Everyone loves lists. Combine them with books and magic is made. Here’s a few recommended reads passed along to family and friends at their request.
A good friend asked for suggestions of lighthearted good reads, and these titles came to mind:
1. EM Forster’s A Room with a View, so lighthearted the story is ecstatically dizzying. An absolute fave.
2. Sherman Alexie’s Ten Little Indians, hilarious short story collection
3. Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, perfect reading for fall; its Austen’s take on gothic romance, which ends up more as a mysterious romp.
4. Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Strange Pilgrims, a wondrous collection of short stories, not necessarily lighthearted but certainly marvelous.
5. Jeannette Winterson’s The Passion, a spell-binding tale in 17th(?) century Venice. One very sexy romp.
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Bucket List Reading
Because I can’t resist, here’s top recommendations expressly for you:
1. Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich- a classic collection of Native American stories from one of my favorite writers. (Excerpts can be found on Google books)
2. House on Mango Street or Woman Hollering Creek– There’s nothing else to say about these works but two words: Sandra Cisneros.
3. Ten Little Indians by Sherman Alexie- another great collection of Native American stories, this time gut-wrenchingly funny.
4. Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre– An absolute favorite. Its got everything, magic, revenge, romance, and woman power.
http://brontec.thefreelibrary.com/Jane-Eyre
5. Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Strange Pilgrims is filled with fantastic tales.
Hope these suggestions help. Happy Reading!
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Classic Novels for Kindle:
Here’s three classic novels that immediately came to mind (so hard for me to name just one 🙂 Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend. Very funny, incredibly inventive, and his best work. Conrad’s The Secret Agent. Short, explosive, and relevant for today. EM Forster’s A Room with a View a light Italian romp that has plenty of philosophical fodder to give the characters and story heft. Hope these help!
Rashaan Alexis Meneses 