Believe it or not, I can't even recall the last time I read a book from cover to cover. I do plenty of reading, just not in the traditional sense these days. I read countless posts here on AR, digest a bunch of stuff Mortgage-Related in The Scotsman Guide and Broker Magazine. Yet, what my eyes see and my brain digests far exceeds just the business I'm in. I love psychology, philosophy, pain, heartache, the loss of God, wisdom, darkness, enlightenment, inspiration, and a whole lot of other stuff that's hard to bring to light in taking a 1003 Application. I'm a Mortgage Broker by trade, I'm a Humanistic Recluse Idealist by heart. Somewhere along the line, my soul stirs in all the great words I've read. If you were to visit my home and do a bit of searching, you'd find plenty of reading material from all facets and subjects in life. I've digested excerpts from a whole bunch of them. It's been awhile since I've committed to an actual book though, so I'm working on memory here folks. The following are my favorite and you can damn bet I'm going to revisit. Thank you Carole Cohen for your initial post, I almost forgot how rewarding these books can be.
Sorry for the delay, I've been Book Meme'd twice now. First, it was Carole Cohen. Then came Sarah Cooper. So, I shall answer what they asked. You want my favorite reads of all-time....here we freaking go.
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck- Perseverance is king. It has been at least 10 years since I've delved into this piece of work, but it needs revisited again. Steinbeck is a brilliant writer, both ahead and in tune of his time. The strength of this storyline pales in comparison to the strength of the characters Mr. Steinbeck writes about. I look back on this book fondly, remembering no matter how bad it may be...true strength is in Spirit, never lose it.
On The Road by Jack Kerouac - I read this book cover to cover in my days in the restaurant business. At that point, I was searching, for my meaning...for my life. I'm more like Kerouac than I'd care to admit, though I wish I was on page with his ability to write. In that context, he's a true icon. The lifestyle, well, that's probably not the way to go.... but I live it anyway.
The Sky Is Falling by Sidney Sheldon - I finished this book quite quickly on a flight from Allentown to Florida, where I was to meet my parents and celebrate my mother's 50th birthday on a cruise to Mexico. I know this is fiction, but damn....it hits close to home. Easy read and a fantastic story, it has all the elements. To me, this is one of the under-rated reads I never hear about. Gee, I wonder is Sidney had the Kennedy's in mind when he wrote this? RIP Sidney.
Stephen King's "A Memoir Of The Craft" by Stephen King of course - If there is a better writer in my lifetime, I'm not sure who it is if it isn't Mr. King. My god, before you write another sentence, check this book out! In fact, I am going to make it a mission not to blog again until I've read this page by page one more time. I don't throw the term 'Brilliant' or 'Genius' around too often. Heck, I think it is an overused term. But this guy and this book, fits the bill.
Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger- If you know me, are you really surprised? I identify with Salinger's character Holden Caulfield more than I should. I vividly recall first reading this book when I was dirt poor and first entering the Mortgage Industry. My parents flew me down to my Uncle's beach house in North Carolina. For that moment in time, I was living in the lap of luxury without a dime to my name. My mother and I went into a bookstore and I immediately gravitated towards that book. She bought it for me and I believe I finished it in about a hour and a half...even with interruptions. Above just identifying with Holden Caulfield, J.D. Salinger's writing style was so refreshing to me. He seemed to write like he would speak. I love that style. This, by far, is my favorite read I've ever come across.
The popular thing to do at this point would be to Book Meme 3 others here on Active-Rain. Let me just say this. If you are reading this and feel the urge to bare your bones on some of the best books you've read...
Have at it!
This is fiction, but the story...yes the story will help you know a myriad of life changing things. It only takes one person to make a difference and it doesn't have to be a genius either. This is a must read;
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