five favorite books

Want to know about some of the books I've enjoyed the most over the past over the past two decades? I listed them in chronological order, not in order of preference.

The Picture Bible: Great stuff. It's kind of like the bible in comic-book form. I still imagine many of the Bible stories with the illustrations from this book. (And it's still available on Amazon, for the record.)

Jane Eyre: As I told one of my cousins-in-law, I think it has a wonderful combination of mystery, romance, tragedy, and Britishness. I've read it several times.

Tribes: I am inspired and challenged by almost everything Seth Godin writes, and at the time I read it, this was his most recent. I love the way he describes the way things work and that he challenges the status quo. It's universally applicable, and it's so helpful to get an infusion of that perspective.

War for the Oaks: This is one of the most beautifully written and charming fantasy stories I've read. And it's set in an alternate-universe Minneapolis-St. Paul in the eighties. What's not to love?

American on Purpose: This is a more recent favorite. I teared up a few times, and I laughed out loud at some point in most chapters. His story was told so genuinely, and I connected with some of the reflections on pursuing a creative career.

I didn't include any books that were part of a series or some of the how-to books I've read (on writing, etc.). I'll save my top fiction series for another post.