MY TEN FAVORITE BOOKS by Melissa Eiselein
Favorite is a subjective term. My favorites change with my mood and the weather. One day, my favorite could be lasagna and the next days it is tacos. I’m the same with books. What catches my interest today will likely be ignored tomorrow. I’m fickle that way. Below are books that, in one way or another, have influenced my own thoughts on writing.
The Poet by Michael Connelly
Unable to admit his brother committed suicide, protagonist Jack McEvoy, a hardened newspaper crime reporter sets out to find the truth about this brother’s death. The story is mostly told in first-person point of view. What makes the story unique is that the antagonist is revealed in small snippets of close third-person narration, which takes the reader inside his creepy pedophile mind. The story is both fascinating and disturbing—and it won Connelly an Anthony Award in 1997.
Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke
This book is the first in Oke’s Love Comes Softly series. I rarely read romance and never liked the girl meets millionaire trope that boosted Danielle Steel’s writing career. Oke’s romance stories are sweet and heartwarming. No sex. No bodice ripping. No cursing. Oke’s stories are Christian-based, historical fiction filled with heart and love. Hallmark turned Oke’s When Calls the Heart book into a Hallmark Channel series with the same title.
Desert Places by Blake Crouch
The story begins when novelist, Andrew Thomas, receives a letter telling him the body of a woman is buried on his property, covered in his blood, and killed by his kitchen knife. At first, Andrew thinks the letter is a joke sent by one of his fans. A short time later, Andrew is blackmailed, drugged and kidnapped. When he wakes, he is in a lone cabin in the barren desert facing his twin brother Orson who Andrew has not seen since their second year of college. All that in the first 30 pages. Crouch is able to keep the tension building as the story continues.
Side note: I met Blake Crouch several years ago at a book conference where I bought a book from his Wayward Pines trilogy, which later was turned into a TV series. As he autographed my copy, I told him I enjoyed Desert Places and was looking forward to reading more of his work. I was surprised when he handed me my book and said, “This one is a lot different. I don’t think you’ll like it.” I took his word for it. Wayward sits unread on my bookshelf today.
This Present Darkness by Frank E. Peretti
Horror meets Christianity in this book about a newspaper reporter uncovering a plot by a New Age group to take over a small college town. Members of the group, with help from local law enforcement, lash out at the reporter and its editor, having them falsely arrested for prostitution and rape, respectively. While this Earthly battle brews, a bigger war ensues between demons and angels who gather in the small town.
The Stand by Stephen King
A deadly virus kills off most of the world’s population. Survivors are caught in the ultimate battle between good and evil. The story focuses on a group of individuals whose dreams of an elderly black woman, Mother Abigail, draw them to Boulder, Colorado, where they attempt to build a new home. The survivors soon learn they must work together if they are going to create an orderly society. What they don’t know is that another group is forming in Las Vegas, the original Sin City. This new group, which includes a mass murderer and insane pyromaniac, is led by a charismatic man named Randall Flagg.
Misery by Stephen King
King makes my favorite list twice. Though I have a disdain for King’s later works, I greatly enjoyed his early writings and feel I would be remiss if I did not include this King classic. After crashing his car, Novelist Paul Sheldon is rescued and nursed back to health by his self-proclaimed number one fan, Annie Wilkes. Wilkes, who is angry at Sheldon for killing off her favorite character in his book series, holds Sheldon hostage and insists he rewrites the story. It does not take long for Sheldon to realize Annie Wilkes is a psychopath.
Solomon vs. Lord by Paul Levine
Tempers flare when seasoned defense attorney Steve Solomon and rookie prosecutor Victoria Lord oppose each other in the courtroom. The judge sends them to jail for contempt, which seems to be all they have for each other. But when Victoria’s friend is charged with murder, Lord recruits Solomon to help with her friend’s defense. The duo continues to bicker. Soon the flying sparks ignite into a fire of lust, moving this funny courtroom thriller into a hot romance story.
The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly
This short, easy to read nonfiction book is geared toward business owners and company executives. The premise is that companies can cultivate loyal, hardworking employees by helping those employees attain their dreams, whether it be a dream of home ownership or paying for their child’s college education. On a personal level, this book taught me about the importance of having a dream, something to strive for, a reason to climb out of bed and face each day.
One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
Evanovich pushes the boundaries of a traditional cozy mystery, taking story to a fun, sexy new level. Evanovich’s protagonist, Stephanie Plum, is unemployed, broke and desperate for cash. Plum becomes a bounty hunter and is assigned to bring in Joe Morelli, a police officer accused of murder. Plum knows Morelli well. When she was six and Morelli eight, he taught her to play Choo-Choo in his garage. “You’re the tunnel, and I’m the train,” Joe said as he crawled between her legs and looked up her skirt.
Don’t Sabotage Your Submission by Chris Roerden
An aspiring author’s favorite book list wouldn’t be complete without a how-to book on writing. Don’t Sabotage is a clear-cut, easy-to-read, under-rated book outlining some of the pitfalls new writers fall into. Roerden writes about problems with characterization, dialogue, body language and pace. At the end of each short chapter is a bulleted “Find & Fix” list of tips for the writer, tips that are essential for a new writer and good refresher for the more seasoned author
