My Books, My Journeys to Other Worlds

This is going in our house when we build it.

I do not deny that my college education was an excellent one. I went to one of the best universities in the state (Virginia Tech) and participated an excellent program at a small local college where my parents met (Lynchburg College), for my graduate work. During this time I read more than I ever thought possible, but along the way I seem to have forgotten that you can, and should, read for the pure joy of it.

How did I forget that? How did I lose the wonder of walking the halls of Hogwarts? When did I stop noticing the color purple in a field? Where did I lose my compassion for Grace and Pilgrim as girl and horse struggled to regain faith in each other and humanity after a tragic accident? I don't know where it was lost, but I do know that in the last few weeks, I have read with a level of enthusiasm I forgot was possible.

Below is my list of my top 100 favorite books (or series) of all time, in no particular order. They encompass a wide range of genres, writing styles, reading levels (I love kids books), time periods and authors. Some I've only read once, others again and again. All are excellent.

1. Water for Elephants
2. Total Money Makeover
3. Kiss My Tiara
4. To Kill a Mockingbird
5. Handle With Care
6. House Rules
7. The Hunger Games Series
8. The Kite Runner
9. The Da Vinci Code
10. The Horse Whisperer
11. The Color Purple
12. Jurrasic Park
13. South of Broad
14. Uglies Series
15. Leviathan Series
16. The Harry Potter Series
17. Divergent Series
18. There Are No Shortcuts
19. The Help
20. The Happiness Project
21. Happiness at Home
22. The Storyteller
23. The Elite Series
24. The American Girl Books
25. Fifty Shades Series
26. The 5 Languages of Love
27. The Giving Tree
28. Romeo and Juliet
29. A Thousand Splendid Suns
30. Alice in Wonderland
31. The Very Hungry Caterpillar (The first book I read by myself)
32. The Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls
33. Stellaluna
34. A Series of Unfortunate Events
35. Of Women and Horses
36. Love You Forever
37. Ella Enchanted
38. Just Ella
39. Alice Series
40. Fairest (In case you've missed the theme, I love fairytale remakes.)
41. Guess How Much I Love You
42. Oh the Places You'll Go
43. Hamlet
44. Holes
45. Chronicles of Narnia
46. Bridge to Teribithia
47. Charlotte's Web
48. Matilda
49. Ramona Series
50. The Modern Girl's Guide to Life (A great, all around, tongue and cheek guide to life.)
51. The All Around Horse and Rider
52. Animals in Translation
53. The Horse Boy
54. Marley and Me
55. Thank You Mr. Faulkner
56. The Monster at the End of This Book
57. Falling Up
58. A Light in the Attic
59. Where the Sidewalk Ends
60. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
61. Where the Wild Things Are
62. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle Series
63. If You Give A Mouse a Cookie
64. Half Broke Horses
65. Frances Series
66. Curious George
67. A Char for My Mother
68. Wayside School Series
69. The Giver
70. The Rainbow Fish
71. The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
72. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
73. Speak
74. Mirette on the Highwire
75. Airhead
76. Shiloh
77. I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You
78. Peeps
79. The Lovely Bones
80. Cinderella Ate My Daughter
81. Black Beauty
82. The Eighty Dollar Champion
83. Women and Madness
84. Housekeeping
85. Mean Genes
86. So Yesterday
87. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
88. Misty of Chincoteague 
89. Justin Morgan Had a Horse
90. Not Without My Sister
91. Hand, Hand Fingers Thumb
92. Riding for Blue
93. It's Not The End of the World
94. Are You There God? It's me Margret 
95. Calvin and Hobbes
96. Every Boy's Got One
97. Ever After
98. The Loop
99. Sight Hound
100. Hatchet

What are your favorites? How do you enjoy books?