Often it’s love at first sight. Sometimes it doesn’t hit you until later. But when it does, you’re forever hooked on that favorite book. It’s the one that you arrange a secret rendezvous with, the one that has you so absorbed you miss your stop on the train. Whether it’s the nostalgic comfort of Charlotte’s Web or the passion of Their Eyes Were Watching God, there’s nothing like a good read. Real Simple readers salute the books they love most.

This Month’s Winner

Nostalgia
When I was 10, my grandmother bought me a copy of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith. I remember sitting on my front stoop in Brooklyn and reading it while other children played with Barbie dolls or jumped rope. I still have my original paperback, held together with rubber bands and tape. I reread my copy every now and then because it takes me back to lazy summer afternoons and a time when my only worry was finishing a chapter before being called inside for dinner.
Linda McGunigal
Washington, D.C.

Timeless Treasures

I first read Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960, the year it was published. I was 13. Scout taught me about bravery and honor, compassion and curiosity. From Atticus, I learned kindness, loyalty, and the imperative to uphold that which is right, despite what others may think. I have read Mockingbird every summer since then and have gone through four copies. This summer I will read copy number five and fall in love all over again.
Carol Lyons
Neenah, Wisconsin

I first read On the Road, by Jack Kerouac, as a junior in college. The book gave me the travel bug, and I signed up for a term abroad in Brisbane, Australia. It was there that I really discovered who I was and what I was capable of accomplishing, being thousands of miles from home. I tried new things and experienced a different culture. Now, whenever I am stuck in the rat race, I read the book and remind myself that there is a whole world out there to explore.
Sophia Tashkovski
Charlestown, Massachusetts

Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God resonates on many levels and speaks directly to a woman’s soul. One of the early chapters opens with “There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” This is especially comforting in times of duress. Each and every word in this book is a gem.
Michelle Klein
Spokane, Washington

It has been on the best-seller list forever and is the most translated book in the world. It has romantic poetry, tales of good kings, amazing miracles, and the story of what unconditional love looks like. I reach for it in the morning, and it is the last thing I read before I sleep. I am offered hope, peace, and a happily-ever-after every time I read my favorite book: the Holy Bible.
Tiffany Wong
Anaheim, California

Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, takes me to a place that is so different from my world. I can feel Elizabeth’s struggle to be opinionated in a society where women weren’t allowed to have opinions. I can even feel the tight corsets and cumbersome petticoats. The book always gives me a fresh perspective on today’s world and how far women have come.
Holly Emig
Edmond, Oklahoma

Truman Capote’s The Grass Harp is a rhythmical piece that touches on all our senses. His writing captures our fears and shows us that there is support, wisdom, and courage to be found where we least expect it.
Deborah O’Donnell
Riverton, New Jersey

Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead got me to think in ways no other book has. Her particular brand of philosophy, objectivism, questions the way we celebrate mediocrity in our culture. At the same time, we tend to disapprove of anyone who chooses to pursue his own self-interest. When reading her book, you realize how crazy that is.
Sheree Young
Bucyrus, Ohio

I read Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings when I was in high school, and it was the first time a story really moved me. I realized that books can sing with words of emotion, playfulness, even the ugly truth. Miss Angelou was my inspiration to become a writer.
KrisTyn Lak Miller
Rochester, New Hampshire

I grew up not knowing the joy of reading; I never read a book just for the fun of it until after I graduated from college. I didn’t know where to start, so I picked up a display book from one of the tables in the library. I had heard of the author and decided to give it a try. It was The Grapes of Wrath. I had no idea how different my life would be after that moment. I can remember closing the book with tears in my eyes, thinking, Why hasn’t anyone ever told me about books? What took me so long to find out? Steinbeck’s novel changed everything, for which I will always be grateful.
Sydney Pierce
Fort Collins, Colorado

I grew up on a farm in Oklahoma and I loved it. Now I am living and raising my family in a city in California (the last thing on earth I ever thought I’d do). When I need to relax, escape, and remember the simple life, I read All Creatures Great and Small, by James Herriot, for the musings of a country vet in England.
Lyn King
Campbell, California

My favorite book is always the next one on my to-read list. Knowing there is another book out there that can change the way I see the world makes it the best.
Kelly Whitt
Sussex, Wisconsin