Lesa, a reading buddy of mine posted a list on Facebook of her 15 lifetime favourite reads and invited friends to do the same.
After giving the question some thought I did manage to write down 15 titles that in one way or another made a lasting impression on me. However, I have to say that this list is very much a result of my mood right now. If I were to attempt to write another list a week from now, I'm sure there would be at least a few other titles there, with some of the ones listed now having disappeared. But, for what it's worth, here's my (tri-lingual) list: -->
In no particular order:
1. Gone to Soldiers by Marge Piercy; one of the last books my mother and me read together and loved equally.
2. Es Waren Ihren Sechs by Arthur Neumann; a book I read for my German exam about 30 years ago about the "White Rose" movement in Germany during WW II. A book that made an everlasting impression on me.
3. Mijn Vader Woont in Brazilie by Thea Beckman; Beckman was my favourite author from about the age of 10, and I was fortunate enough to once meet her.
4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak; a deeply moving book about WWII that I loved despite the fact that I vowed years ago to never read a book about that period again.
5. Van de Koele Meren des Doods by Frederik van Eeden; a beautiful story about the mental decline of a woman in the late 19th/early 20th century.
6. Light a Penny Candle by Meave Binchy; not necessarily because it was Binchy’s best book but because it started a life long love affair with her novels.
7. A Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie; again, not necessarily because this was her best mystery, but because this was the first of her mysteries I read in English rather than in translation and was probably the start of my fascination with mysteries.
8. Wipneus en Pim by B.J. Wijckmade; a series of books for kids about two little dwarfs and their adventures. Books made extra special because my granny would get me one or more copies every time she had occasion to buy me a present.
9, The Mists of Avalon by Marion Bradley Zimmer; the story of King Arthur from the perspective of the women. Very well written and a book I tend to go back to every few years.
10. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien; the best fantasy story ever.
11. The Belgariad by David Eddings; again fantasy and a series that I loved because of the characters and the humor in it.
12. Jip en Janneke by Annie M.G. Schmidt; a Dutch series of stories about toddlers that get up to all sorts of mischief and adventures. Written about 50 years ago, the books are still going strong and keeping Dutch kids happy.
13. Anne Frank’s Diary; just amazing
14. Tuesdays with Morry by Mitch Albom; another book I keep on returning to.
15. Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder; a very readable book about world philosophy with an intriguing and fascinating story.
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