The Great Kapok Tree

Lori from North Carolina is a teacher who loves to do a play with her students based on this book.

Homage to Catalonia, George Orwell

Bill from Oregon wants us all to read Orwell's first person account of the Spanish Civil War.

50 Years of Nobel Prize Winners

Amy, originally from Colorado, is on a quest to read one book from each of the Nobel Prize Winners from the past fifty years. She takes the list of winners with her when she goes to her local library on Second Avenue and borrows the first book by a Laureate that she sees on the shelf. She trusts that each of these authors have, "something to tell me." These authors also give her an international perspective that fits Amy's love of traveling.

Amy recommends:
Palace Walk by Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz
"I really got a nibble of what it is like to live in a Muslim country. I was able to learn something from the book."

novels written by South African writer Nadine Gordimer

Kaddish for a Child Not Born by Hungarian writer Imre Kertesz
Amy warns, "It takes effort to get through."

The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway

Ed from Queens remembers this "easy read" as the first classic he read in high school.

Humboldt's Gift, Saul Bellow

Justin from Jersey City praises Saul Bellows, "great voice in his writing."

A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving

Taylor from St. Louis read it in 8th grade and still loves it.

Another fan of the book, Tom from Queens, told us that he, "couldn't put down this great book. It's deep."

Books by Victoria Holt

Zaida from New York likes all of Victoria Holt's books. She enjoys the mystery, and of course the romance. Zaida's work requires her to read serious political science books, so she admits in her free time she likes to read trashy books. She insists, "You can't read serious books all the time."

Holy Books, God

Taufa from Astoria believes we need to read the holy books from every religion. She says, "All of the books tell us there is one creator. We are judged."

Think and Grow Rich, by Napolean Hill

Anthony Walker from Chicago says, "This is not a get-quick rich book, but a richer way of thinking." The book is written in analogies and includes lots of real practical advice.

Patternist Series, Octavia Butler

Tomi, a tour guide, highly recommends Octavia Butler's science fiction books, especially the Patternist series and the novel The Fledgling, which is about an African-American woman who has to go back in time to save her white supremist ancestor in order to save her own life in the future. For more information on the Patternist series, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patternist_series

Love that Dog, Sharon Creech

This book of poetry is told from the perspective of a first-grade student who hates everything the teacher is teaching, but he ends up using it. Shannon from Red Hook, Brooklyn wants you to read it.

Same Kind of Difference as Me, Ron Hall and Denver Moore

A millionaire art dealer living in Fort Worth, Texas is convinced by his wife to go work at a soup kitchen. He befriends a homeless man and their lives change forever. This non-fiction book is highly recommended by Kay visiting from Oklahoma.

So Much Unfairness of Things, C.D.B. Bryan

This is a powerful book and great for kids to read. It's about a kid who was caught cheating on a Latin test.

Blue Willow, Doris Gates

As a privileged child, this book really touched me. The book is about a family who had nothing but held onto a plate with a blue willow pattern. This is a great book for kids. I found a paperback copy for my children but they were not interested. I hope more people would read this inspiring book!
- Anonymous, NYC

How Green was My Valley, Richard Llewellyn

It's one of my favorites! I love old fashioned books!
- M. NYC

Marriage of Heaven and Hell. William Blake

-Great subversive take on conventional wisdom and morality
-David, NYC

The Big, Bad Wolf, James Patterson

This is my favorite book because it keeps you on the edge of your seat as you're reading. It's an exiting book!
-Aisha A. NYC

The Bible

Covers everything you need to know-the truth of Jesus Christ (John 3:16)
-Andrea, NYC

Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, Jeffrey Archer

This is one of my favorites because it is simply, "A Boy's Book".
-Dustin G. NYC

Franny and Zooey, The Great J.D. Salinger

This book was published in 1961. It's one of my favorite books because it is very well written.
-Mila, NYC

Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling

The Harry Potter books offer a nice break from my recommended college reading!
-Yuchen, College Student, NYC

Justice for All, Mary Wright

This is the last book I've read. I ws required to read it before my summer project and I was really interested in the topics it brought up.
-Jessica, College Student, NYC

The Irresistable Revolution: Living as an ordinary radical, Shane Claiborne

This is one of my favorite books because of the stories and messages it contains.
-Samantha, College Student, NYC

Liar's Poker: Rising through the wreckage on Wall Street, Michael Lewis

This book shows all the deceit and B.S. that went on and is still going on Wall Street.
Raj, NYC

The Egg and I, Betty Macdonald

An autobiography that takes place in Seattle, Washington. It is very well written, especially the way the author writes about the rain on the farm.
-Janet D. Harrogate, Northshire.
Visiting NY from the UK

If We Build It, Will They Come?

We made our way towards Bryant Park yesterday, weighed down with signs, scotch tape, markers, laptops, and that giddy excitement that comes with starting any new adventure that contains the possibility of failure. We wanted to talk to people in the park about their favorite books, but would they want to talk to us? Ignoring strange people is a necessity, raised to an art form in New York, so we had no clue if people would slow down, venture over and reveal a little about the literature/poetry/non-fiction that has touched their lives.

We are grateful to report that after five hours of standing around, beckoning onlookers forward, we had the opportunity to meet over fifty fine people from as far away as New Zealand and as close as the HBO headquarters. Some people strode forward confidently, eager to report their favorite book or author, insisting that more of the world read the book that changed their lives. Others had to be drawn forward, unsure what to make of us and our signs. As soon as they got within an arm's length, we shoved a notebook and pen in their hand. Many people insisted that it is hard to identify just one book, and we had to agree on that. Still, given some time to think, everyone came up with at least one.

So far, leading the list of favorite books is, no surprise, the Bible. It is tied for first place with a more recent bestseller, The Kite Runner. Many of the books we had not heard about before, so we hope this blog will do a service of introducing these authors and titles to a larger audience. Thank you to all who participated and generously shared your time and thoughts with us. Hope to see you again soon!