My Favorite Books 1-5

Over the past decade, I have gone through a fundamental change. I became a reader. Growing up, reading was the LAST activity I wanted to do. I would much rather play video games, watch TV, or pretty much do anything else other than read. But something happened after I graduate from college. I wanted something different. I wanted a new form of entertainment. And that is where I “re-discovered” reading. Since then, reading has become my number one relaxation activity. I would rather read a book that watch television. In fact, given the choice, I inevitably choose reading.

So over this period of time, I have read some utterly fantastic books, and as my mind works, thought it would be a fun exercise to list my 25 favorite books, and write a little blurb as to why I enjoy them so much. In the past, I have written similar lists, pertaining to my all time favorite albums and films, but for this list, I’m changing up the format, and will start with 1-5 and work my way down.

5. The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything by Father James Martin, SJ

To say this book utterly changed my life is an understatement. I remember reading this book for the first time in either 2011 or 2012 and weeping at certain passages. It introduced to me a new spiritual philosophy that I feel very at home with. Additionally this book encouraged me to pray more, and gave me an increased understanding of my faith. And my hope is all of this has helped me in becoming a better person. 

4. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon

Like Eleanor Oliphant, I could not put the Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay down, yet when I finally finished it, I had a strong urge to start over from the beginning. Set in New York city in the late 1930s, this novel captures the feeling of what it must of been like during the golden age of comics. As a HUGE comic book nerd, there was so much to appreciate here, but the thing I appreciate the most was the very human characters, and the truly original story. 

3. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Reading Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine was an experience like none other. It is one of those books that you can't stop reading, but you don't want it to end. It's an original story about a group of very human characters. Plus Eleanor is one of the most original characters in modern literature. She is strong, self-assured, but at the same time vulnerable and in need of friends. There is a strong urge on my part to read this book once a year, and the more I think about it, the more I think that this will happen. 

2. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle

Whenever I think of Sherlock Holmes, I think of my Dad. He is a huge fan of the character, and growing up I always remember him watching the latest episode of the Jeremy Brett rendition of the character on PBS, or reading the short stories. For years, he tried to get me to read them, and I never did. For some reason, I thought Holmes was "above me". Finally in 2010, I took the plunge and read my first short story: "A Scandal in Bohemia". To say I was hooked, was an understatement. 

Over the course of the next year, I read as much Holmes as I possible could. I went so far, and started reading all of the "fan fiction" or the "Further Adventures" of the character. Till this day, I believe that Sherlock Holmes is the first superhero. In fact, I did a whole episode of my podcast series based off of that premise, which you can listen to here. But in the the end, nothing can compare to that first collection of short stories. They transport you to London of the late 19th century, where only Sherlock Holmes could save the day. 

1. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 

My time in high school is not a period of my life that I look back on and longingly wish I could re-live again. But Junior year English did provide me with one of my all time favorite classes of my educational career. For a brief period of time in high school, I was a reader, and it was because of the great books we read such as: Fahrenheit 451, The Sun Also Rises, and the Great Gatsby, just to name a few. 

But one of them stood above all others, and that was the Catcher in the Rye. J.D. Salinger's masterpiece caught me at the perfect time in my life where Holden Caulfield was speaking for me. I had never had never related to a character in a book so much as I did to Caulfield. It marked the first time that I read a book, and saw myself in the title role. And it's also the only book that I finished before the assigned due date. I could not put it down.  I didn't realize it at the time, but looking back now, I can safely say that the Catcher in the Rye is the book that showed me the power of reading.