What makes a book “good”? For me, it isn’t so much the story line, but the way in which the story is told and written. Whether it is fiction or nonfiction, I like to learn new things while I’m reading, but not so much that it feels like homework. I’m fascinated by memoirs and autobiographies; the art of writing down one’s life. But I’m also a fiction aficionado. Here’s a list of books, new and old, that have greatly influenced me over the years. In complete random order…

Harold and The Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson - Far and away, the best young children’s book ever written. A little kid finds a crayon and draws himself into life’s adventures. There is probably something we could all learn from that.

Selected Essays, by Ralph Waldo Emerson - Emerson’s essays are inspirational, direct, and make one see things in a new light. My kind of Bible.

The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran - A great book for those who embrace spirituality, but shy away from organized religion.

Grendel, by John Gardner - Retells Beowulf from the monster’s standpoint. First book that made me realize you can take an old story and put it into a whole new, original perspective.

Labyrinth of Solitude, by Octavio Paz - Some very thoughtful writing on mind, body, and life (not to be vague or anything).

Man Made: A Memoir of My Body, by Ken Baker - A truly unique memoir about a man, an athlete, a tumor, and human perseverance.

The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing, by Melissa Bank - About time a book written by a woman made me laugh out loud. Don’t judge by the title; hunting and fishing doesn’t refer to game, unless you count dating.

Frankenstein, by Mary W. Shelley - Really, it’s not about a monster, it’s about someone who doesn’t fit in. Classic, beautiful, and frightening on a multitude of levels.

Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris - Sedaris is hilarious. If you don’t like it when authors explore new territory in style, story, and humor, then you’ll want to pass.

Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer - Story of a young kid gone backpacking gone wrong. Anything by Krakauer is excellent, but this true life quest for answers (from both the subject and the author’s perspectives) was wonderfully captivating and superbly crafted.

On Love and Other Difficulties, by Ranier Maria Rilke - How can you not love a 26-year-old’s rants on love? Rilke (b.1875) has some good thoughts on the subject that still ring true today. His opening paragraph is among the best ever written.

By The Lake Of Sleeping Children: The Secret Life of the Mexican Border, by Luis Alberto Urrea - Amazing portrayal of the poverty at border towns. Chilling but moving narrative, sometimes even poetic.

The Invention of Solitude, by Paul Auster - One of those incredible memoirs that explores the intricacies of family, without the oh-poor-me angle.

Dracula, by Bram Stoker - I know, I know…Frankenstein?! Dracula?! Don’t stereotype this as a horror story, Dracula is the finest epistolary novel every written. To see a story unfold from letter correspondence is riveting and unique. You practically forget the vampire thing. Almost.

Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott - Great book about writing, without coming across as a book about writing.

Remembering the Bone House, by Nancy Mairs - Now here’s a memoir that’ll make you ponder the question of “what will my family and friends think of me when this is published?” Gutsy and very well written.

I Know This Much Is True, by Wally Lamb - The only 900 page book I never wanted to end. There may not be a better writer who can take fictional characters and make them so real, you think you’re reading a memoir. Lamb’s other novel, She’s Come Undone is the same way; unbelievable coming of age story written from a woman’s perspective.

An Unquiet Mind, by Kay Redfield Jamison - A memoir about living with Bipolar disorder. Jamison is also a doctor. Fascinating and beautiful prose which, much like the subject matter, is funny one minute and devastating the next.

To The Edge: A Man, Death Valley, and the Mystery of Endurance, by Kirk Johnson - Ever wonder what it would be like to run the Badwater Ultramarathon (130 miles across Death Valley)? Well, Johnson decided that in order to write about it, he’d better try it himself. Now that’s some badass research.

Cathedrals of the Flesh: My Search for the Perfect Bath,
by Alexia Brue - A combination of travel writing, personal narrative on finding oneself, and entertaining research of the ancient bath cultures from Turkey to Finland. Great stuff. Like Melissa Bank, Brue has great wit and unique style to her prose.