One personal resolution I made several months ago is that I would not turn down any social invitations I was lucky enough to receive. I’ve always been someone who enjoys close friendships, but I am out of my comfort zone meeting a lot of new people at once. So last December when I was invited to join a coworker’s book club, my first reaction was to refrain. There would be a roomful of women from their mid twenties through their mid forties and I would only know one person. And then one month I would have to host and feed them all. No pressure, right? But I know that I would love the book club if I just gave it a try, so I showed up.
So in honor of the Louisville Bookworms, I’m going to include posts about books I’ve read. To kick it off, here are my top 7 books:
- The Prince of Tides, Pat Conroy – The only novel I’ve read twice, my all-time favorite
- The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini – The only novel I’ve read in one sitting
- The Help – Highly recommend the audio book
- Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
- The Cider House Rules – John Irving
- East of Eden – John Steinbeck
- The Good Earth – Pearl S. Buck
The Prince of Tides brings back some wonderful memories for me. My mom got me hooked on Pat Conroy. He is the only author that can write about landscapes and cities with such beautiful prose that I don’t zone out and skip ahead. He describes the low country of South Carolina so beautifully and he weaves together stories of joy and sorrow so artfully.
This book inspired my mom and I to spend a long weekend in Hilton Head a few years ago. We rented a convertible and cruised around South Carolina taking in the setting of our favorite books. Our most memorable stop was Beaufort. We saw the old church were my paternal grandparents were married and did a boat tour that covered both history and ecology. Mom and I had a fabulous time away from the men. I think we are do for another similar getaway! (I would love to post photos of this trip, but I can’t find them….)