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Here is an updated (but not comprehensive list) of books I have found to be enriching and well written:
Literary/Mainstream Fiction: Sue Monk Kidd: The Secret Life of Bees; Barbara Kingsolver: The Poisonwood Bible; John Steinbeck: East of Eden, The Grapes of Wrath; Betty Smith: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn; J.D. Salinger: Catcher in the Rye; F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby; Lisa Genoa: Still Alice; Isabel Allende: Island Beneath the Sea; Chris Cleave: Little Bee; Lisa See: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan;
Non Fiction and Memoir: Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor: Traveling with Pomegranates; Elizabeth Gilbert: Eat, Pray, Love; Jeanette Walls: The Glass Castle; Bill O’Reilly: A Bold, Fresh Piece of Humanity; Mitch Albom: Tuesdays with Morrie
Spirituality and Inspirational: The Holy Bible (TNIV); Francis Chan: Forgotten God–Reversing our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit; Rabbi David Cooper: God is a Verb; St. John of the Cross: The Dark Night of the Soul; Gerald May: The Dark Night of the Soul
Poets by Author: Mary Oliver, Stanley Kunitz, Rumi, Jane Kenyon, Maya Angelou, Robert Frost, Ted Kooser, T.S. Eliot, e.e.cummings, Pablo Neruda, William Carlos Williams, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Ranier Maria Rilke, Langston Hughs, Matsuo Basho, Thomas Merton
Books about Writing: Anne Lamont: Bird by Bird; Heather Sellers: Page by Page; The Writer’s Digest Series: Write Great Fiction; Natalie Goldberg: Writing Down the Bones
Revised 3/31/11
Thanks for compiling this list. Curious why Wallace Stevens missed the cut of recommended poets.
Ah, I’m in the middle of reading his Collected Poems and he certainly deserves a front row seat. I didn’t know his work as well when I compiled the list!
I agree—-what a beautiful blog site, as another has said so well organized, but so inspirational on so many levels. I’ll be dropping by often.
Very beautifully creative Blog. Very organized… I learned a few things. Have a most delightful evening and thank you kindly.
I know it’s sacrilege to say it but I hated ‘Catcher In The Rye.’ But I loved ‘Tuesdays With Morrie.’
My all-time favourite book is ‘Ender’s Game’ by Orson Scott Card.
All of those are among my favorites with the exception being “The Poisonwood Bible” as I have never read it…will have to add it to my list of must reads. I just read “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett and loved it.
Thanks for the heads up on “The Help.” A friend just offered to loan it to me so I look forward to it if I ever get through “Cutting for Stone.” You remind me, I need to update/add to this list. Thanks for all your comments.
Had to check this out … Many of my favorites here too. Rather thought there would be … Thank goodness for the gift of read…
You remind me to update this list…have some to add! Thanks for checking out my blog.