There's more to life than books you know, but not much more.

I've always loved reading. I think it's something that I've just always enjoyed and I give complete credit to my parents for that. They instilled that love of reading in me early on and never denied me a trip to the library or picking out one more book to take home at the store. I credit that early love of stories and books for much of the success I had in school (well, in the liberal studies areas at least) and the extensive vocabulary I've somehow managed to cultivate. I also maintain that it's responsible for my spelling bee domination in the 5th grade. You read a word enough times, you just remember how to spell it, I guess.

Although I always loved to read, I wasn't always proud of it. In middle school I was painfully shy and very unsure of myself. I wanted to melt into the walls most days and never wanted to be in the spotlight. This is important to know as it makes the rest of this story that much more cringe-worthy. The summer between 6th and 7th grade, the school gave us a booklist and said that the person who read the most books from the list (as well as in addition to the list, if I remember correctly) would receive a commendation at the opening day assembly in the fall. Well, naturally I read all of the books plus some more, but only recorded about half of them in order to avoid the most embarrassing thing to ever happen, according to my 12 year-old brain. I know you know where this is going. Sure enough, I still won the contest and received the commendation, which meant I had to go up onto the stage in front of the entire middle school population, which if you know anything about middle schoolers, was not the most gracious audience. I was completely mortified and got off that stage as quickly as possible.

Looking back, I hate that I was so embarrassed by something that I loved so much, but such is the fragile neuroses of a tween. Luckily, I didn't let the mild trauma of that day deter me from continuing to love the written word and I happily embrace my identity as a bookworm these days. The following are a few of my favorite books that I want to share with you. I come back to these every once in a while (for some, annually) and feel like I'm visiting an old friend.

Of all the works of Austen, this is by far my favorite. The film adaptations, particularly the BBC miniseries are pretty good representations, but there's nothing like reading Mr. Darcy's words to Elizabeth in print for the first time: "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." Sigh.

I resisted the Harry Potter craze for a while, but got sucked in while procrastinating in college. I can't help it, I love them. I become completely obsessed when I re-read them and do little else until I've made it to the end of book 7. I just get caught up in the fantasy and magic of it all and can't wait to share these with my kids one day.

Speaking of magical children's books, this is one of my all-time favorite children's books. I must have read this book over 10 times as a child and remember it's yellow cover and cracked spine. I absolutely love the way Matilda, herself a child, takes control of her circumstances and creates a better life for herself.

Growing up in Alabama, this was more than required reading. It was a point of pride for our state. Yes, it brings to light the harsh realities of racism that my home state still deals with on a daily basis, albeit at a different level, but the fact that a young woman from Alabama wrote a renowned novel, read worldwide, well, that's just somethin'. I visited the world of Boo Radley, Scout and Jem, Tom Robinson and Atticus Finch many times throughout my education and continue to do so periodically today.

Disclaimer: Do not judge the value of this book on the quality, or lack thereof, of the film adaptation. It is the prime example in my mind of why some books should be left in the imagination and off of the screen. The book itself spoke to me for a couple of reasons, I think. As in To Kill a Mockingbird, it is set in the deep South, where I come from and consider my home. It also addresses the racial and gender inequities of the time, but in a more peripheral way. I believe it also captures the spirit of the South, but even more than that, the strong bonds between women. It chronicles a decades-old friendship between four women who have literally been there for each other in the darkest and happiest of times. There are very few things more important to me than my friends and I think that's why I relate to this book so much.

So, the question remains.......