Although I enjoy a lot of contemporary literature, there are some literary friends I always enjoy reconnecting with!
The Hobbit
by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings trilogy
by J.R.R. Tolkien
I try to re-read this trilogy (and The Hobbit), once every decade!
The Old Man and the Sea
by Ernest Hemingway
Among a series of powerful novels, this is the one that had the most impact on me in my teens.
Slaughterhouse Five
by Kurt Vonnegut
The War of the Worlds
by H.G. Wells
Try to purge that horrible Tom Cruise movie (2005) from your memory and enjoy Wells’ exciting original story.
A Study in Scarlet
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The beginning of the Sherlock Holmes stories!
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
by Mark Twain (a.k.a. Samuel Clemens)
Jazz Age Stories
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Although he’s best remembered for his novels, I prefer Fitzgerald’s short stories!
A Princess of Mars
by Edgar Rice Burroughs
There’s a new movie version of this story coming out soon — John Carter (2012) —- read the original novel first!
Dune
by Frank Herbert
Although the Dune franchise has become a bit unwieldy, with all the sequels and prequels, the original novel is still incredible!
A Lost Lady
by Willa Cather
Probably my favorite of Nebraska author Willa Cather’s works.
The Godwulf Manuscript
by Robert B. Parker
The first Spenser book, and still one of the best!
The Bourne Identity
by Robert Ludlum
As good as they may be, I suggest you ignore the recent, divergent feature films and read the original — it’s fantastic!
Treasure Island
by Robert Louis Stevenson