playing favorites

I am an avid reader. I have always been. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve trips to the library. It was a historical building in Franklin, Mass. that had a gigantic children's book room complete with elaborate murals. In high school, I had a very influential English teacher named Miss Parrish; she was probably responsible for me becoming an English major in college. And I was editor-in-chief of our creative writing magazine, Syzygy. At St. Francis College, again I had the cream of the crop in terms of instructors and mentors-- Dr. Weixel, Dr. Labrie, Fr. Bede. Nowadays, I belong to two book clubs. I'm interested in EVERYTHING. I love beautiful language. I was thinking about the genres I read the most of. Listed below are five of my favorites (in no particular order) in those genres:

Horror
1) Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindquist. It's a Swedish girl-next-door vampire story. Very scary.
2) The Stand by Stephen King. Classic end-of-the-world epic. No one can touch King.
3) Afterage by Yvonne Navarro. A new twist on a vampire tale, set in Chicago. They're actually holed up in the Merchandise Mart. Inventive and gripping.
4) The Terror by Dan Simmons. He's another author who merits high praise. This one's set in the Arctic Circle.
5) Chicago Haunts: Ghostly Lore of the Windy City by Ursula Bielski. I love history. I love Chicago. I love being scared of ghost stories. This fulfills all the requirements.

Comedy
1) Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. This poor girl can justify spending money on anything... my soul mate!
2) Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster. A riches-to-rags story by a Chicago writer.
3) My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler. Short stories about one night stands. She's foul but hilarious.
4) Why We Suck by Denis Leary. I LOVE Denis Leary. He's from Worcester, MA, he loves the Boston Bruins, he has great hair and he plays a sexy fireman on tv. What's not to adore?!?!
5) When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris. He's laugh out loud funny and pure genius.

Nonfiction
1) The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. This work explores culture and medicine through the eyes of Hmong immigrants.
2) Endurance by Alfred Lansing. I'm friends with Suellen, so therefore I've read this book. ALL friends of Suellen read this book; it's not really an option. It's a very inspiring story of survival featuring Ernest Shackleton in the Antarctic. Magnificent.
3) Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. Everyone who runs or thinks about running should read this book. It's about barefoot running and the "superrunners" of the Tarahumara tribe in remote Mexico.
4) Into Thin Air by John Kraukauer. Mt. Everest expedition. Amazingly good.
5) Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson. A bunch of divers find a German U boat off the East Coast. This is one of the best books I've ever read. Period.

Miscellaneous Fiction
1) My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok. It's about the conflict between art and religion from the viewpoint of a Jewish painter.
2) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hossein. Friendship in Afghanistan. The subject matter sometimes makes it hard to read, but I couldn't put it down.
3) Hairstyles of the Damned by Joe Meno. Angst and discovery in the 1990's. Truly evocative of that era.
4) Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson. A murder mystery set in the Northwest. Beautifully written.
5) A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. A Dickensian dark comedy. Irving is such a smart writer.