If you’ll tell me your favorite novel…
Posted by Sarah on Mar 26, 2012 in Outdoors | 90 comments
I’ll tell you mine, because I really want some new stories these days.
On the bus ride out to class this morning, a friend asked me how I choose the next book I will read. This became a discussion on the various book lists we both always have running of “read,” “to read,” or for me, simply “best beloved in all the world.” Right before I left for Oxford, I jotted out a list of my favorite books at the request of the Summit students I mentored. I meant to post it then, but forgot. Jetlag and all.
I’m posting it now because I’m hoping it will encourage you to post a few of your favorites in return. I greatly enjoyed the writing of this list because it was an informal, books that I love, read before you die sort of thing. There’s no rhyme or reason to this list beside love. That’s probably why it starts with stories. (I’ll post the nonfiction half later.)
So please, I need some new gems at the moment, novels in particular. If I share mine… drop me a comment with your best beloveds?
Fiction
Peace Like A River by Leif Enger. Some of the best and quirkiest wordcraft I have read. Characters who are frail, tough, and funny all at once, and a story that wrestles with sin and grace. Also modern. I tend to like authors whom I could only meet in heaven so its nice that this one is actually alive.- The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky. Human nature in all its darkness, in all its yearning, and the way that grace is always enough to meet it. A world of a book with whole sections that read as the deepest, hungriest thoughts of devotion.
- That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis. Last in the Ransom Trilogy (I was recently lectured by my tutor on why this ought never to be called “The Space Trilogy”). I like the strangeness of this book, and the invasion of the ordinary by the planetary powers, each embodying some aspect of power or beauty. Also, a story with elements just bizarre enough to stab you awake to the way modernism can put your heart to sleep.
- Island of the World by Michael O’Brien. One of the most beautiful books I have ever, ever read. I’ll warn you – not for the faint of heart. The story of a boy in the Balkans at the end of WWII. This is the story of how love grips us, and if we will let it, turns all things to beauty in even the worst times of grief. It is also that rare book that follows a life from opening all the way to its close in old age. The arc of innocence lost and regained is part of the power of this story.
- Pilgrim’s Inn by Elizabeth Goudge. One of the goals of my life is to make a Pilgrim’s Inn – an actual house where the hungry and hurting, the exhausted and yearning, can rest and be restored by beauty on the high road journey toward God. This story pictures that shelter.
- Lilith and At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald – both of these are a little strange – they are fairytales, with all the wildness of fairy tale imagery, but George MacDonald’s worlds are always spiritual truth enfleshed. These two are my favorite.
- Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry. An aching book. A true book. A humble book. Just the life of a Kentucky housewife. The cultivation of land, and soul, and community. But a book to make you realize the things that you have lost. When I went to read this a friend cautioned me not to start it casually. It was, she said, too precious. I agree.
King Lear, and Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare – Everyone needs some Shakespeare. Read Much Ado aloud with a friend (especially if that friend is in love). The language of Shakespeare is so crammed with whimsy, so woven and twined with meaning and image. Just reading a bit changes the way you view language.- The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien. Myth. This is an epic – epic beauty, epic journey, epic grief. An epic in the oldest sense of embodying eternally true things in a single story. A book to which I will return the rest of my life for my love of its characters, its lands, its story.
- David Copperfield by Dickens.
- Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. A father searches for his lost son in South Africa. One of the best stories I have encountered in which irreversible grief and a brokenness that cannot be healed is met by Christian grace. There is nothing trite here.
- The Chronicles of Narnia. Required reading. That’s all.
- The Wind in the Willows. Described to me recently as the perfect children’s book, but just a golden tale of friendship, belonging, nature, and the importance of loving your corner on earth. So lovely.
- Middlemarch, by George Eliot. I say it’s like the Bible because of the heights and depths of human nature it presents within a village life in England.
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Reading of late:
Henriette Brown, Enfant Crivant, c. 1870
Rembrandt van Rijn, Portrait of Christ's Head, c. 1650
I’m interested in your inclusion of Elizabeth Goudge – I will look out for that one. One of my favourite books ever by her is ‘The Scent of Water’. A remarkable account of mental illness, faith and love – I return to it regularly.
For a good saga – I recommend the Forsythe Saga starting with ‘A Man of Property’ by John Galsworthy. Brilliant.
Another great saga I recently discovered is Anthony Trollope’s novels of Barsetshire starting with ‘The Warden’. Without them George Eliot is supposed to have said she wouldn’t have embarked upon ‘Middlemarch’.
So many of those are my favorites too! Can I recommend a new novel I just finished… it’s a children’s novel. Wildwood by Colin Meloy {singer of the Decemberists- if you know of them}. A super fun book!
This may be unoriginal but I recently loved ‘Cloudy Jewel’ by Grace Livingston Hill…and Mrs. Miniver by Jan Struther…
Oho, now you are talking my lingo.
Fin’s Revolution series by A.S. Peterson. Beautiful. Enough said.
The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson.
The 100 Cupboards Trilogy by N.D. Wilson.
The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
I know those are mostly kids novels, but hey, some of the best are.
Oh, my kids and I just finished The Phantom Tollbooth which was fun. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak are interesting…Lighted Windows by Emilie Baker Loring (I think this is the right title…I’ve read so many of hers, the names get mixed up).
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome (the first in a twelve book series, and my favorite in the series changes often–currently it is We Didn’t Mean to go to Sea). Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (of course). Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (another of course). Hamlet by Shakespeare. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (again, this the first in a series, and my favorite is The King of Attolia, but I hate it when series are read out of their proper order–one of my pet peeves). The Dragon’s Tooth by N. D. Wilson. Phantastes by George MacDonald. Redwall by Brian Jacques. Those are the few I can think of right now. I have many well-loved books.
Jan Karon hands down!
I LOVE her novels!
Huzzah! I was hoping you’d post something like this soon. I need some new novels myself.
Here’s a piece I posted on my blog a couple of months ago on this very topic, though I’m guessing you’ve read most or all of the titles…http://reflectionalwannabe.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-top-10-favorite-novels.html
Oh, my… that’s almost like asking who is my favorite child or grandchild!
But since it was you and Lanier who introduced me to Elizabeth Goudge, I will have to say I loved Pilgrim’s Inn because it was my first Goudge. I do have already gone back to A City of Bells, The Dean’s Watch, and The Scent of Water. A friend sent me a little paperback book called Henrietta’s House, which is a fantasy based on my beloved City of Bells.
The same friend introduced me to D. E. Stevenson. My favorite of her books is Vittoria Cottage and the sequels. Vittoria Cottage takes place in an English village while the sequels, Music in the Hills and Shoulder the Sky.
Just read one of the best “books about books” I’ve ever read called Lit: A Christian Guide to Reading Books by Tony Reinke. I had seen it recommended by a few people I trusted and it really is great.
As for The Wind in the Willows, it is one of my all time favorite books ever! I once wrote a blog post about decorating our homes with Mole as an influence instead of Martha.
Whoops, didn’t finish a sentence! Music in the Hills and Shoulder the Sky take place in Scotland. They are about the son of the woman in Vittoria Cottage. Lovely, lovely books!
Lord of the Rings! Definitely my top favourite! I don’t know if you have ever read any of Francine Rivers’ books, but they are very moving Christian novels. My favourites are The Mark of the Lion trilogy, Redeeming Love, The Last Sin Eater, Leota’s Garden, and The Atonement Child. They are all excellent but if you only picked one, I’d start with The Mark of the Lion trilogy ( Ok, so it’s three, but the best three! ).
Also, I don’t know if you’ve read the “Viking Quest” series by Lois Walfrid Johnson. They are meant for ages 8-14 but are amazing! There are five books in the series and once started, you’ll just have to read all of them! They capture beauty, courage, and the lands of the north in such a way that the reader feels totally immersed in the world of the story!
Also: the Palliser novels by Anthony Trollope ( actually I have relished everything I’ve read by him and there are so many that you will not run out any time soon.
The novels of Charles Williams are unique and thoughtprovoking!
All of Elizabeth Goudge,s list is wonderful! To be read and reread! Beautiful and characterbuilding!
Anything by Dorothy L. Sayers!!!!!!!
A.A. Milne!!!!!
P.L.Travers!!!!!!!!!!!!
E. Nesbit!!!!
More later!
Exodus by Leon Uris had me in TEARS and sobbing at the end (just ask Mom), but I thought it was excellent. Pride and Prejudice of course. I would have said Wind in the Willows but you already got to it.
City of Bells was a sweet and happy read. Les Miserables (though I confess I skipped part of the end). Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss, Swiss Family Robinson and Pilgrim’s Progress all had me riveted and also bolstered my faith.
I’ve heard that her theology gets off track in subsequent novels, but I love Hind’s Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. Looking forward to reading some of your recommended books!
My Antonia by Willa Cather is a breathtakingly beautiful story. The character development is genius, but even if there were no plot, I would read this novel for its descriptive passages. The American frontier prairie–the land itself–looms over the characters, molds and breathes life into them.
Jane Eyre. Love her character. How she stands for what is right and good and despite all the odds of life being stacked against her, finds a bit of sunshine and things to be thankful for in every bit.
What a lovely list! You hit several of my all-time favorites and added several I will have to read. I would add The Secret Garden and A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Hurnett.
Yes, Clio!!!!! Both are beautiful! How can there be just one favorite?
I am excited to read some of the new to me titles that are being shared!
Sorry – I know I’ve already commented but I’ve suddenly thought that as you are in England at the moment, you might enjoy reading Rosemary Sutcliff’s work – she has written many great novels about British history, the most well known one being ‘ The Eagle of the Ninth’. For older children really but great for adults as well.
With illustrations by C. Walter Hodges!
Rats…someone already mentioned My Antonia. I second that! And the Chronicles of Narnia which I’m reading aloud with my 7 year old–The Horse and His Boy might be my new favorite!
Sarah, this is divine coincidence.
I JUST pressed PUBLISH on a post seeking reading suggestions from my dear readers, and then I came over here and you have done the same! I will chime in.
I have just (tonight) finished I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. It was a wonderful read–you might enjoy it, reading it in England (if you haven’t read it already)–17 year old vivacious narrator lives with impoverished yet intellectual family in decaying old castle in English countryside. Marvelous, truly transported me! (And one bit in particular involving a train and a fur coat was so hilarious I cried.)
Prior to that I read Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson, which I cannot recommend highly enough. The book is so simply written, you cannot believe she is writing so plainly, yet it is profoundly moving. A series of letters from a dying pastor to his very young son, all set in small-town Iowa. I put a quote from it on my blog a while back–and the whole book was like this, just gorgeous in the most spare and elegant manner. http://trinitychronicles.blogspot.com/2012/02/gods-grace-to-me.html
Madeleine L’Engle’s “Wrinkle in Time”, “A Wind in the Door”, and “A Swiftly Tilting Planet” have all the aching awkwardness of going through youth, with lessons of depth about love, the things unseen, naming, and more.
Anything by Louisa May Alcott.
“The Great Divorce” by Lewis because of the ideas it explores using fiction. There is something about how weighty and real heaven/purgatory is that is extremely interesting to me.
And while you are in Oxford, if you go to the end of Holywell street (past New College) and go left, you can visit Holywell Cemetery where Kenneth Grahame, Charles Williams, and Hugo Dyson are buried. It is a lovely place, especially ’round the gloaming hours.
Thanks for sharing your list!
We like so many of the same books. I would add Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset (a trilogy of great beauty). One of my favorites by Elizabeth Goudge is The White Witch, which takes place during the English civil war. Don’t be put off by the title — there is great spiritual insight in it. Rumer Godden is another of my most favorite authors. I return to In This House of Brede every few years — I discovered it as a teenager and find something new every time I read it. Other Rumer Godden favorites: An Episode of Sparrows, China Court, and her memoirs.
Paul Gallico is an interesting author who writes delightful stories. I love The Snow Goose. House of Seven Dolls, The Man who was Magic, The Lonely, and Thomasina are also lovely. Does any one else here know John Buchan? I am an ardent devotee! Greenmantle, a deliciously thrilling adventure story with WWI, the east, mystery, disguises, spies and a variety of unusual characters, is especially fascinating. Also Mr Standfast, The Thirty-Nine Steps, and The Dancing Floor among others. The Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith is hilarious in a dry, British sort of way. And two light fantasy stories I really enjoyed are Elske and On Fortune’s Wheel, by Cynthia Voigt. Oh and I loved How Green was my Valley, by Richard Llewellyn I think, Beautiful novel about a family in a mining community in Wales. These are among my special books, not all favourite favourites though, (I think they are well known by everyone, like
Paul Gallico is an interesting author who writes delightful stories. I love The Snow Goose. House of Seven Dolls, The Man who was Magic, The Lonely, and Thomasina are also lovely. Does any one else here know John Buchan? I am an ardent devotee! Greenmantle, a deliciously thrilling adventure story with WWI, the east, mystery, disguises, spies and a variety of unusual characters, is especially fascinating. Also Mr Standfast, The Thirty-Nine Steps, and The Dancing Floor among others. The Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith is hilarious in a dry, British sort of way. And two light fantasy stories I really enjoyed are Elske and On Fortune’s Wheel, by Cynthia Voigt. Oh and I loved How Green was my Valley, by Richard Llewellyn I think, Beautiful novel about a family in a mining community in Wales. These are among my special books, not all favourite favourites though, (I think they would be well known by most lovers of books).
Oops…I clicked submit comment twice!
My new reading aspiration is to read everything on this list! After I have read the book you gave me for my birthday. Miss ya friend and praying for more grace in your life.
Thank you so much for this list. There are many titles on it that I have not read, and I’m always looking for a good new book to read
One that I read a couple of summers ago that really stuck with me was Quo Vadis. In reading it, I was able to feel what it was like to be a part of the early church and see how the Holy Spirit was and still is moving. It has such incredibly lovely language and descriptions throughout the novel. I think that all Christians ought to experience this book.
John Buchan is great…and very accomplished in other fields…also was Governor of Canada.. Castle Gay and Huntingtower and Prestor John. All the Richard Hannay stories as well as a biography of Cromwell, Ben Hur is also wonderful.
The best novel I have EVER read is ‘Safely Home’ by Randy Alcorn. It really made me want to fall in love with Jesus more.
A book Ernest Hemingway and I love is, “West with the Night” by Beryl Markham. To quote Hemingway,
“I knew her fairly well in Africa and never would have suspected that she could and would put pen to paper except to write in her flyer’s log book. As it is, she has written so well, and marvelously well, that I was completely ashamed of myself as a writer. I felt that I was simply a carpenter with words, picking up whatever was furnished on the job and nailing them together and sometimes making an okay pig pen. But [she] can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves writers.”
Enjoy!
Ilove Safely Home! Randy Alcorn has also wrtten a series about a journalist in Portland Or. One of the books is called “Deadline”.
Two novels I have recently read are “Scared” and “Priceless” by Tom Davis. Amazing peeks into the Father’s heart for orphans.
I also love Ted Dekker’s “Black” “Red” “White” and “Green” absolutely stunning visuals of God, man and our relationship with Him.
I love that you started the list with Peace Like a River. I rarely read modern fiction, but I read this and it’s a gem. I would recommend North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell and something by Barbara Pym like Excellent Women or Jane and Prudence. My favorite writer is L.M. Montgomery and I adore her Emily books. And The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim is wonderful.
Oh yes, Anna, The Emily Books!
Love your list. Beautiful books, all of them.
Jane Eyre is my most favorite novel of all-time.
One of my Favorites is Beauty by Robin McKinley. I love the imagery and that she combines a love of books and horses. Two of my greatest loves! And of course the love story.
Bookmarking this post for future reference :0)
My favourite fiction author is Lynn Austin – I just finished reading “Wonderland Creek”, but I have enjoyed every one of her books.
I also love the “Mark of the Lion” series by Francine Rivers.
Louisa May Alcott – Eight Cousins, Rose in Bloom and Under the Lilacs
George MacDonald – The Curate’s Awakening (a novel, but FILLED with truths from the Word), At the Back of the North Wind, The Light Princess
Burgess – Mother West Wind’s Stories
Nancy Pearcey – Saving Leonardo
Elizabeth Prentiss – Stepping Heavenward
Hannah Hurnard – Hinds Feet on High Places
Catherine Marshall – Julie, Christy
The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. My all time favorites.
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, mentioned above, is my all time favorite. Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevesky is a favorite too. We have done so many family read-alouds with my young children and Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat is one of my top picks.
I love all of Charles Martin’s books…my favorite is “When Crickets Cry” but I have enjoyed every one.
I was prompted to reply after reading your list and seeing so many of my favorites already on it!
This is a lovely list! Peace Like a River is one of my favorites… I love the language.
Anything by Bryce Courtney, especially The Power of One!
A book that had the most profound impact on me would be “Redeeming Love” by Francine Rivers. The way the story was used to show the depth of God’s love and how much he would go just to save you.
Thank you all! This is wonderful. I have a stellar list of books to begin now. Love this sharing of favorite stories.
Well, as soon as I saw Peace Like a River I knew this was my kind of list
Here are some awesome historical fiction series, all about biblical history which is my favorite thing to read about and makes it all come alive!
Chronicles of the Kings by Lynn Austin (about I think 4 different kings in Israel after David’s time- one is Hezekiah. There are 4 books in this series.)
The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers (I felt like I really got a feel for what ancient Rome was really like. And, these stories of God’ redemption are just amazing. I think the first one starts around the time of Nero.)
The Ark Chronicles by Vaughn Heppner (Four of these, starting with the time Noah is building the Ark, thru the time with Nimrod and the tower of Babel. So loved these. Reading them again.)
The Day of War by Cliff Graham (about the live of David when he is fleeing Saul. Full of history. A little violent, but because it’s accurate so it did not bother me. Excellent writing.)
Hope someone gets to enjoy these!!
Lamb in His Bosom is a favorite, can’t remember author! Lee Smith wrote Fair and Tender Ladies and The Devil’s Dream-love her! Gap Creek and The Truest Pleasure by Robert Morgan are so good. My children attended a very expensive private school, and the curriculum choices for English were abysmal, especially the stupid and trashy movies they showed. Our high schools are really declining. God help our country!
If you run out of suggestions
I made a list of my best fiction picks when I first started my blog. It’s supposed to be my 100 favorite novels, but I left some room for new favorites. So there are only 72 books on the list now. Many of the books on my list have already been listed by you or suggested by your readers, but there are others.
Of the suggestions listed above, I think you would really like Kristin Lavransdatter.
The Complete Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem is a classic. The illustrations are gorgeous. Also The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo with illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline is wonderful. Then, of course, there is The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams … sigh.