"If I am found with amnesia..."

     We came across a quote from Guy Gavriel Kay, the author of Song of Arbonne and Tigana, describing a wonderful gimmick that every book lover should enjoy.

"My youngest brother had a wonderful schtick from some time in high school, through to graduating medicine. He had a card in his wallet that read, "If I am found with amnesia, please give me the following books to read..." And it listed half a dozen books where he longed to recapture that first glorious sense of needing to find out what happens next...the feeling that keeps you up half the night, the feeling that comes before the plot's been learned."

     This made us start thinking about books that we would not want to have missed reading. Ours are not for the suspense factor that Kay's brother sought but for the sheer experience of reading them. Here are our lists:

Frances ~
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë - I read this when I was 12 and home from school with the flu.  Perhaps this heightened my perception of the novel at the time but it has remained a favorite.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë -  This one I read at age 12 or 13 as well when I was particularly susceptible to wild romance on the moors.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - I've read it over and over but I never tire of it.  I've even dreamt I went to Manderley!

The Complete Works of Shakespeare -If I could only list one book, this tome would be the one.  I know I'm cheating by including the complete works, but what can I say?  This one volume contains the essential knowledge of people, love, and life.  I wouldn't want to navigate the recovery from amnesia without it!

Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy - I love Thomas Hardy but this is my favorite of his novels.  Gabriel Oak rivals Mr. Rochester as my biggest literary crush!

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - I think I was the only one in my eleventh grade English class who loved this book.  I have read it many time since just for pleasure (I know!).  This is my favorite Hawthorne.

Rose ~

Green Darkness by Anya Seton - Outside of children's books, this is the only book I remember reading by flashlight. I stayed up most of the night trying to find out how the characters' past lives fit with their present. For that alone, it would be an interesting read with amnesia.

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James - Frances says, "Rose would not be Rose without this book." I think she's right. I've read it countless times and currently own four copies. If I owned one book, this would be the one.

The Once and Future King by T. H. White - As if I needed another reason to love Arthur and Merlin!

English, August by Upamanyu Chatterjee - I don't think this is a very well-known book, but it sympathizes with anyone who has been in the back of beyond.

The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino - This book captures every child's dream of living in the trees, but is not in the least a children's book.

The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy - This is the only Hardy I have read so far, but I imagine it will be my favorite Hardy for some time to come.