This week on The Loft we are sharing our favorite books! Here are just a few of my favorites, in no particular order.
Adult Fiction:
A Daughter of the Land by Gene Stratton Porter
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
St. Elmo by Augusta Jane Evans (a favorite of my grandma that I enjoy)
Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss
The Song of Albion series by Stephen R. Lawhead
A Sweetness to the Soul by Jane Kirkpatrick
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (young adult)
Journey Through the Night series by Anne deVries (young adult)
Any of the classics by Jane Austen (I found it helpful to watch the movies before reading.)
Children’s Fiction:
The Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Piggy’s Pancake Parlor by David McPhail
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place (series) by Maryrose Wood
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney
Little Britches series by Ralph Moody
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond
Biography/Autobiography:
Things We Couldn’t Stay by Diet Eman
What is the What by Dave Eggers
Joni and Ken: An Untold Love Story by Ken and Joni Tada
The Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot
Poetry:
If by Amy Carmichael
Before the Palm Could Bloom by Patricia Jabbeh Wesley
The Complete Works of Christina Rosetti
This list does not include non-fiction or children’s picture books. That would require another post altogether!
Do we share any favorites in common? Would you recommend any fiction/autobiography or poetry books I would like to read, based on this list? Please share in the comments below!
Image source for picture in the Jane Austen quote above: Cassandra Austen (1773-1845) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)
Blue and Green Together 
I recommend starting with Emma. Or Pride and Prejudice. 🙂 But I wouldn’t have been able to read the books without the movies. Often, I end up enjoying the books more!
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I’m a bit embarrassed to admit I have never read a Jane Austin book. I absolutely love the movies based on her work, so perhaps I need to add one or two titles to my reading bucket list. Great suggestions here!
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My favorite thing about reading Little House is that now I am reading them from the perspective of a parent instead of a child, and they are enjoyable in a new way. I am certain I read through the series multiple times when I was young. 🙂
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We love Little House books! Coming from the loft!
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I love many of your selections. I also love the quote from Jane Austen. Though I love the movies, I have to say I feel better having just read the books because I get weary of seeing women whose days are filled with piano playing, letter writing, dried flower bunching, walking, letter writing, hiring and ordering servants around, reading, stitching, MAYBE hanging out some clothes to dry….. I wouldn’t have survived those empire waist days of wasted time….
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I so agree! 🙂
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I love the Gene Stratton Porter books, too! Used to devour them as a child. And the Little House Books.The Shaping of a Christian Family is really, really good. And I also recommend one along that line! Like you, my thought was “How many posts do we get to do on this topic?”
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Thank you Sheila 🙂 I haven’t read The Shaping of a Christian family in a few years, and now that my children are older I want to re-read it again. But I remembered that I loved it. I don’t know how I”ll limit myself on a non-fiction post! 🙂
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Oh my word, I have not read a single one of the books you listed! I’ll definitely have to look into some of them. Fiction and bio/autobios are my two favorite categories. Thanks for this wonderful list.
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Thank you for reading! I forgot that I didn’t add Jane Austen and edited to add! 🙂 I enjoy autobiographies too.
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Lots of new things here for me! I’m not much of a fiction reader but kids books? Oh my, they certainly are a downfall, in the best of ways. I did read and enjoy Joni and Ken. What an inspiring couple! Thanks for sharing, my friend. You add a richness to my life 🙂
P.S. Praying for you!!
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I love kids books too! My favorite part of homeschooling is reading old favorites to my kids. 🙂 Thank you for your kind words and prayers.
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You have a great list and I have read several of them. Nice variety too.
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Thank you Levi, I would love to see you post a list like this! It would be fun to see (or perhaps you have in the past before I was following you). 🙂
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I actually have never even thought of it until now. Thanks for the idea. I’m going to slow down on my posts for the next few weeks because I’ll be traveling. An addition to my list. 😀
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Paddington…yes! Oh, I love Paddington! 🙂 And I’m with you – to share any more than what I already shared would require a whole new post. This was such a great topic for this week! And Jane Austen – I love so many of her works! Thanks for sharing with us! Now I’m more determined than ever to get some more reading done this weekend! 🙂 Blessings!!
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Aunt Grace recommended -The Kitchen House- a real page turner!!
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Sounds good! 🙂
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I really enjoyed reading the Paddington book to my kids a few months ago. It has been so fun to re-visit favorite books from childhood with them. 🙂
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