Monday Musings: Celebrating with Books!

October is special for And She Writes! Our co-founders, Fay and Samantha, celebrate their birthdays this month. To honor this, we’re digging into one of our favorite pastimes — reading!

We’re throwing it back to a post from more than 5 years ago when Fay and Samantha listed their Top 10 books of all time. We thought it would be a great way to inspire others to pick-up a classic or well-regarded book to reread or crack open for the first time.

Fay:

Some of these books and collections make me think, while others I've read and re-read out of pure enjoyment.

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

2. Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien

3. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

4. The Physician by Noah Gordon

5. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

6. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

7. Mating Rituals of the North American Wasp by Lauren Lipton

8. Scarlet Feather by Maeve Binchy

9. Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer

10. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Runners Up: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, The Last Jew by Noah Gordon, Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Samantha:

You'll notice that the majority of my list is composed of classics or books that have withstood the test of time. My personal philosophy is that a book can only become one of my favorites if I've spend several years reflecting on it or have read it more than once. I love these books because they have influenced and challenged me emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

 (In alphabetical order)

1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

2. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

3. Night by Elie Wiesel

4. Outliers by Malcom Gladwell

5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

6. The Queen of the Big Time by Adriana Trigiani

7. She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb

8. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

9. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

10.  Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Honorable Mention: The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown, If Nuns Ruled the World by Jo Piazza, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Happy Birthday & Happy Reading!