Next week, M. and I are heading on one of our occasional treks home. Traveling, of course, means I need new reading material. Duh. I'm planning on getting the new Artemis Fowl book, a Ngaio Marsh (or three, as they are charmingly published by Harper here in the UK), and (once I'm home) the latest editions of
Real Simple and
Runner's World.
With that in mind, along with a recent top-five discussion in the books category, I thought I'd share my top five favorite books of all time. Especially since some of these titles are on the obscure side. This list is, of course, not static. But these have all stayed on the list for at least a year, so I think it's pretty representative.
In no particular order:
(HarperTorch edition)
I'm a big fan of the so-called Golden Age of British mystery writing, when fair play was king. Or queen, rather, since the big names were all ladies. The most consistently excellent of them is, I believe, Dorothy L. Sayers. Strong Poison is not the first book in the Lord Peter Wimsey series (4th, I believe), but it introduces Harriet Vane (Lord Peter's love interest over the rest of the series) and the mystery is fantastic. Honestly, though, I could've put almost any one of Sayers' 9 or so books here.
(Strongest runners up are Murder Must Advertise, Gaudy Night, Clouds of Witness, and Busman's Honeymoon. My advice: do not read Murder Must Advertise first, it'll just be confusing. If you want to start at the beginning of the series, try not to be put off by the anti-Semitism in her first novel, Whose Body?.)
(Penguin Classics edition)
Next up is Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, by Winifred Watson, the most recent addition to this list. You may have heard of the (quite good) movie that came out a few years ago, which is how I first came across this book. (M. and I like to create our own double features sometimes, and saw this movie right after No Country for Old Men. But that deserves its own post, I think.) Anyway, Miss P. is the story of an older woman who believes that life has passed her by and, with the help of a younger woman, finds new life where she least expects it: inside herself. Once she's plunged herself into Living, she ends up having a lifetime's worth of adventure in 24 hours. It was Watson's only comic novel, and proves that the first time's the charm. This edition includes the author's charming illustrations.
(Penguin Classics edition)
I have a soft spot for epistolary novels. They always seem to make the characters more vivid somehow, and it's Judy Abbott (the star of Daddy-Long-Legs) who really makes this book. She's one of the many, many literary orphans out there, but I think she's definitely the most funny and charming. And she's definitely the most talented literary orphan illustrator. This book is just plain fun. The Penguin Classics edition includes the almost-as-good sequel, Dear Enemy.
(Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
Cold Comfort Farm is possibly my favorite book ever. It's a very rare thing, a non-cynical parody. Stella Gibbons takes on the "darling buds of Mayness," over-the-top romance in the Laurentian style and excessive emotion and dirt in the form of the Starkadders of Cold Comfort Farm. She pits them all against the no-nonsense Flora Poste, armed with common sense, a "prolonged, expensive, and athletic education," and a thoroughly modern attitude. You can probably guess who wins. And be sure to get the Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition. It's the best paperback edition of any book I've ever seen.
(Vintage Classics Edition)
E.M. Forster's classic A Room with a View is probably familiar to many. There's all kinds of analysis out there about this book, but to me it's the story of a girl who knows who he wants to be and who she's supposed to be, and has a choice to make between society's expectations and her own standards. In the end, although she has to make some sacrifices and compromises, I think self wins (but makes some gracious concessions to society). A lovely and satisfying short novel.
In looking over my list, a few things popped out at me:
1. With one exception, these novels are all written by women.
2. With no exceptions, they feature strong female leads.
3. They're all set in the first half of the twentieth century.
4. With one exception, they're all set at least partially in England.
5. I like Penguin (and not just because I used to work for a sister company.)
I'm not sure what that says about me, but it seems I have a literary type.
What are your favorite books? Any recommendations for my vacation reading?
Note: All of these editions are the ones I own, except for A Room with a View. But the cover pictured here is so lovely, I had to go with it. Also, of course, these books are all available widely. You could go with Amazon, but I bet you could find them at your local bookshop.
