by Chad Cowgill

Created on: October 04, 2009

It is a hard enough decision to choose five favorite books by one author alone, so it is incredibly difficult to choose five favorite books of all time. The Bible would be my first choice but I will not include it because, in my view, it transcends any list I could create. Also, the title to each favorite book will be a link to the Amazon.com page in case you are interested enough to look further into the recommendation.

1) Freddy & Fredericka by Mark Helprin

This is the first book I read by Mark Helprin, having never heard of him before. It was hilarious and well written. The prince and princess of England come to America to prove that they have what it takes to become King and Queen. It is satire on the level of Gulliver's Travels as it points out the idiosyncrasies of life and the various hypocrisies that come with politics.

2) The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene

This book follows the last priest in one Mexican state as all the others have been hunted down and killed. He is probably the worst priest due to his sinfulness, but through fate he finds redemption. In the end, we learn how God cannot be defeated by the ruthlessness of men.

3) Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino

This is a collection of short stories all related to outer space. It is Calvino at his best fanciful writing. The first story will pull you in and throughout you will be delighted by his creativity and drawn to read more of his works.

4) What is the What by Dave Eggers

This is a semi-autobiographical account of a Sudanese refugee as he flees from a civil war, lives in a camp on the border of the country, and ultimately comes to live in the United States. It is an adventure and also shows the endurance of the children who have been left orphans by senseless violence.

5) The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

This book is a series of letters between two demons who are working to corrupt a man and lead him into sinfulness. C.S. Lewis shows how temptation works and how the devil tries to lead us astray. It shows how important our decisions really are when it comes to ethics and morality, as behind each decision is a right or wrong choice.

Runner Up) The Terror by Dan Simmons

Although this list is not in any particular order, I do have to give a shout out to this book, which is incredibly suspenseful and interesting. It is a fictional account of the historical sinking of The Terror and what happened to its crew who had mysteriously vanished in real life. It also is a rare look at the spiritualism of Native Americans.

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