100 Best Books

I've been listening to a lot of NPR (National Public Radio) in the mornings as I go to work and when I go home. It's not a new concept for me; I actually quite enjoy it. The past week, I've learned heaps. Did you know that the big influenza epidemic of 1918 was actually called the Spanish Flu? And this flu pandemic spread to nearly every part of the world? Crazy huh? I was so enthralled by the information, that I did a quick wikipedia search (I know, I know--not the most credible source of information) and found that anywhere from 70 to 100 million people were killed worldwide, the most devastated communities hit included the Pacific Islands where Western Samoa a crippling 90% of the population was infected.

This morning I also learned about the Pullman Porters. This was a group of young African American men who were hired by George Pullman, inventor of the sleeping car, to take care of any whim that the customer had. They were paid next to nothing who saved to put their children and grandchildren through college.

I wanted to learn more about about the Pullman Porters, so I went to NPR . I found all sorts of fun stuff! The best thing was someone's list of top 100 books. Now, I like to think for my 20+ years that I'm well read, but I apparently have quite a bit more to read! Here's how my list would start out (in no particular order):

1. To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee
2. I Can't Accept Not Trying, Michael Jordan
3. Eats, Shoots and Leaves, Lynne Truss
4. Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway
5. Shane, Jack Shaffer
6. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
7. Much Ado About Nothing, William Shakespeare
8. Alexander and the
9. Fire In the Bones, S. Michael Wilcox
10. The Blue Castle, L.M. Montgomery
11. How To Be Happy, Dammit: A Cynic's Guide to Spiritual Happiness, Karen Salmansohn
12. Walden, Henry David Thoreau
13. Dubliners, James Joyce
14. The Crying of Lot 49, Thomas Pynchon
15. The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison

What would be your top books?