Anna's Books

Since the age of 5, reading has been one of my favorite pastimes. I just fell in love with books and although the types of books I read have changed over the years, my love of reading hasn't.

To tell you a bit about my favorite books, you should know what I look for when I go to the library or book store. Mainly, I read non-fiction. I have always liked non-fiction better than fiction, but when I turned about 14 and realized that there was no good teen fiction out there, I began actively seeking it out.

My main interests in non-fiction books are children, foster care and adoption, child abuse, deafness, multiculturalism, politics, religion, education, any civil rights movement, biographies and autobiographies, diaries, social issues, and racism. Not all of these topics relate directly to my life, but they are all subjects that I find enormously interesting.

I am also interested in children's literature, and in collecting books that I enjoyed when I was growing up. I have more on children's books (and my own computerized list) at this page: Anna's Children's Books.

Onto the books...

Good non-fiction books that I have read:

Amazing Grace--by Jonathan Kozol. This is a wonderful book by one of my favorite authors. Jonathan Kozol gives a protrait of inner-city life that is really unique. He describes the daily lives of the individuals there and presents them as real people, not just "the poor."

And the Band Played On--by Randy Shilts. I consider Randy Shilts to be one of finest journalists who ever lived. His account of the progression of the AIDS epidemic is honest, forthright, and compelling reading.

Beating the Devil Out of Them--by Murray Straus. This should be required reading for any parent who thinks that corporal punishment is a good way to discipline a child. Dr. Straus is an expert on the negative effects of spanking and he very clearly shows in his book how it causes more harm than good.

Black Like Me--by John Howard Griffin. This is the classic account of a white man who disguises himself as black and subsequently records the racism that he encounters throughout his travels in the 1960's.

Boy--by Roald Dahl. The childhood memoir of one of my favorite authors. This is a children's book, but I found it extremely interesting nonetheless. It describes the author's sometimes funny, sometimes harsh upbringing in England in the early part of the 20th century.

Gender Shock--by Phyllis Burke. A very interesting examination of gender roles in our society and what happens to people, especially children, who do not conform to them. Although I do not agree with the author's premise that all gender differences are societal, this is a compelling book.

A Girl From Yamhill--by Beverly Cleary. This is the autobiography of another favorite writer of my childhood, the author of the "Ramona" books. It was interesting to read about her life and to find out that it was not as happy as the lives of the families she portrayed in her stories.

Laura--by Donald Zochert. This is a comprehensive biography of another childhood favorite of mine, Laura Ingalls Wilder. It was very interesting to read about her life and how it related to the "Little House" books that she wrote for children.

Like Normal People--by Robert Meyers. This is the story of the author's mildly retarded brother Roger, his life and his journey towards independence. May be out of print but it's well worth looking for. A very interesting and inspiring book.

Savage Inequalities--by Jonathan Kozol. An important book that describes the condition of public education in America today. I feel that this book should be required reading for everyone. The horrible inequities between rich and poor children are really highlighted in this book.

Sleepers--by Lorenzo Carcaterra. I read this book before I saw the movie, so naturally I was a bit disappointed with the film. This is a compelling, disturbing account of the author and 3 friends' time in a brutal reform school, the hardships they suffered there, and the revenge they took as adults.

Stranger at the Gate--by Mel White. This was an engrossing autobiography that described the author's faith and his efforts to reconcile it with his homosexuality. I have to say that this book really enlightened me about both Christianity and gay issues and how they relate to one another.

Sweeter the Juice--by Shirlee Taylor Haizlipp. This is a wonderful book about the author's family and her African-American heritage. She recounts the importance of color and "passing" in her family and the search for family members who had assimilated into white society and turned their backs of the rest of their family.

They Cage the Animals at Night--by Jennings Michael Burch. This is possibly my favorite book of all time. It is a moving and heartbreaking memoir about the author's childhood in foster care in the 1950's and his coming of age. This really is a must read.

Train Go Sorry--by Leah Hager Cohen. A very interesting book about the author's life growing up hearing in a Deaf school and her future work as an ASL translator. This book has a lot of insight into the Deaf community.

What's That Pig Outdoors--by Henry Kisor. This is a highly interesting autobiography that recounts the author's life as a Deaf man in a hearing society. It explores the world of a man who communicates entirely through speech and lip-reading, which anyone familiar with Deaf issues knows is an extremely difficult form of communication.

White Teacher--by Vivian Gussin Paley. The author's account of her years spent teaching minority children and her progressive awareness of racial issues as seen through the eyes of her students. A very interesting book!

Zlata's Diary--by Zlata Filipovic. Critics have said that this diary does not live up to Anne Frank's, however, I feel that this book is valid on it's own merit. It is a very compelling diary written by a young girl who lived through the war in Bosnia.

Well, that's the end of my non-fiction books section. I figure that I should also devote a section to some of the more interesting fiction books that I have read. You will notice that many of them also have movie adaptions, since after I see a film I really like, I often run to Barnes and Noble and pick up a copy of the novel.

Good fiction books that I have read:

Dances With Wolves--by Michael Blake. I really enjoyed this book, almost as much as I enjoyed the movie. It is the story of a U.S. Cavalry officer who comes West and becomes a part of the Native American society surrounding him.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe--by Fannie Flagg. This is one book that I definitely liked better than the movie. It is a very funny and interesting story of two women and their life together in a sleepy Southern town during the Great Depression, with vignettes that relate to the lives of two women in the present.

The Hundred Secret Senses--by Amy Tan. This is a wonderful novel about a biracial American woman and her complex and stormy relationship with her Chinese half-sister. A fascinating story that focuses on family, culture, spirituality, and the past and the present of both of these women.

The Joy Luck Club--by Amy Tan. This is a very interesting novel about Chinese women and their Chinese-American daughers that explores relationships, secrets, and cultural and generational gaps between the characters.

Lost and Found--by Marilyn Harris. The story of Belle, a little girl abandoned during the Great Depression and her very interesting journey through life. Although a bit soap opera-ish, this is compelling reading and remains one of my favorite novels.

The Prince of Tides--by Pat Conroy. This is one book that is totally different from the movie. I really enjoyed the movie, but I absolutely loved the book. A semi-autobiographical story about a man, his dysfunctional family, and the secrets they have kept over the years.

The Princess Bride--by William Goldman. A very funny, satirical novel that is as good as the movie, if not better. This is a fairy tale about a farm boy named Westley, his true love Buttercup and their interesting adventures with assorted other wacky characters in a fictional medieval land.

Ten Little Indians--by Agatha Christie. I am not a big fan of mysteries, but I really loved this book. It is a very suspenseful whodunit about a group of people trapped on an island with a murderer. You will never guess who the killer turns out to be.

Till We Have Faces--by C.S. Lewis. This is an adult novel written by one of my favorite childhood authors. I was first assigned this book for a class, so I automatically thought it would be boring. Fortunately, I was wrong. It is a very interesting retelling of the Cupid-Psyche myth.

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn--by Betty Smith. This is the classic story of Francie Nolan and her growing up in Brooklyn at the turn of the century. I was surprised how contemporary this book was while reading it.

Of course, I could not end this page without information on some of my favorite authors. Most of my childhood favorites remain favorites because I loved their books so much when I was younger. Here are some links dealing with them as well:

Beverly Cleary--author of the "Ramona" series and related books. I've read every single one of her books and I always enjoyed them immensely when I was younger. The Beverly Cleary Home Page has a lot of information about her and her work.

Roald Dahl--funny, satirical author of many of my favorite books. I have read most of his books, but my the ones I like the best are "The Witches," "Danny the Champion of the World," "Boy," and "Matilda." Jeff Meaney's Roald Dahl Page is a wonderful resource on the author and his books.

C.S. Lewis--I really loved the Narnia Chronicles when I was little, and read each of the books several times. Into the Wardrobe is an extremely comprehensive site dealing with the author, his life and work.

Ann M. Martin--author of the enormously popular "Babysitters Club" books. They are not great literature, but I was hooked on them from 6th to 8th grade. The Scholastic Ann M. Martin page is a informative site about the author and her books for young readers.

Lucy Maud Montgomery--I have read every single one of her books and am also a big fan of the film productions of her work. The L.M.Montgomery Institute Core Page is a site that contains much information about the author and her work, along with instructions on how to sign up to a mailing list to discuss her work.

Sydney Taylor--I loved her "All of a Kind Family" books about 5 girls growing up in Brooklyn at the turn of the century. The Sydney Taylor Award is given in her memory to authors who display positive Jewish content in children's books today.

Laura Ingalls Wilder--although I loved many of the books I read when I was little, my favorites I think were the "Little House" books. I loved the character of Laura and I really loved the stories of her childhood. The Little House on the Prairie home page has a lot of information about her books and about her as a person as well.

This brings to a close my long section of my favorite books. Hope you enjoyed reading about them. Have a book suggestion? E-mail me and tell me about it!

Click here to return to my home page

Midi: The Rainbow Connection

Last Updated: March 18th, 2000