Patty's List ofTen Books That Made a Difference

I was challenged by a Facebook friend to list the top 10 books that I have read that someway or another resonated with me. It was a tough challenge to come up with just 10. The idea is not to spend too much time or think too hard, just list the ones that come to mind. OK, here they are and why:

1. Heidi, by Johanna Spyri, was the first novel I ever finished. I loved the mountain setting and how the characters helped one another.
2. Magic for Mary M., by Charlotte Baker. This East Texas writer of children's books set this tale in east Texas during the oil boom. Mary M. lived in her grandmother's boarding house, and the black cook talked to Mary M about God and how important it was to know him.
3. Watership Down, by Richard Adams. This tale about a warren of rabbits fulfilled my love of  fantasy and adventure.
4. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. What's not to remember about this classic?
5. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker. The fictional character, Celie, was able to overcome insurmountable suffering by writing letters to God.
6. Oliver Wiswell, by Ken Roberts. This was an assigned reading in a study of American literature. I was fascinated by this perspective of our American Revolution from the viewpoint of a Loyalist.
7. Life of Pi, by Yann Martel. The author tells the story of a boy from India searching for truth. The marvelous tale of survival on a raft with animals from his father's zoo is compelling. The ending is brilliant and left me questioning for days.
8. The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom. This auto-biography is another survivor story set during the Holocaust. Ms. Ten Boom's courage was beyond anything I could imagine.
9. Necessary Losses, by Judith Viorst. Ms. Viorst demonstrates what we have to give up in order to grow.
10. West with the Night, by Beryl Markham. This is a 1942 memoir about a woman pilot from Africa who ultimately accepts the challenge to fly solo from east to west across the Atlantic. Her inspiring story is well worth the read.

So there you have it. Janice, I challenge you to make your own list to share.