Top Ten Favorite Books

I've recently re-read one of these top ten favorite books and another is on my late-summer targeted reading list, but I wanted to go ahead and call out and give props to the best books I have ever read, in my humble opinion. I've read a lot, but, still, there's much more I haven't read. I also should say a lot of books deserve honorable mentions, but I am going to restrict this to just my ten favorite, though I do so with a heavy heart. There's a lot of good books out there. This list isn't in order...it was tough enough for me to get it narrowed down to ten and I didn't feel putting them in order was a meaningful exercise worth the effort. Apples and oranges and all that...

1. "Whirlwind" by James Clavell - This is the book I mentioned I was going to re-read (yet again) in the late summer or so. There are a few things I want to get through before going to it again. Plus, I just finished another James Clavell book recently, which was also quite long, so I kind of wanted to take a break from him so I can start reading "Whirlwind" fresh. This is a story of a bunch of westerners trying to escape Iran in the midst of its revolution in the late seventies. It has so much going for it. The title comes from the name the main characters coined for the operation because, like a whirlwind, everything had to happen at once for it to work. I've read it twice and also read the abbreviated version of it called "Escape," which removes certain content. "Whirlwind" is better than "Escape" and, indeed, is better than most books I've ever read. I got a signed copy of this one.

2. "The Brothers Karamazov" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - I just finished re-reading this (my fourth read total) during this past week. I love this book - it is a murder mystery mixed with family drama, money troubles, and a faith journey. The author is so in touch with humanity and humankind it can shake you to see inside of his characters so readily and expansively. This book also boasts one of my favorite, if not my favorite, chapters of any book ever. Interestingly enough, it is the only book written before the 1900's that made my top ten list. This is part of what makes my heart heavy as there were a lot of books that didn't make the list that I absolutely love.

3. "The Immortality Factor" by Ben Bova - This book is a science fiction book about using genetic therapies to regenerate failing organs inside of organisms - initially into simple mammals but later into apes and ultimately with plans to do so effectively in people. The premise is intriguing and, going into it, I had enjoyed other Ben Bova books but didn't think he could pull this one off without being pedantic and cliché. He does it, though, and does it well. I've only read it once. I have a signed copy of this book, too. I will say that this is my all-time favorite book presently.

4. "The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis" by Jose Saramago - I love several of Jose Saramago's works more than I can say. This one, though, edges out of the others to be my favorite. I've read it several times as well. Saramago's voice is inspiring to me. It has been a strong influence on my own writing. The title of the book states its scope and what happens. On the surface, it seems like an outwardly boring book...an old man, who is named after a pen name of one of Jose Saramago's favorite authors, goes about his daily business as his life is approaching its end. And then he dies. The language and imagery throughout are haunting in a subtle way, though. It makes me ponder my own life in ways that few other books have managed to do. I was nudged to read this author initially by my mother, who recommended "All the Names" to me based on a review. I have since read and, in several cases, reread all of his major works.

5. "The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach - This book is another that I've only read once. But I loved it so much I bought not one but two signed copies of it. This was a first novel from the author and I'm (still) eagerly awaiting his sophomore work. I understand he is working on something and that it is coming soon. "The Art of Fielding" isn't about baseball, though there is a lot of baseball in it. It is about life. Set during college with a main character who plays short-stop and is a strong prospect for entering the major leagues, it goes through all of the ups and downs of a tumultuous time in his life and in those of his friends. It's one of the most well-written books I've ever read. I'm astonished that it was the author's first. This, too, was recommended by my mother based on a review she saw.

6. "The Mansion" by William Faulkner - I love William Faulkner. He was a master at his craft. You've got to be prepared to be in over your head when you're reading his work, though. Thoroughly amazing stuff. I've only read "The Mansion" once and that on my Kindle, but it was enough to convince me it was my favorite of his novels of which I have read almost all of them.... I think it is unlikely it will be removed from that position as much as I liked it. To this day I don't have a hard copy of this book in my general collection. The book is about life in the South and life in general. Like most of Faulkner's novels, if not all of them, it abounds with loose ends and depth in character and in storyline. It also has a lot of detail that can get missed as it flows by on the page but still manages to add layers to an already deep story. This is the third novel in the Snopes trilogy and, again, my favorite of his works that I've read. I wish my voice was as moving as his can be.

7. "The Cat Who Walks Through Walls" by Robert Heinlein - Another science fiction entry in my top ten here. This book I've read twice, and it blew me away both times. It has the characteristic flow, characters, and story elements of Heinlein's work....super strong and willful protagonists, lots of action in addition to lots of good dialogue, and a super-fast ending that almost feels rushed but Heinlein pulls it off in a way that it remains satisfying. This book, too, boasts one of my favorite chapters of all time though I can't recall the chapter number of it. It is truly epic though. The book itself is interesting and has little to do with cats despite its title. There is a cat who walks through walls in the book and the author even posits as to how it did it (because it didn't know it couldn't). Schrodinger's cat has nothing on this one....but it's an otherwise inconsequential character or at least, perhaps, I need to read the book more carefully to integrate it into the overall narrative arc and themes. It may have more purpose than I realized, but, then again, it may have been a whimsical addition and title. Not sure, but it still perplexes me. All that to say, I love this book and it is a treat to read throughout. I'll definitely be reading it again.

8. "Journey to the End of the Night" by Louise-Ferdinand Celine - I have a long relationship with this book, and, at one point, it was my all-time favorite (until it got unseated by "The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis," which, in turn, was unseated by "The Immortality Factor"). I've read it four or five times, I think. And, later, all of Celine's other work varying numbers of times. He was a complicated man. I know and understand that he had unpopular views, but I could never bring myself to reject him as a writer or person for that. But I never read his pamphlets either. I picked this book up initially at random. The uniqueness and, if you will, percussiveness of his voice blew me away. He is another strong influence on my own writing. Despite his apparent anger and irritation, though, he had a big heart as a person and as a writer. He was a doctor and often gave away medical services to the poor just to help out. He lived during tumultuous times but was able to navigate through his chaotic life and still write somehow. A few of the last chapters of this book are another of my favorite segments of all time. It's stunning.

9. "Timequake" by Kurt Vonnegut - "Timequake" has to be my favorite Vonnegut book of those I've read, and I certainly haven't read them all, but I've read quite a few. A timequake happens and stirs up time and events for a surprised and often overwhelmed group of people. It is fascinating and fun to read. I just love at the end the illustrative discussion about how the mind is faster than light.....that stuck with me long after I first read that book, which is, at this point, more than twenty years ago. Look in the sky at night....find a star....make sure it is twinkling or you're looking at a planet....and then look at another star....again, make sure it is twinkling but it doesn't really matter anymore. That perspective and observation traveled perhaps millions of light years in an instant. Wow. It's true. I hadn't thought of it that way before, but now I can't help but reflect on it.

10. "Mila 18" by Leon Uris - This book is set in Poland during the second world war. It is about an underground counter-resistance that is fighting back against the German occupiers. It is an intense, stressful, thrilling, and emotional journey. Leon Uris spins it like a web and its depth and attention to detail are impressive. I've read it just once but went on to read Uris' other books but none of them have yet grabbed me to this same extent (though they continue to be quite good in my experience).