Rite of Fancy

Dear Henry,

It isn't a secret, but I read a lot.

There are so many books over the years that have shaped me but this weekend I was challenged to list my most influential five.

These books are ones that I have referred back to time and again and always carry in my heart.

This list is as follows:


A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith - The book that encouraged my college education.Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand - The book that explained what capitalism is to me.The Robe - Lloyd C. Douglas - The book that defined Christianity to me.Slouching Toward Bethlehem - Joan Didion - The book that taught me to act like a big girl.The Cellist of Sarajevo - Steven Galloway - The book that propelled me away from philosophy and into activity. While my experiences dictated which books spoke to me the loudest, I like to think this list would be useful to anyone.
I hope Henry, that you enjoy them.
xoxo a.d.

Unbroken - By Laura Hillenbrand An athlete's survival through WWII and the Pacific Ocean.
When the Emperor was Divine - Julie Otsuka Japanese in the United States, one family's experience.
A Pledge of Silence - Flora Solomon What the Angels of Bataan went through while in hell.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North - Richard Flanagan Living through the creation of the Thai-Burma Death Railway.
The Gift of Rain - Tan Twan Eng Phillip's challenges in Penang

Who doesn't love the self-improvement genre?  These are my favorite classic self-improvement books, most are more than a century old!










The Simple Life - Charles Wagner  "How to be simple"
As A Man Thinketh - James Allen  "Proverbs, Chapter 23, Verse 7"
How to Live on 24 Hours per Day - Arnold Bennett "Discovering the time to live"
How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie "How to make yourself likable"
Laugh and Live - Douglas Fairbanks "Finding Pep with Fairbanks"
Honorable Mention: How to Behave and Why - Munro Leaf

At long last, an approved  "Rite of Fancy" reading list - Enjoy!
1. White Rose, Black Forest by Eoin Dempsey
2. Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy
3. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.
4. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.
5. Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum