My Top Ten Favorite Books

By the time Rock Hudson's death in 1985 alerted all America to the danger of the AIDS epidemic, the disease had spread across the nation, killing thousands of people and emerging as the greatest health crisis of the 20th century. America faced a troubling question: What happened? How was this epidemic allowed to spread so far before it was taken seriously? In answering these questions, Shilts weaves weaves the disparate threads into a coherent story, pinning down every evasion and contradiction at the highest levels of the medical, political, and media establishments. Shilts shows that the epidemic spread wildly because the federal government put budget ahead of the nation's welfare; health authorities placed political expediency before the public health; and scientists were often more concerned with international prestige than saving lives. Against this backdrop, Shilts tells the heroic stories of individuals in science and politics, public health and the gay community, who struggled to alert the nation to the enormity of the danger it faced. And the Band Played On is both a tribute to these heroic people and a stinging indictment of the institutions that failed the nation so badly.

(book description from Amazon.com)

I've looked and looked for a synopsis or a review of this book that I felt could convey the wonder of it, without divulging more than you should know before you read it (in my opinion), or that might require a more adult rating to this lens - all to no avail. I will tell you that you will either love this one, or hate it, there is nearly no middle ground. And, I will give you this, from the dust jacket of the book:

The World According to Garp is a comic and compassionate coming-of-age novel that established John Irving as one of the most imaginative writers of his generation. A worldwide bestseller since its publication in 1978, Irving's classic is filled with stories inside stories about the life and times of T. S. Garp, novelist and bastard sonThe World According to Garp virtually defies synopsis.

Oh, and, "beware the undertoad..."

Over the years, I have had many copies of this book as inevitably they began to show the wear from many re-readings. What can I say - I like reading the ancient myths. I do generally prefer Bullfinch's works over Edith Hamilton's, but I think I have at least one of hers still laying about also.

Vivid, classic retellings of the myths of Greece and Rome, along with stories of the Norse gods and heroes. Zeus and Hera, Apollo, Jason and the golden fleece, the wanderings of Ulysses and Aeneas, the deeds of Thor, and many others.

For a sense of life in the Caribbean, we recommend this novel, a great rollicking comic masterpiece. It tells the tale of Norman Paperman, an expatriate American approaching middle age who sets out to run a hotel on the Caribbean island of Amerigo. The island itself may be fictional but the atmosphere is authentic, derived, in part, from the author's experience. We were thrilled to dig out our sandy, dog-eared copy that dates from a brief stint in the Caribbean twenty years ago. First published in 1965, this book is a gem.

(book description from LongitudeBooks.com )

I discovered Carl Hiaasen through some ParrotHead friends that share both my love of books and my wicked sense of humor.

From the author's website:

The only trace of the first victim was his Shriner's fez washed up on the Miami beach. The second victim, the head of the city's chamber of commerce, was found dead with a toy rubber alligator lodged in his throat. And that was just the beginning... Now Brian Keyes, reporter turned private eye, must move from muckraking to rooting out murder, in a caper that will mix football players, politicians, and police with a group of fanatics and a very hungry crocodile.

Yes, this book was written thirty years ago. Yes, Robin Cook has written many, many books, I have even read and liked some of the others - but, this was the first I read of his and it can still give me shivers.

from Bookrags.com:
Coma is Robin Cook's first published novel written in 1977. The book was a New York Times best seller and was also voted as the number one thriller of the year by the New York Times.

Susan Wheeler, a young doctor, discovers many mysterious cases in which at Boston's Memorial Hospital patients are comatose after surgery. After discovering that the reason for coma appears to be brain damage, Dr. Wheeler uncovers the startling mystery why.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." I can't help it, I love this book. It always makes me think that doing the right thing just has to be it's own reward at times.

from Cliffnotes.com :
A Tale of Two Cities covers duality, revolution, and resurrection - major themes in this historical novel by Charles Dickens. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times in London and Paris, as economic and political unrest lead to the American and French Revolutions. The main characters in Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities - Doctor Manette, Charles Darnay, and Sydney Carton - are all recalled to life, or resurrected, in different ways as turmoil erupts.

I'm from the Cleveland area.

Drew Carey is a very funny guy.

Read this book.

I seriously wish the entire country would read this book and write to their congressman. I believe this is actually a solution.

Buy the book, it's available everywhere - here's one link: Fair Tax Book

Please visit the Fair tax website.

I read this book the first time on a bet. Someone didn't think I could make it through it. I not only finished it, I loved the story.

from The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature:
The book's female protagonist, Dagny Taggart, struggles to manage a transcontinental railroad amid the pressures and restrictions of massive bureaucracy. Her antagonistic reaction to a libertarian group seeking an end to government regulation is later echoed and modified in her encounter with a utopian community, Galt's Gulch, whose members regard self-determination rather than collective responsibility as the highest ideal. The novel contains the most complete presentation of Rand's personal philosophy, known as objectivism, in fictional form.