You're my favorite!

I figured I should give you some information on my past reading experiences, so for your blog-skimming pleasure, I give you...

Leah's Favorites: A short and not at all close to complete list of authors and literature that I enjoy.

Stephen King
I have made it my personal goal to read everything Stephen King has written under his normal name. Except for It. I don't like clowns, so f*ck that book. Other than that, though, I've gotten through 16 of them. The Stand is my all time favorite, and I try to reread the unabridged edition (I never read the original publication) at least once a year. I might add a Stephen King novel to my list just to keep it going.

Anne Rice
I may be an English teacher, but I love me some old school, overly sexualized Gothic vampire novels. I read Interview with the Vampire when I was in middle school because I had run out of books to read and it was on the shelf at our shore house. I don't think I understood parts of it, but I was hooked. I've read (and own) the entire vampire series, the witches series, and the series where those two series are combined. Confused? Me, too, but I love her books. I wrote my 11th grade term paper on The Vampire Lestat. It was called "Sexual Taboos and the Others in Society" and my mother refused to read it. That my friends is what I call a win.

John Steinbeck
This is more English major-esque. I love everything I've ever read by Steinbeck. If you haven't read East of Eden, please go and find it asap. Don't be put off by it's size; with the exception of the overly drawn up descriptions of California that are pretty much every other chapter, the story moves quickly. You might have noticed, though, that The Grapes of Wrath is on my reading list. Somehow I missed that one, and I'm ashamed of that fact.

William Faulkner
Another classic author. Love him, even though he hates women. Actually, Faulkner is like Hemingway. He doesn't really like any of his characters. And my mother is a fish.

Edgar Allan Poe
Boyfriend. Dead literary boyfriend. Ask my students, they know how obsessed I am with Poe. I wrote my senior seminar paper on Poe, and the summer prior to that semester, I read his complete works, poetry and short stories. I didn't finish his 'novel,' though. Sorry, bf.

Beowulf
I'm a weirdo. Classic tale of adventure and heroes, told in poetry! The only acceptable translation is the Seamus Heaney translation. It reads like an adventure novel, and not an Old English epic poem.

The Great Gatsby
Roaring 20's, scandal, parties, socialites... what more can you ask for in a novel? This book has some of the best quotes, and the symbolism is superb.

Dracula
Back to my vampire obsession, I love Stoker's creation of the monster. And maybe I'm partial to Romania. Okay, it might be my favorite place on earth (along with Prague and Philadelphia), but that doesn't influence my infatuation with this book! When Harker describes the food in Budapest as being 'quite thirsty' you can't turn back.

The Phantom Tollbooth
Favorite book in the world. An English nerd's dream. SO MANY PUNS!! So much of the book is just a complete play on words, it's FUN!

Hole in my Life
Excellent autobiographical account of time spent in prison. Meant for young adults, but a fabulous book. May have changed my life.

Harry Potter
Well DUH. What did you expect? My favorite is the third book, The Prisoner of Azkaban. That's where Rowling really starts to put the pieces together. Brilliant!

The Stephanie Plum Series
And finally, to assure you that I am not snobby and ridiculous about my literature, I ADORE the Stephanie Plum series. She's a bounty hunter in Trenton. She has big hair and a guido boyfriend. Really? Really? Do you doubt me for a minute? I love them. They are quick reads, though, which means it is over much too soon.

There you have it. Some of my favorites. Help me make my list based on what I like, or even what it seems like I need. :)