A Facebook Thingy. Brought it over here for posterity. You know what I always say -- my blog, my rules.

Per my pal: this can be a quick one. Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.

Per me: I've re-written the requirements.. I've listed the most important books to me and who I am -- the total is 22. Tough. Wouldn't be me without any of these. So there you are.

1. Oh! The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss
Great advice for life. My go-to gift for college graduates.

2. A Taste of Blackberries by Doris Buchanan Smith
This book scared me to death when I first read it in elementary school -- the protagonist's little friend died after an allergic reaction to a bee sting. And to this day, I am convinced I will also suffer the same fate -- have never been stung by a bee *knock on wood* so the phobia continues.

3. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The first book I ever really truly loved. Reading it as a young girl, it never even occurred to me that it had been written over a 100 years prior. It was simply a wonderful literary journey. Have read this many, many times since and whenever I enter the March's living room on that Christmas day, I'm transported back not only to their home, but to being a wide-eyed girl full of possibilities and wonder.

4. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
My greatest literary obsession. The book that defined me as a teenager. I lived and breathed this book. My cousin, who lives in Atlanta, nicknamed me Scarlett -- and still calls me that. Romantic and compelling and sweeping and epic -- it fit the overly dramatic nature I honed during those years. I would sit for hours and try to style my hair like Vivien Leigh's on the poster I had hanging on my bedroom wall. While my passion for this classic has waned, it still remains beloved and at the top of any list i have of favorite books and movies.

5. Around the World with Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis
The first "grown-up" book I ever read. Found it in the back of a closet and "snuck" read it -- I couldn't have been more than nine or 10. Still one of the funniest books I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I think it might be time for a re-read, in memory and celebration of Bea Arthur, the one and only Vera Charles.

6. Scruples by Judith Krantz
The dirty beach trash novel that started it all for me. I would slather myself with baby oil, grab my transistor radio, lounge chair and this book and head to the backyard, rolling like a chicken on a spit to get the ideal all-over tan. Good times.

7. Henry IV Part 1 by William Shakespeare
This one is special because it was the first piece of Shakespeare I ever performed. Shakespeare festival at school -- I got to play the role of Mistress Quickly in a scene with Falstaff and Prince Hal. Such fun -- even though the name of my character was a bit embarrassing to shy little me.

8. Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin
Wrote my senior paper in high school about this book. Taught me so much about critical thinking and literary analysis and not to be afraid of sharing one's own interpretation.

9. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Poetry in prose form. I discover something new each time I read this. Which I'm about to do again -- starting today -- with two galpals. Suzi and Crystal, I'm ready -- anyone else want to join us?

10. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad