Oh, Powell's. How I love thee...
The picture to the left is from a trip to Portland, in my husband’s home state of Oregon. Each time we visit his parents, we make a trip to my favorite bookstore, Powell’s Books (Tattered Cover of Denver, Colorado is a close second). Each time we arrive at this literary mecca, I snag a piping hot, frothy latte and a crumbly, buttery scone, then settle down in their cafe with a towering and teetering stack of books to peruse to my heart’s content. It is pure and utter bliss. Hello, my name is Kristen and I am a book nerd.
I love reading. From blogs to biographies, periodicals to poetry, I am enamored with the written word. Above all, I am a fiction junkie. I love novels and short stories, and relish living—if only for a short while—in the finely-spun worlds crafted by gifted authors of fiction.
This page is devoted to my favorite pieces of literature. I invite you to leave a comment with a few of your own most treasured works, whether they are novels, histories, poetry collections, comic books, plays, or whatever. Reading is a wonderfully personal journey, but the communal sharing of literature has its own rewards. So, let’s hear it. Read any good books lately?
Kristen’s Favorite Books
A list eternally in progress…
- The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
- Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth
- A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
- The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
- Saturday by Ian McEwan
- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
- The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde
- Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding
- The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
- The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
- Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
- The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
- Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
- Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson
- Opened Ground: Selected Poems, 1966-1996 by Seamus Heaney
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September 18, 2009 at 5:06 am
Oxidaisy
Wow, I really like your blog! And it is good to see someone who loves reading. I have been lacking in the reading department big time lately, but trying to pick it up again, because as you say: it is so good to loose yourself in a book for a while!
One of my most favorite books is: the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
September 18, 2009 at 5:11 am
Kristen
Ah, yes. The Alchemist has been on my to-read list for quite a while now. Glad to hear you enjoyed it so much. I will have to bump it up on my list! Also happy to hear you like my blog. I just checked yours out and it’s great, too.
September 18, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Angie
Oh, I listened to audio version of The Alchemist on my last long drive, and loved it! (Is it sad that I want to actually read it now?) Great list of books. A few are still on my TBR pile, particularly Jane Eyre, so I’ll have to rectify that soon.
September 18, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Kristen
Get thee to the bookstore and procure the vintage edition of Jane Eyre immediately!
September 18, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Angie
Ah, see, I already have the book on the pile…although it’s a different edition. I actually started reading it last year, but put it down because it was going slow. (Not the book, mind you, the Introduction! *sigh* Bad English major habit…I must read the introductions for all classics!)
September 18, 2009 at 10:03 pm
Kristen
Yes, old English major/minor habits die hard, don’t they?
September 19, 2009 at 12:57 am
Josh
I’m a book nerd!! I visited Powell’s in Portland and loved it. I just couldn’t resist leaving some of my faves here, since many of my favorites are also in your list (Time Traveller’s Wife, Catcher in the Rye, Deathly Hallows). These are some that aren’t:
“The Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold
“His Dark Materials” by Phillip Pullman
“The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini
“Lisey’s Story” by Stephen King
“Blind Fall” by Christopher Rice
Read on!
September 19, 2009 at 12:59 am
Josh
PS… I’m ordering the full set of Harry Potter books from Amazon Britian… British adult editions, hardcover. I really like the covers on the British adult editions, and it comes in a nice set. With all the original text, not dumbed down for us stupid Americans! I’ll let you know if it’s worth it to get the British editions
September 20, 2009 at 3:53 am
Kristen
Sweet! I would LOVE to have that set! Let me know how awesome it is when it arrives. I know what a jumper is in British-speak, so I’m intellectually prepared.