Listed here are some of my favorite books.  My list is fairly incomplete but I’m  still thinking about it.  I’ll add more as they come to me.

Fiction

Address Unknown by Kathrine Kressmann Taylor

This classic, first published in 1939, presents a haunting story that unfolds through the letters of two close friends–a Jewish art dealer in San Francisco and his former business partner who returned to Germany–who describe the horror and grief brought on by the Nazi regime on the dawn of the Holocaust.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

This international bestseller about the shepherd boy Santiago who learns how to live his dreams includes an inspiring afterword by the author.

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

World-renowned Harvard symboligist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a cryptic symbol seared into the chest of a murdered physicist. What he discovers is unimaginable: a deadly vendetta against the Catholic Church by a centuries-old underground organization – the Illuminati.

The Angels Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

A new page-turner about the perilous nature of obsession, in literature and in love. Through a dizzingly constructed labyrinth of secrets, the magic of books, passion, and friendship blend into a masterful story.

The Blue Notebook by James A. Levine

The story of Batuk, a precocious 15-year-old girl from rural India who was sold into sexual slavery by her father when she was nine. As she navigates the grim realities of the Common Street—a street of prostitution in Mumbai where children are kept in cages as they wait for customers to pay for sex—Batuk manages to put pen to paper, recording her private thoughts and stories in a diary.

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

Liesel Meminger, a foster child living outside Munich during World War II, scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books–in this unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Berlin 1942
When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance.
But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

A  beautifully wrought book about the depravity of war.  Each chapter is a brief glimpse at yet another aspect of the mind, the heart, and the soul.

The Children of Men by P.D. James

In the year 2021, the world is a bleak place where all human males have become sterile, and no child can ever be born again. Civilization is giving way to cruelty and despair, and historian Theo Faron has nearly resigned himself to apathy. Then he is asked to join a band of revolutionaries–a move that may hold the key to humanity’s survival.

The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel

A stunning epic that has stirred the imagination of millions of readers, “The Clan of the Cave Bear” tells the story of the orphaned Ayla and her struggle to fit in and survive after her own tribe is killed by an earthquake.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Celie is a poor black woman whose letters tell the story of 20 years of her life, beginning at age 14 when she is being abused and raped by her father and attempting to protect her sister from the same fate, and continuing over the course of her marriage to “Mister,” a brutal man who terrorizes her. Celie eventually learns that her abusive husband has been keeping her sister’s letters from her and the rage she feels, combined with an example of love and independence provided by her close friend Shug, pushes her finally toward an awakening of her creative self.

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon. Orphaned by their mother’s death and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution.

Dandelion Fire by N.D. Wilson

Henry York never dreamed his time in Kansas would open a door to adventure—much less a hundred doors. But a visit to his aunt and uncle’s farm took an amazing turn when cupboard doors, hidden behind Henry’s bedroom wall, revealed themselves to be portals to other worlds. Now, with his time at the farm drawing to a close, Henry makes a bold decision—he must go through the cupboards to find the truth about where he’s from and who his parents are.

The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho

Coelho’s parable of good versus evil relates the story of a stranger who enters a remote village and proposes a wager to the town: if someone turns up murdered within a week, he’ll give the town enough gold to make everyone wealthy.

The Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas

A lively and engaging story of one woman’s life on the American frontier that gives a bright, fresh shading to the tragedies and small sharp joys of nineteenth-century frontier life.

The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan, illustrated by Peter Sis

This moving story about the birth of an artist is also a celebration of childhood, imagination, and the strength of the creative spirit. Ryan weaves sound poems and thought-provoking questions into her exquisitely crafted prose while Sis’s delicate drawings transport readers to the lushness of the Chilean rainforest.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery                                              

Two women live inconspicuous lives in the center of an elegant Paris apartment building. It is only when a stranger moves into their building–and sees through the women’s disguises–that Paloma and Rene discover their kindred spirits.

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

Ella Minnow Pea is a girl living happily on the fictional island of Nollop, South Carolina. Now Ella finds herself acting to save her friends, family, and fellow citizens from the encroaching totalitarianism of the island’s Council, which has banned the use of certain letters of the alphabet in this love letter to language.

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester

Forester’s humorous, thrilling debut novel is an unforgettable story of defiance and courage, about a girl who can fly and the institute for normalcy that wants to bring her down.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Jonas’  world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Now, Jonas is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now it’s time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

In 1946, writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a stranger, a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And so begins a remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name.

The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley

A charming and entertaining novel that captures the romance of books and bookshops. “When you sell a man a book,” says Roger Mifflin, protagonist of this classic bookselling novel, “you don’t sell him just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue–you sell him a whole new life.” The Haunted Bookshop finds Mifflin and his wife, Helen McGill, ensconced in Brooklyn, where they encounter some strange goings-on in their bookstore. The unraveling of the mystery provides a rollicking plot while allowing Mifflin (and Morley) to expound on the delights of reading and the intricacy of the bookseller’s art.

The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers

There is a wonder and magic to childhood. We don’t realize it at the time, of course . . . yet the adults in our lives do. They encourage us to see things in the stars, to find joy in colors and laughter as we play.

But what happens when that special someone who encourages such wonder and magic is no longer around? We can hide, we can place our heart in a bottle and grow up . . . or we can find another special someone who understands the magic. And we can encourage them to see things in the stars, find joy among colors and laughter as they play.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett                                                                                        

In Jackson, Mississippi, in 1962, there are lines that are not crossed. With the civil rights movement exploding all around them, three women start a movement of their own, forever changing a town and the way women–black and white, mothers and daughters–view one another.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

When a teenage girl discovers a medieval book in her diplomat father’s library, he reluctantly confesses an unsettling story: his involvement, 20 years earlier, in a search for his mentor, who disappeared from his office only moments after confiding his certainty that Dracula–Vlad the Impaler–was still alive.

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

Some see Matt as a beast. But for El Patron, Matt is a guarantee of eternal life, for they share the same DNA. Matt tries to understand his existence while facing sinister characters. This is mind-expanding fiction–think Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle,” Orwell’s “1984,” or Nevil Shute’s “On the Beach”.

The Holy Man by Susan Trott

They came from far and wide to see the Holy Man, to find new direction in their lives. They walked away, forever changed by simple words of wisdom so powerful, yet so universal, that their stories are an inspiration to us all. This acclaimed national bestseller is a warm and witty parable of the human search for happiness.

The Hummingbirds Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea

Miracles and passion abound in this mesmerizing novel–hailed everywhere as a masterwork–the story of a remarkable young woman’s sudden sainthood in the revolutionary-era Mexico of the late 19th century. This historical novel is based on Urrea’s real great-aunt Teresita, who had healing powers and was acclaimed as a saint. Urrea has researched historical accounts and family records for years to get an accurate story.

Into the Forest by Jean Hegland  This deeply felt story of two sisters struggling to survive amid the collapse of technology and society is at once a classic tale of mythic proportions–and a modern myth with a timely message.

Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach

A light-hearted, inspirational account of an encounter with a modern-day messiah. In “Illusions”, Bach takes to the air to discover the ageless truths that make our souls fly, showing that people don’t need airplanes to soar, and that messiahs can be found everywhere.

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn                                                                                         

When a man in search of truth answers an ad in a local newspaper from a teacher looking for serious students, he finds himself alone in an abandoned office with a gorilla named Ishmael.

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines

Set in a small Cajun community in the late 1940s, “A Lesson Before Dying” is a novel of one man condemned to die for a crime he did not commit and a young man who visits him in his cell. In the end, the two men forge a bond as they both come to understand the simple heroism of resisting–and defying–the expected.

The Line by Teri Hall

In this compelling debut, Hall writes a futuristic urban novel about the lines one girl must cross, and what lengths she is willing to go in order to do what she thinks is right.

The Little Prince by Antione de St Exupery                                                         

An aviator whose plane is forced down in the Sahara Desert encounters a little prince from a small planet who relates his adventures in seeking the secret of what is important in life.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

The eagerly awaited follow-up to his #1 international phenomenon “The DaVinciCode, The Lost Symbol” once again features Brown’s unforgettable protagonist, Harvard symbol expert Robert Langdon.

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

A new twist on the Arthurian legends, this beloved book tells the epic story of the women behind the rise and fall of King Arthur.

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Written with grace, wisdom, and sensitivity, this novel is about a teen who was conceived as a bone marrow match for her sister Kate, and what happens when she begins to question who she really is.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

From the Booker Prize-winning author of “The Remains of the Day” and “When We Were Orphans” comes an unforgettable edge-of-your-seat mystery that is at once heartbreakingly tender and morally courageous about what it means to be human.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout                                                                   

“New York Times” bestselling author Strout binds together 13 rich, luminous narratives through the presence of one larger-than-life, unforgettable character: Olive Kitteridge, who offers profound insights into the human condition.

The Pearl Diver by Jeff Talarigo 

In 1948, a 19-year-old Japanese pearl diver is in her fourth season of working hard to perfect the techniques of her age-old occupation. But her dreams of spending her life diving in the waters of the Seto Inland Sea are shattered when she discovers that she has leprosy.

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks                                                         

Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, is offered the job of a lifetime: analysis and conservation of the famous Sarajevo Haggadah, which was rescued during the Bosnian war. When Hanna discovers a series of tiny artifacts in the book’s ancient binding, she begins to unlock its mysteries.

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson

A treacherous pirate and his thieves threaten a young orphan boy named Peter and his mates when they set sail aboard the Never Land–a ship carrying a precious trunk in its cargo hold and a mysterious young passenger named Molly.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them all they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it – from garden seeds to Scripture – is calamitously transformed on African soil. The Poisonwood Bible dances between the darkly comic human failings and inspiring poetic justices of our times. In a compelling exploration of religion, conscience, imperialist arrogance, and the many paths to redemption, Barbara Kingsolver has brought forth her most ambitious work ever.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

The red tent is the place where women gather during their cycles of birthing, menses, and even illness. Like the conversations and mysteries held within this feminine tent, this sweeping piece of fiction offers an insiders look at the daily life of a biblical sorority of mothers, wives, and daughters.

The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama                                       

Tsukiyama’s classic story of love, sacrifice, and devotion. On the eve of World War II, a young Chinese man is sent to his family’s summer home in Japan to recover from tuberculosis. He will rest, swim in the salubrious sea, and paint in the brilliant shoreside light. But when he meets four local residents–a beautiful Japanese girl and three older people–what ensues is a tale that readers will find at once classical yet utterly unique.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

“The Secret Life of Bees”  explores a young girl’s search for the truth about her mother; her courage to tear down racial barriers; and her joy as she claims her place within a community of women.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The international literary sensation–a runaway bestseller in Spain–is about a boy’s quest through the secrets and shadows of postwar Barcelona for a mysterious author whose book has proved as dangerous to own as it is impossible to forget.

Threads by Nell Gavin

Threads, a reincarnation fantasy, opens with the death of Anne Boleyn (second wife of Henry VIII), whose execution appears upon first sight to have resulted from her inability to produce a son for the king. As Anne reviews her life, and several previous lifetimes,  she learns about the true depth of her relationship with Henry VIII. Furthermore, she learns that she has been given a hard task: to forgive him.

The Time Ships by Stephen Baxter

There is a secret passage through time…and it leads all the way to the end of Eternity. But the journey has a terrible cost. It alters not only the future but he “present” in which we live.

The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The love story of Henry and Claire whose lives are punctuated by Henry’s disappearance to different points in time–sometimes even back to visit Claire as a young woman. When Henry meets Claire, he is twenty-eight, and she is twenty. He’s a hip, handsome librarian; she is an art student with Botticelli hair. Henry has never met Claire before; Claire has known Henry since she was six…

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Harper Lee’s classic novel of a lawyer in the Deep South defending a black man charged with the rape of a white girl.

One of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has earned many distinctions since its original publication in 1960. It won the Pulitzer Prize, has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than thirty million copies worldwide, and been made into an enormously popular movie. Most recently, librarians across the country gave the book the highest of honors by voting it the best novel of the twentieth century.

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O’Farrell

This haunting, multi-generational tale of the horrors that have been done to women under the guise of mental health is the creepy Victorian tale of two elderly sisters who reveal more than a few family secrets after a lifetime of forced seclusion.

Veronica Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho

Veronika seems to have it all–youth, beauty, a good job, and loving family. But one morning she wakes up and tries to kill herself. The attempt fails, but leaves her damaged with only a few days to live. In her final days she embarks on a transforming self-discovery.

Walk on Bright Boy by Charles Davis

Set in Medieval Spain, this story of a boy’s first confrontation with political and religious corruption strives less for historical accuracy than for universal applicability. Written with lovely economy and sensitivity, it is reminiscent of a fable or of a young adult coming-of-age tale. At the same time, however, it is also complex in its exploration of human foibles and philosophies.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life’s questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family’s fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer.

Wicked by Gregory Mcguire

“Wicked”–introduces Elphaba, a smart, prickly, and misunderstood creature who will grow up to become the infamous “Wicked” Witch of the West in Oz. Now, her side of the story is told.

Word After Word After Word by Patricia MacLachlin

Sure to inspire new generations of writers and readers, this contemporary novel from a beloved author and Newbery Medalist celebrates the power of words and language, stories and poetry.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle

Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg’s father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government.

Non-Fiction

1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up by Julia Eccleshare

An authoritative guide to classic and contemporary children’s literature. This collection is organized by age group–from board books to YA novels–and features informed reviews of each entry.

As a Man Thinketh by James Allen

Allen’s practical philosophy of successful living has awakened millions to the discovery and perception of the truth that “they themselves are makers of themselves”.

Awareness by Anthony DeMello

Mixing Christian spirituality, Buddhist parables, Islamic sayings, Hindu breathing exercises, and psychological insight, spiritualist and Jesuit priest Anthony de Mello challenges readers to identify our most submerged, darkest feeling, accept them, not let them rule us, and allow this new awareness of ourselves to change us.

Honey, Mud and Maggots by Robert & Michele Root-Bernstein

In this “amiable romp through the history of alternative medicine” (Economist), the authors challenge the myth that only modern medicine has a scientific basis and show that “discredited” treatments such as bloodletting and leeching may have validity. Written with wit and insight, this book sheds much light on the unexpected origins of modern science as well as on the effectiveness of alternative remedies.

Imagine a Night by Rob Gonsalves

Gonsalves captures that delicious time between sleeping and waking, creating a breathtaking visual exploration of imagination and possibility that encourages readers to think past the boundaries of everyday life.

Mirrors:  Stories of Almost Everyone by Eduardo Galeano

One of the world’s most celebrated writers delivers his most ambitious book to date–an epic history of the human adventure, told backwards, forwards, sideways, through past, present, and future.

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

Humanity now, perhaps more than in any previous time, has an opportunity to create a new, saner, more loving world. This will involve a radical inner leap from the current egoic consciousness to an entirely new one. In very practical terms, Tolle leads readers into this new consciousness to learn to live and breathe freely.

The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

Hailed by the “New York Times” as “a fascinating, spicy, learned tale,” this runaway national bestseller takes an extraordinary look into literary genius, madness, and the making of the”Oxford English Dictionary.”

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

A brilliant man’s philosophy on love, marriage, joy and sorrow, time, friendship and much more.

Proust Was a Neuroscientist by Johan Lehrer

Lehrer argues in this original book that science is not the only path to knowledge. In fact, where the brain is concerned, art got there first. Focusing on a group of artists, Lehrer shows how each one discovered an essential truth about the human mind that science is only now rediscovering.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

With his offbeat sensibility, his eye for the absurd, and his laugh-out-loud sense of humor, Bryson recounts his confrontations with nature at its most uncompromising over his five-month journey along the Appalachian Trail

When Everything Changes, Change Everything by Neale Donald Walsch

In each instance of change–whether it is the end of a relationship, loss of a job, or health crisis–the challenges that each individual must confront include embracing change and realizing that new circumstances represent not just loss but the possibility of growth.

The Wilderness World of John Muir by John Muir

During John Muir’s extraordinary life as a conservationist, he traveled through most of the American wilderness alone and on foot, without a gun or a sleeping bag. In 1903, while on a three-day camping trip with President Theodore Roosevelt, he convinced the president of the importance of a national conservation program, and he is given major credit for saving the Grand Canyon and Arizona’s Petrified Forest. Muir’s writing, based on journals he kept throughout his life, gives our generation a picture of an America still wild and unsettled only one hundred years ago.

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