How to answer the question, "What is your favorite book?"

I've been thinking about this list since I read my friend Janet's Facebook post this morning. Her brother invited people to post their top 10 favorite books, Janet was able to narrow it down to 15.

Me? It's such a complex question. Reading has been such a big part of my life, c-a-t spells cat to now. In high school my best friend, Rachel, and I used to meet at the library. We would check out books and ride our bikes back to her house. Then we would lounge in her living room and read for the afternoon. Her sister Rebecca never did understand how that was fun for us.

Okay, no more excuses.

Pocket for Corduroy and Monster at the End of the Book are books I still remember Mama reading to me. But my favorite childhood book is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. I used to get so mad at that boy! Of course, I also got mad at Jackie Paper in the song Puff the Magic Dragon. Loyalty to friendship began at an early age with me.

And while we are talking about Shel Silverstein, my favorite book of poetry is Light in the Attic. See what I did there? I cleverly mentioned 4 books and now have more room in my list!

Okay, here are my top 15 favorite novels, in no particular order.

 1. Scarlett Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
 2. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
 3. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
 4. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
 5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
 6. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
 7. Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
 8. Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
 9. Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis (No, I will NOT pick a favorite)
10. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
11. 3 Muskateers by Alexandre Dumas
12. Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
13. Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
14. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
15. Little House in the Old Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I have read each of these multiple times (although Liane Moriarty's Alice is relatively new) and I still remember the first time I met them . The characters are summoned to my thoughts by real life events, and it makes me smile. When a new acquaintance mentions them, we are immediately bonded.

As for long time friends, well... I was in my early 20's when I first read Anne of Green Gables and I had already watched the movies. Rachel and I watched them together...a couple of times. I called Rachel to tell her I had just bought the first book at a used book store. Her reaction floored me. My reserved friend squealed and said "I'm so excited for you! You get to enter that world for the first time!"

Now, I have a slightly different question to ask you. What are the 5 books that are on your "Nightstand"? I don't mean your physical nightstand, the one by your bed. I mean your metaphorical one. What 5 books do you refer to often? Do you mention? Do you use in arguments?

Mine are Romancing the Ordinary by Sarah ban Breathnach; Present over Perfect by Shauna Niequist; The Shack by Wm. Paul Young; The Final Quest by Rick Joyner and The Bible by lots of people.

And yes, that's 5 more books that I didn't have to find space for in my list!

I'd love to hear yours, I'm always looking for new to me reads.