I still cant believe that a book about rabbits could be so emotional. Watership Down is one of my favorites! I wish you safety on your trip. You are going to have an amazing time.
Joy I wish you a safe and inspirational trip…I loved all the books you posted. My favorite childhood books were the Judy Blume series, I loved The Outsiders, the Nancy Drew series , The Catcher in the Rye, Franny and Zooey and any teen love story out there…I wrote poems when I was young and still do…anyway although i still at my age love younger age books at this very moment I am obsessed with The Alchemist by Paolo Coehlo please read during your journey a must!!!!!!
When I saw your post, Flowers in the Attic immediately came to mind and then I thought I was weird for a minute but I guess I’m not! Or we’re both weird! Yay!
I’d second the Steinbeck and Are You There God…I fell in love with The Perks Of Being A Wallflower in high school, and have read it multiple times. In college (that’s still growing up right?) Walt Whitman was my man.
It’s actually one of my resolutions this year to re-read a classic so you’ve given me some inspiration!
I love some good comfort reading, I think I’ve read 7 of the books you mentioned.
My favourite books from when I was younger are Anne of Green Gables and Pride and Prejudice. I also love some escapism in fantasy like David Eddings or the Dragonriders of Pern series.
I don’t know if you’ve ever read Nigel Slater’s book Toast, I only read it first a few years ago, but it’s basically a bit of comfort food itself! (Food features a lot.)
Have a good time in Uganda, I’m sure it’ll be a great experience.
When I was in the 6th grade, everybody was readingThe Phantom Tollbooth. Not being the kid to do what everyone else was doing (yeah, I was a rebel) I refused to read it. When I got my Masters in Education, we had to read a children’s book that we had never read when we were a kid. So I read The Phanton Tollbooth. Best. Book. Ever. I think I liked it better than I would have years earlier.
Joy, beautiful choices. My favorite is To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus Finch is the person whom we all want to be. I also recommend reading Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier; full of romance, thrills and intrigue. Safe travels! xx Melissa
For childhood favorites, “The Secret Garden” is right up there. As is “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. Safe journeys.
It’s Roald Dahl, not Rohl Dahl.