I am... Saturday 12/3/11

Good morning everyone! I hadn't had an I am... Saturday post for quite some time because of NaNoWriMo. Today's post is something very dear to my heart. It's actually my reason for wanting to be a writer - but it's also the reason I will never be published...

I am... an avid reader
I don't remember when I first started reading. I'd have to ask my mom. But when I hit 'tween age, I really became fixated on reading everything I could. I wanted to be a writer - but then, after reading all the books I have, I don't think my writing is good enough for publication. That being said, I thought today I would share with you my five favorite books of all time!

#5 Down A Dark Hall by Lois Duncan
What's this book about? A private school for girls, set in the middle of nowhere, and Kit is accepted. Only four students are accepted to the school, and each ends up with their talents amplified. Why is the house so creepy...and what are the ghosts, voices and strange dreams plaguing the girls? When Kit finally figures out why each girl was chosen for admission, it may be too late...
Why do I like this book? I found it a fascinating character study. Each girl had their own marked personality. I loved the gothic feel of the novel, and, who am I kidding? I love minimally scary stuff! I wish a movie would be made about this book!

#4 Leave it to Claire by Tracey Bateman
What's this book about? Claire is a modern-day single mom who does NOT have it all together. Her husband left her for a younger woman and she is haggard and worn to the point of snapping. Claire is a popular author, in the Christian romance genre (and that is the genre of this book too!) So how does Claire navigate after meeting the new man of her dreams?
Why do I like this book? Claire is real to me. She talks like me, like every woman. This is the first book in a trilogy, and I enjoyed all three books!

#3 Daughters of Eve by Lois Duncan
What's this book about? The Daughters of Eve is a club of girls at Modesta High School - and they are tired of being pushed around and made to feel inferior by the men in their lives. Enter their new sponsor - a diabolical female teacher - who instills a rabid feminist philosophy in the girls.
Why do I like this book? This could be real. I mean, the way that teacher got in their heads and planted the seeds of all the craziness in the book? It's shocking! This is another of Lois Duncan's books I would LOVE to see as a movie. Most of the ones based on her books are only so-so.

#2 The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
What's this book about? I'm turning it over to Barnes and Noble for this description: "This highly inventive mystery involves sixteen people who are invited to the reading of Samuel W. Westing's will. They could become millionaires-it all depends on how they play the tricky and dangerous Westing game, a game involving blizzards, burglaries, and bombings! Ellen Raskin has created a remarkable cast of characters in a puzzle-knotted, word-twisting plot filled with humor, intrigue, and suspense. The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance."
Why do I like this book? I LOVE MYSTERIES!!! This one really makes you think, and heck, I needed to keep a notebook handy to capture all the clues! I am currently rereading this one right now.

#1 The God Project by John Saul
What's this book about? Something's wrong with the children of Eastbury. Sweet little girls die as infants, yet the boys seem impervious to pain and injury. Two of the boys, completely mismatched, end up friends because of their 'condition' ... and their parents race to uncover the truth regarding their children. Do the doctors, the ones who are supposed to be keeping them safe, have a secret they aren't telling?
Why do I like this book? I can't explain what I love about this book. I've read it 12 times. I had checked it out of the library so many times when I was a kid, the librarian bought a new copy for the library and then gave me the old copy. It's my comfort book.



YEAH. My favorites list is not filled with standards and classics and other stuff like that. I don't particularly like epics or classics. I did enjoy Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but that was only because of the zombies! :)

So what are some of your favorite books? Have you read any on my list? Love them? Hate them?