As you can see from my many many reviews, I read lots of books, mostly thrillers, but also classics, women’s fiction, biographies, and a bit of fantasy. With so many books in my library it’s not easy to choose my favourite one. Once I was asked: “If you were stranded on a desert island, which books would you like to have with you?” So after thinking about it, here are my favourite 5 books ever.
First on the list is TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (Il buio oltre la siepe) by Harper Lee. This is absolutely my favourite book ever. It’s the story of a young girl living in Alabama in the 1930s with her family and through her innocent eyes we see the rise of Hitler in Europe and the racism that was evident in Alabama at the time. I read that this book so many times and it still manages to make me laugh and cry at the same time.
My second favourite book is PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (Orgoglio e pregiudizio) by Jane Austen. I am a big fan of Jane Austen, her stories are engaging and funny, but Pride and Prejudice has always been my favourite and I often go back and reread Elizabeth and Darcy’s story.
My third favourite book is from Mr. Ernest Hemingway, A MOVEABLE FEAST (Festa mobile). This is a collection of personal stories from the author’s time in Paris. He talks about his writing, his family, his friendship with another American expatriate, F. S. Scott Fitzgerald, his marriage to his first wife Hadley and falling in love with the woman who will become his second wife. This is a very fascinating read and I enjoy going back to it.
Speaking of F, S. Fitzgerald, one of his novels is my fourth favourite book. THE GREAT GATSBY (Il grande Gatsby) takes the reader back to the New York of the Jazz Age with parties, drinks, and love affairs everywhere. The book is short and entertaining and it’s very worth a read.
Last but not least is a biography. TEAM OF RIVALS: THE POLITICAL GENIUS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I went through a period during which I was reading biographies about American presidents and this one remained my favourite. It’s brilliant written and it really captivated me and I felt like I was inside the story.
So, this are my favourite books ever, but that won’t stop me to try and find a new ones….
