Six Must-Read Books You’ll Love

** This article contains a few updates from the original version.

I love books. If you do, too, what’s on your bookshelf right now? Do you have some favorites?

Here’s a list of six – okay, actually seven – of my favorites. They are my “go to” books, meaning I’ve read each of them multiple times. Why?

Because. I. Love. Them!! Read on, friend.

The beginning of an obsession

“Hi, everyone. My name is Dianne and I am a book-a-holic.”

No disrespect to AA or any other 12-step group, but I have an addiction. I have always been drawn to the “dark side” by books. Okay, that sounds a little creepy, doesn’t it? Let me clarify. I get so absorbed in reading, I completely lose track of time – where I am and what I SHOULD be doing.

I clearly remember sitting in reading circle and the moment it all made sense. The words on the page had meaning for me. I saw Spot run. I heard Sally say, “Stop Tim.” I was THERE with the characters in that book!

In second grade I read the book, Heidi, by Johanna Spyri. My family and I were travelling to Mississippi for a birthday party for my great-grandfather. I was so proud of reading a chapter book all by myself! Red-letter day, obviously, since I still remember it.

With each book I read, my love grew. How could authors make me laugh and cry in the same book? I was so absorbed in the stories – I felt the joy, confusion, pain and sorrow of each character.

Books – any type, any size

Some of my friends read only one type of book. I did, too, for a while:  romance novels. Oh my! Some were quite steamy! I found them interesting for several years, but at some point, I moved on to other types of books.

I started reading espionage (like all the “Bourne” books written by Robert Ludlum). From there, I switched to “police detective” novels and anything else I found on book shelves.

I just like – maybe LOVE is a better word – BOOKS! Is one of them better than another? Do you love one of your children more than the other? I can’t compare books from two completely different genres. For example, I would never compare a zombie book to an espionage book – that would just be wrong.

I just heard a snort. Are you laughing at me? Okay, it was me snorting – I can’t believe I’ve read about zombies. But, like I said I read “all kinds” of books.

I’ve listed some of the genres that I read below along with my favorite book, or series within each genre. Many of these books have been around a long time, but then haven’t we all? I still think they are lovely books and definitely good reads.

Disclaimer

I provide links for each of the books below because I love the ones I’m recommending and if you haven’t read them, I urge you to give them a try.  So officially, “each of the links in this article provided for books is an affiliate link. This simply means that if you click on the link I may receive a commission from Amazon, but this does not impact the amount you pay for any products.”

There. I’ve provided the “official” notification. Now, go read about some of my favorite books.

Books, Books and More Books

Self-Help

I have been reading “The Success Principles” by Jack Canfield. I have to tell you now – this book has been a game-changer for me! What I love most about the book is how it helps us see how beliefs we’ve had since childhood about success and money may be holding us back from achieving all that we can be.

Straight from the website for the book: “The Success Principles™ will teach you how to increase your confidence, tackle daily challenges, live with passion and purpose, and realize all your ambitions. Not merely a collection of good ideas, this book spells out the 67 timeless principles and practices used by the world’s most successful men and women—proven principles and strategies that can be adapted for your own life, whether you want to be the best salesperson in your company, become a leading architect, score top grades in school, lose weight, buy your dream home, make millions, or just get back in the job market.”

I know, it sounds amazing, right? Let me tell you – it is! Click on this link to The Success Principles, to order your copy if you want to start the journey.

Action/Adventure

Any of the Bourne books, as mentioned previously, by Robert Ludlum, is worth reading. Although the movies were good – what’s not to love about Matt Damon or Jeremy Renner – I find the books so much more interesting than the movies. But that’s generally how I always feel about the whole book-to-movie transition. Here’s the link for The Bourne Identity

It was the first in the Bourne series, followed by The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum and several others.  I’ve read the first three and can confirm they are really good books.

One of the things I love about action/adventure is comparing what the hero/heroine does with what I would do. (Most of the time I would probably die, placed in the same situation). But, I figure my chances may be better than yours if you haven’t read the same type of books. (Big smiley face here, of course).

Romance – So Many Books, So Little Time

It’s been a while since I’ve been absorbed by romance novels, but here’s a couple of my all-time favorites. Note – both are “steamy.”

“A Rose in Winter” or let’s face it – anything by Kathleen Woodiwiss.

What’s not to love about this Cinderella story?  There’s the beautiful damsel who has been betrayed by her father, forced to marry a mysterious man whose face is always covered and whom she fears is scarred beyond imagination.  It’s actually a mixture of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, I suppose – but some of the scenes are a little steamy – especially in the coach coming home from the ball – but I digress. Check out the book by clicking on this link for A Rose In Winter.

I also enjoyed “A Knight in Shining Armor” by Jude Deveraux.  A Knight in Shining Armor is a story of time travel.  Imagine what a knight from the 1500’s would think if he was transported to our time?  For that matter, how would a modern woman react and survive if she were transported to the 1500’s?  Check it out.

Historical Novels

Is there any better historical novel than “Gone with the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell? How else would one learn about the Civil War? Seriously, my love for historical novels was born when I read this book. I realized you could learn history and fall in love with characters and all their flaws at the same time. It seems most history books are long on facts and short on relaying how people felt about what was going on around them. I don’t know about you, but I love having the “human” perspective on history. What were their internal and external struggles? Did they experience hope, fear, patriotism and love? Our struggles may not be the same as the characters Scarlett O’Hara or Rhett Butler, but we have our own wars to fight, don’t we – both real and imagined?

If you’ve never read the book, I highly recommend reading it. What I love about the book is not only the characters but the descriptions of clothing, battles, and social mores. Click on this link to order Gone With the Wind.

I also loved “Shadow of the Moon” by M.M. Kaye.  Shadow of the Moon is a historical novel about a young woman named Winter – an English heiress who returns to her beloved India to live. She is caught up in intrigue and war, and in the midst of it all, falls in love – quite an adventure!

What I loved about the book were the wonderful descriptions Ms. Kaye provided – of the land, the people, and of course the history that was unfolding. Loved this book and have read it several times.

Also, check out her book, The Far Pavillions, considered Ms. Kay’s India-version of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind masterpiece.

And there you go . . . that’s my list of all-time favorites.

What’s on your book shelf? What are some of your favorite books?  Why do you like to read? Leave me a comment below. Also, take a moment to sign up for my email list. I will send you a notification when a new article is posted on the website. I’d love to hear from you.