10 books I Loved Reading

Image from The Graphics Fairy

    I had a nice weekend.  I took a day out on the bike to do errands, the Texas heat and sun beating down on my skin. Sun block is an essential.  One of the wonderful stops I made was the local book store.  It is one of my favorite haunts.  The owner is a fabulous person to talk to and there are several books to just lose yourself in.  I found one in particular that simply had to go home with me that day.

    The following day, Sunday, I sat down with a cup of tea and began to devour the words.  I made several more pauses throughout my day to read.  I even took up the practice of walking and reading, which is not something I have done in years.  (I must add that it is also not the safest way to walk.)

    Reading can be relaxing, exciting, and engaging.  It all depends on what you are reading and how emotionally invested you get.  It can be an excellent way to disengage from the world or to learn new things.  When I first started to enjoy reading I devoured informational books.  I loved learning and I still do.

    Lately I haven't been reading as much as I'd like to.  Occasionally I will just pick up a fast read simply to burn through it.  I read a surprising amount outside of what was assigned in high school.  I also read a lot after high school.  It tapered off as life got busier.  In the last couple of years I have started to read more and more.

    Often times people have asked me what I like to read and it is not always easy to answer.  It is not easy for me to say I read this genre or that genre.  Also I am not always sure what specific genre a book I am reading is considered.  There are also genres I only read when I want a fast read.  Then there is the fact that I love reading informational books.  Leave me alone with a history text book and I will be plenty happy.

    There have been some books that I have loved though.  Books that I would go back and read again.  Books that I have gone back and read again.  I have been thinking about these lately.  Even talked with others about them.  So today I will give you a list of ten books I loved in no particular order.  

Image from The Graphics Fairy

10 books I Loved in No Particular Order 

Black Unicorn (1989) by  Tanith Lee
    "Black Unicorn" is a story I first read in high school.  I read it again as an adult and still loved it.  This was the book that assured to me that the label "young adult" could be read by adults too.  I would like to give it another read and then read to two books that come after it, "Gold Unicorn" (1994) and "Red Unicorn" (1997).

This Alien Shore (1998) by C S Friedman
    Prior to this book I had never read a science fiction novel.  And I loved this book.  Part of the cover is missing because I literally took it everywhere.  With over 500 pages it took me some time to finish it, but was well spent.  

Of Nightingales That Weep (1974) by Katherine Paterson
    Found this book in the high school library by just perusing the shelves.  This is still a great way to find books.  Katherine Paterson also wrote "Bridge to Terabithia" (1977).

The Last Unicorn (1968) by Peter S Beagle
    Hands down my personal favorite book.  I loved the story and the characters.  

Shades of Milk and Honey (2010) by Mary Robinette Kowal
    In the past year I have read the first three books of the Glamourist Histories series.  I am in love with Mrs. Kowal's writing and her stories.  Lucky thing is that the forth book just came out last month.  

The Fox Woman (2000) by Kij Johnson
    I like that the main character in the story is not human.  I like what ideas were explored through the story.  But I won't give anything away.  

Blood Price (1991) by Tanya Huff
    I enjoyed watching the show Blood Ties.  So when I found out it was based on this series I had to read it.  I did not finish this series and am planing to start rereading them at some point so I can finish them.

Dark Moon (1992) by Meredith Ann Pierce
    Welcome to middle school.  This was a book I remember fondly.  I also remember it being at least a touch dark.  I got so emotionally engaged by the story that I had to put the book down several times to cry.

The Heart of Aces by Sarah Sinnaeve, Esther Day , Stephanie Charvat, Flavia Napoleoni, Rai Scodras, Mursheda Ahad, Chelsey Brinson, Madeline Bridgen, Andrea R. Blackwell, A.J. Hall, Kari Woodrow
    I found this book at a time when I was asking myself, "Are there any asexual romance stories?"  This book was my answer.  Yes there are.  It also gave me a taste of different authours that I would like to try reading more from.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values by Robert M. Pirsig
    This book was a tough read.  It was originally assigned in a humanities class I took in high school.  I don't think anyone in our class finished it that semester, however I got a hold of it and read it for a book report in a college psychology class.  I remember we we told we could use a biography for our book or we could use another kind but it would have to be approved by the teacher.  I didn't even get the whole name out and the teacher said yes.

    Those are by no means all of the books I love (and some are just the first in a series I love.)  I have read several books and I hope to read several more.  I'd like to give the Legend of Drizzt series a try.  I am also in the middle of reading "Go Ask Alice", "Dime Store Magic," and a book on crystals.  I am not a one book at a time person.  I tried it.  It took me over a year to read Dracula as a result.  Let's face it, your not always in the mood to read something written in the 1800's.