Seven Books, a Desert Island, and Me

The first week in October marks an annual celebration called Great Books Week. To honor this week, The National Association of
Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE) is holding the Great Books Week Blog Tour. The tour invites bloggers to post their own blog using their topic suggestion for the day. My first submission is below. For more information, go to http://news.naiwe.com/2009/10/03/great-books-week-blog-tour-october-4-10-2009/

My mother was an avid reader. It is primarily through her influence that I enjoy reading books myself. I can remember my mother commenting on a book she read: "I wish I had never read that book. That way, I could experience reading it for the first time again". The book was The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. It would be a few more years before I experienced that feeling myself. Listed below are seven books that I would wish to have with me if I were stranded on a desert island for several years:

1. The Holy Bible King James Version – This is cheating the paradigm somewhat because technically this is an anthology of 66 books written by more than 40 authors. This anthology tells THE story from beginning to end. There are a variety of story genres contained within this anthology. If you want a romantic love story, read the book of Hosea. If you like a hero that comes in to save the day, the book of Daniel is full of them (not to mention of course the four Gospels). No other book could better assist in one's survival on a desert island. After all, it is full of stories that inspire hope.
   
2. The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - Again, I am cheating as there are six stories contained in this anthology. These stories deal with friendships, foreign cultures, and the worst kind of homesickness (because the home no longer exists). It does all of this with side-splitting humor.
   
3. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain - As a young southern boy, I loved living vicariously through Tom Sawyer. Tom did things many boys wouldn't dare to do. He suffered the consequences like a man. He even stood up for the town drunk who had been framed (in spite of the fact it put Tom's life in danger). This book never gets old for me.
   
4. No Time for Sergeants by Mac Hyman – This tells the story of Will Stockdale. Will is a young man in a less than one horse town who has been drafted to serve in the military. Will's country naiveté is refreshing to read. This is in part that the reader finds out (over and over again) that Will is not as stupid as everyone assumes he is. They took Will out of the country. They couldn't take the country out of Will.
   
5. Don't Sit Under the Grits Tree with Anyone Else but Me by Lewis Grizzard – This is a collection of writings from Grizzard's humor column. The late Mr. Grizzard was the Mark Twain of the late 20^th century. His writing cracks me up every time.
   
6. If Life Is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits? By Erma Bombeck – Bombeck's perspectives of everyday living have taught me many times that humor can be a very necessary means of survival. I consider Erma Bombeck to be a huge influence on my writing. This book is probably the best example of her work.
   
7. Billy Sunday by Rachael M. Phillips – This book makes the list because it is a book I have always wanted to read (but haven't yet). I finally bought this book yesterday.
   

I would definitely find some way to continue writing my thoughts on this island (even if it were a temporary medium such as sand). My main hope is that I would remember the important details to write about once I left the island. There you have it folks: Seven books, a desert island, and me. I look forward to reading your list (there are some good ones out there already).