Even though I read a lot of books and find a lot of new authors to love (Harlan Coben…why did I wait so long to read your books?), I find that it’s tough to crack my Velveteen Rabbit book list. You know that list — it’s the one that you have in paperback and Kindle. It’s the beloved paperback that you’ve had to buy at least 5 times because you’ve worn out your copies. It’s that list of books on the bookshelf of your 20-something apartment that got read over and over because new books were too expensive. (Or was that just me?) So you relived those stories, relived those favorite moments until you could recite them by heart. It’s that list of books that always makes it on the “Which books would you take on a deserted island” answer because you can’t imagine NOT reading them one more time.
This list is different from the “Wow” list — that list of books is the one that makes me, as an author, want to write better. That list contains books that make me wish I’d thought of it first. Or the list of authors I read when I need to feel that gut push to get to my computer and write my stuff. Nope, it’s not that list either. But this list… this is the list of old friends, familiar characters that make me smile when I think of them. That make me want to pull out a copy and flip to my favorite chapter.
The Beloved Books list. Velveteen Rabbit books. The copies are worn around the edges, the scenes are stacked like Polaroids in your head. The heroines are the friend that you miss “hanging out” and the heroes are ones you measure every other book boyfriend by (for romance novels, that is.)
We all have that list… Which books are on yours?
When I made my list, I stuck to the ones that sprang right to mind — there are 8 of them.
- Inheritance by Judith Michael
- Rage of Angels by Sidney Sheldon
- Caitlin series by Francine Pascal
- Perfect by Judith McNaught
- Trilogy by Nora Roberts
- Skye O’Malley by Betrice Small
- Come Love a Stranger by Kathleen Woodiwiss
- Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah
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