I’ve never been someone who can dilute my pop culture affinity into easily labeled boxes. Whether it’s movies, TV, music, or, yes, even books, the description for my personal taste is always the same: eclectic. What can I say? I read a little bit of everything. In the spirit of genre-mixing, I’ve assembled a list of some of my favorite books. Read on for a peek into my bookish obsessions — both old and new.
I’m Your Huckleberry by Val Kilmer
Like all true stories, mine includes extreme chiaroscuro, dazzling light and wrenching darkness.
— Val Kilmer, I’m Your Huckleberry
Val Kilmer, who recently passed, is one of my favorite actors and artists. His dedication to the craft was awe-inspiring. I always turn to Kilmer’s memoir to guide me through especially difficult parts of my life. Peppered between behind-the-scenes stories about his movies are Val Kilmer’s honest and humbling insights into life and the all-consuming Love he strove to find. Memoirs give us the ability to peer into the hearts and souls of people we may never meet, and I will forever be grateful that Val Kilmer was willing to share so much of his spirit with the world.
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
People laugh at me because I use big words. But if you have big ideas, you have to use big words to express them, haven’t you?
— L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
I first fell in love with Anne of Green Gables when I was 11 years old, and my sister showed me the 1980s mini-series. I was initially skeptical because, at the time, I thought that period pieces were unbearably boring. But I couldn’t help but get swept into Anne’s touching tale of love and found family. I reread this series nearly every year, and I credit L.M. Montgomery’s poetic and engaging writing style with igniting my lifelong love for classic literature.
The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig
It’s a calming thing, to learn there’s a word for something you’ve felt all your life but didn’t know was shared by anyone else.
— John Koenig, The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows
We never know when or where we will find our favorite books. For example, I found The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows in a 2015 Vsauce video. I was so enchanted by John Koenig’s project that I faithfully sat on his email list for seven years, waiting for the publication announcement. And believe me, this book was well worth the wait! Koenig’s attention to etymology lends credence to this fabulous emotional book.
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The real world is where the monsters are.
— Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief
The Percy Jackson saga — both Percy Jackson & the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus — are some of my absolute favorite books. (Not least of which because I share Percy’s birthday.) Rick Riordan’s writing is action-packed, hilarious, and matures with the reader as the series moves forward. While other kids were waiting for their invitation to Hogwarts, I was waiting for my satyr to guide me to Camp Half-Blood. Who knows — maybe he just got lost along the way.
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
You wouldn’t be a writer if reading hadn’t enriched your soul more than other pursuits.
— Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
All writers need a guide, and the best lessons I ever learned to hone my abilities came from Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird. Her humorous and poignant writing advice is always relevant. Lamott’s chapter on jealousy, in particular, is a source of great comfort and comedy for me. I confess that I am often guilty of comparing my career to every other peer I have ever met. Hearing that my feelings are shared by others, even established authors, made me feel less alone.
Dracula by Bram Stoker
If ever a face meant death, if looks could kill, we saw it at that moment.
— Bram Stoker, Dracula
I first read Dracula when I was 13 years old. Though I didn’t fully appreciate the subtleties and nuance of the language until rereading the book as an adult, I was still enthralled by Bram Stoker’s thrilling horror tale. Stoker may not have invented the vampire character, but he did cement most of its tropes. This action-packed book is still just as compelling and frightening as it was over 100 years ago.
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Mama used to say, you have to know someone a thousand days before you can glimpse her soul.
— Shannon Hale, Book of a Thousand Days
Shannon Hale is a cherished author from my childhood; admittedly, The Books of Bayern series is still one that I thoroughly enjoy as an adult. But if I had to choose just one Hale book, it would have to be her standalone novel, Book of a Thousand Days. Dashti’s story is full to the brim with longing, courage, and one of the best romances I have ever read. Shannon Hale has a special gift for building fantasy worlds that feel both enchanting and real, all at once.
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
I do love nothing in the world so well as you — is not that strange?
— William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Act IV Scene i
If you only read one Shakespeare play in your entire life, let it be this one. Unlike most of his other works, Much Ado About Nothing is written almost entirely in prose. This pulls the speech out of the (often) more stilted iambic pentameter and back into the realm of everyday syntax. Much Ado About Nothing is a raucous comedy with a fabulous rendition of an enemies-to-lovers story, and one of its heroines, Beatrice, is the strongest female character he ever wrote.
A Cry in the Night by Mary Higgins Clark
I thought I could retreat here and leave the dark behind. But I’m still feeling shadows encroaching on my light.
— Mary Higgins Clark, A Cry in the Night
Mary Higgins Clark, also known as the Queen of Suspense, is my all-time favorite mystery writer. Incidentally, I always search for her books every time I find myself in a used bookstore. Of her vast catalog of thrilling novels, A Cry in the Night is one of her best. This psychological horror is full of tantalizing twists and turns and a startling reveal that scared me so much on the first read that I actually closed the book and ran from the room!
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.
— Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
I have a deep love for all of Jane Austen’s canon, but her clever writing in Pride and Prejudice is some of her best. Elizabeth Bennet’s tumultuous love story with Mr. Darcy is still relatable in the modern world. After all, how many times has my own pride gotten in the way of my relationships? When it comes to love in Austen’s world, the stakes are always high, but the rewards are higher still.
There you have it! I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my literary world. And if you’re an eclectic reader like me, know that you’re not alone in your varied tastes.
Click here for another great rec list courtesy of the Bookstr team.
Find these books and more on our Recommendations bookshelf on Bookshop.org.
