At Hospice we know how precious time can be and that making memories are so important. One of the things my two sisters and I did with our Mum was to go through and decide what our ten best reads were. What were the most memorable books we had read?
After discarding Black Beauty and Milly Molly Mandy and the Bible the three of us made our lists and shared with Mum. It was a great time and when I reread one of these books that time of discussion and choosing comes back so clearly in my mind.
What are my ten best reads, or my classics. Well here goes and it will be interesting how many you may share. In no particular order:
Life of Pi – the ending took me completely by surprise.
To Kill a Mockingbird – Atticus Finch shows prejudice and racism vs tolerance and open mindedness, as relevant today as it was 65 years ago.
Harry Potter – the imagination just went wild.
Lord of the Rings – not seen the films as I loved the book so much I don’t want to spoil my interpretation.
Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities – I loved Dickens and even majored in the French Revolution in my History degree.
The Grapes of Wrath – Steinbeck’s portrayal of the Great Depression, failed farming, environmental damage and having to resettle. Again, it resonates now.
Lord of the Flies – I was 14 when I read this, and social media today shows teenagers behaving in much the same bullying way. William Golding described a cruel insight into survival of the fittest with no thought for those who need a helping hand.
Barkskins by Annie Proulx– a beautiful way with words and an insight into French Canadian colonisation, inadvertent environmental damage with disastrous downstream effects. If you haven’t read any of her books you are missing something. The Shipping News is another good book by her.
My last book is Sebastion Faulks Bird Song, again beautifully written, tender and a reminder that not all beauty is destroyed by war and that nature fights on through.
Maybe you would like to read some of my classics or spend time with your family sorting out your own list. It’s all part of ensuring we make and hold onto memories we can relive over and over again.
