Like most readers, I have a long list of favorites. When asked to list my top five favorite books for a recent interview on Miss Bluestocking, I gave the question considerable thought and came up with the following:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
A Wild Pursuit by Eloisa James
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
The Romantic by Madeline Hunter
Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooter series
Why did I chose these five (to be fair all of Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooter novels expands this list far beyond five) novels? I thought about the books that I simply could not part with. If my apartment caught fire, I would grab my cat and this list of books.
Of course, this list is constantly changing as new books are released. If I could add a sixth, I think it would be Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare (on sale in August 2009). Why? Because I knew the moment I turned the last page that I would reread Goddess of the Hunt in the future.
Which titles I pick up a second or third time often separate my favorites from the others. When I’m working on my own writing, I mostly limit myself to things I have read before (apart from non-fiction) – I will dabble here and there, rereading a few of my favorite chapters when I’m on the subway or can’t fall asleep at night. Thus, the pile of books on my night stand move to the favorites list. Perhaps not the top five, but if I could save an entire suitcase of books from my burning apartment I would be sure to add Untouched by Anna Campbell, Confessions of a Little Black Gown by Elizabeth Boyle, This Duchess of Mine by Eloisa James and To Seduce a Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt.
I’m sure this list will continue to grow as I discover new authors and read new titles by some of my favorites. And I’m always open to suggestions!
What novels would comprise your top five list?
The cover for ‘The Duchess of Mine’ is absolutely stunning! The designs for historical romances are becoming more and more creative these days.
Anyway, my favorite five books would have to be:
1)Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
2)Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
3)The historical romances by Judtih McNaught (you chose Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooter that goes beyond the five book list haha)
4)Susan Elizabeth Phillip’s contemporary romances(I know, I’m cheating now, but I seriously can’t pick one)
5)The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Oh, speaking of book covers, have you ever imagined how you’d want the design for your FWS to look like? If so, how would you want it to look like?
Sarah, I can’t wait for Tessa’s book to come out. I met her on Avon Fanlit and she’s a major talent. Hey, and wow, you’ve put Untouched in some pretty distinguished company there. Thank you! Have a great day! Anna x
This is too hard a question LOL. I never seem to have time to go back and re-read book no matter how much a want too. The TBR pile is too big. I always go to Elizabeth Hoyt and Lisa Kleypas.
Sarah, there are a few on your list that are on mine. Thank you for sharing GOTH with me. I’ll definitely read it again, too. I have yet to read anything written by Elizabeth Boyle, but I’ve heard wonderful things about her.
Renee