Vacations are a time for renewal of the body and spirit. The hunger to focus on yourself and your own needs is one of the decadent pastimes that a vacation accommodates. Reading provides nourishment for this desire and a good book is the perfect vacation companion. From fantasy and romance to self-improvement, here is a list of top five favorite books to pack in your suitcase. Continue reading →
You, Your Vacation and a Great Book!
Most popular books
Here is a list of some of the most popular books ever, they have been chosen for number of books sold and for their impact they have had on society.
The Bible:
The Bible is the best-selling book ever with estimates of 6 billion copies being sold. There is no single author and it is made up of 66 books. The bible continues to have a spiritual effect on people almost 2,000 years after the last of its books have been written.
Harry Potter (7 books):
Written by J.K. Rowling, the books are the chronicle adventures of a young wizard named Harry Potter and his friends. The series of 7 books has sold over 400 million copies making it second only to the Bible is copies sold.
A Tale of Two Cities:
A novel written in 1859, by Charles Dickens. It has sold over 200 million copies and is standard reading material for most high school level literature classes.
The Lord of the Rings:
The book has its roots in the The Hobbit (1937), and eventually developed into the now much larger work The Lord of the Rings (1937-1949) written by J.R.R. Tolkien. It’s the second bestselling novel that has ever been written after A Tale of Two Cities, with over 150 million copies sold.
The Da Vinci Code:
Is a mystery, conspiracy-detective novel by author Dan Brown. It’s a story which attempts to discover the possibility of a marriage between Mary Magdalene and Jesus, over 80 million copies sold.
Classics In Literature
In order for a car to be considered ‘classic,’ it has to be at least 20 years old. For literature, the definition is not as clearly defined since it allows a reader’s opinion to play a role. According to Italo Calvino, “A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.”
The basic definition of classic literature is the book has been widely accepted and acclaimed as being noteworthy or exemplary. Most likely, it will be included in one of the Western canons.
Goethe said, “Ancient works are classical not because they are old, but because they are powerful, fresh, and healthy.”
Classic literature speaks to the essential human, answering questions about love, faith, morality, death, and life. These universal themes are never tiring. People love to read about them because they see themselves in the characters that bring those themes to life. The stories envelope the reader in more than a tale since authors are often influenced by each other and by other classic works, which the reader may then notice and use, whether consciously or unconsciously, to react to what is being read. Continue reading →
Five Hot Reads for a Cold Winter
One of the best activities on a long winter’s evening is curling up with a book. The key is finding just the right book that will keep one’s attention. Here are five fabulous reads for any interest.
The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, is a new piece of fiction recently made into a movie. It tells the palpably dramatic, yet oftentimes humorous story of an era not that long ago. This book is incredibly difficult to put down. For those who prefer historical fiction of the English, Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir is a gripping work told in the voice of the Lady Jane Grey, queen of England for nine days.
Not all classic literature should be considered as dry prose. Two incredibly dramatic tales are Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Anna Karenina is a masterpiece that follows two star-crossed lovers in old Russia. Jane Eyre is a hauntingly beautiful work of a young governess who falls in love with her gruff and secretive employer. Continue reading →
