Modern Classics

After I got married, I felt wildly disillusioned and unappreciated, and I was sure it was my husband’s fault. Then I read Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique. I learned fulfillment lies within yourself, not in someone else. Joy is mine to create. This book changed my life.
Amy Conner
St. Paul, Minnesota

Five years ago, my best friend, Andi, introduced me to Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris, and it has been my favorite book ever since. We read the stories out loud to each other and laugh until we cry. I have three copies and lend them to anyone who has not experienced the genius of Mr. Sedaris. It’s the funniest book I have ever read — just thinking about the hilarious stories makes me smile.
Erin Conklin
Linden, Michigan

I Don’t Know How She Does It: The Life of Kate Reddy, Working Mom, by Allison Pearson, is terrific. The title says it all, and you could replace the name with mine or any other working mom’s. It doesn’t solve life’s big question of how can working women have it all and do it all. But it gives some comic relief to those of us in the daily struggle of trying to do it all and feeling like we’re failing miserably. It’s a good laugh — at the story and at ourselves.
Stephanie Williams
Charlotte, North Carolina

Marley & Me is about John Grogan’s adventures raising an energetic yellow Lab named Marley. My husband and I experienced similar adventures with our 2 1/2-year-old yellow Lab, Randall. Like Marley, Randall will never be Lassie, but she has earned her place in our family. There are many things that bring us happiness, but not many of them wake us up each morning with a wagging tail, loads of wet kisses, and a look that says, “I can’t wait to start this new day with you!”
Jennifer Rindfleisch
Madison, Wisconsin

Tuesdays With Morrie, by Mitch Albom, reminded me that we live in a fast-paced world and how rarely I stop to just live. It takes effort, but I try to focus now on things that bring simple joy. When we die, we take nothing with us. All that matters is family and loved ones. I often ask myself what my legacy will be. Whose lives will I have touched? I realize I have a lot of work to do.
Melissa Williams
Heber City, Utah

The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, was given to me years ago, during a time when I was struggling with where I was going and what I wanted out of life. This book inspired me to make some positive changes and to follow my heart. Its message — when you really want something, the whole world conspires to make it happen — was extremely empowering for me and still is.
Maureen Buchanan
Arvada, Colorado

As a little girl, I dreamed of writing and loved books. But as a Latina, I never saw myself in any of the characters or situations. Then I discovered The House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende. It was riveting and beautifully written, and I was amazed because it contained so many aspects of my own world. A Latina writer could capture the imagination of readers worldwide. This book inspired me to write my first novel.
Sandra Rodriguez Barron
Milford, Connecticut

Childhood Favorites

My favorite book is Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon. Not only does it bring back memories of my childhood but I also get such joy from watching my children’s faces as I read this peaceful story to them. In these harried days of computers, cell phones, and alarming news stories, I look forward to visiting the tiny bunny saying good night.
Vanessa Ghantous
Makawao, Hawaii

Many people have comfort foods; I have comfort books. My favorite by far is Anne of Green Gables. Lucy Maud Montgomery describes Canada’s Prince Edward Island so exquisitely, I feel I am there. Anne Shirley is as familiar as a dear friend. When I am in need of a little TLC, I curl up on my bed with a pot of tea and lose myself with Anne.
Beth Shaffer-Scott
Indianapolis, Indiana

Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White, has got to be my favorite book. This charming little read taught me so much about love, loss, and the difficult process of moving on, and at such a young age. Now that I’m older, I treasure those rare times when I can pull out my well-worn copy and read the day away.
Ann DeLay
Gainesville, Florida

My favorite book from childhood is From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konigsburg. When I was a young girl living in a small town, the idea of running away to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the way Claudia did, seemed so delicious. Years later I would end up living not far away from that magical museum.
Deanna Hirsch
Cooper City, Florida

I have read Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume, at least once a year since I was 10 years old. When I was growing up, that book gave me confidence and a sense of normalcy in a world that told me I was anything but. Today I still love it as a reminder of who I used to be and how far I’ve come.
Jackie Blum
Herriman, Utah

The older I get, the more I appreciate the wisdom found between the pages of Margery Williams’s The Velveteen Rabbit. This book always warms my heart because it shows what real love is all about.
Rhoda Procuk
Brecksville, Ohio