10 Favorite Books

I was popping around at a few blog sites yesterday and found Chris at Book-a-rama listing her ten favorite books (March 16th entry.) This was in response to another blogger, Kailana, wondering this very thing after reading the UK Guardian's top 100 list of books you can't live without.

http://chris-book-a-rama.blogspot.com/

At first I thought I'd have to take the day to think about it, but it took me all of ten minutes:

1 - THE HORSE AND HIS BOY from THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA series by C.S.Lewis. It's hard to pick any out from the series as a whole, but this one is really special to me. It includes a spoiled royal daughter who learns what life is like on the other side of the palace. My absolute favorite thing. This series was #33 on the UK Guardian list.
2 - THE SILVER CHAIR from the Narnia series. This one had issues of madness and was quite gothic.
3 - FARMER BOY by Laura Ingalls Wilder. For some reason I always went for the boy character POVs! He loved his family's horses and I shared his love.
4 - THE CRYSTAL CAVE by Mary Stewart. Her ultra-realistic Merlin character really did it for me. I found this book at a Christmas tea-and-sale when I was about 12, and images from this book have stayed with me for thirty years.
5 - DUNE by Frank Herbert. This one made me rethink my concept of organized religion, no less. And his image of a person's life-path/fate starting off as a giant round mosaic that narrows into a line as one moves forward and makes choices I've always kept in my mind. This was UK Guardian's #52 book.
6 - NINE PRINCES IN AMBER by Roger Zelazny. Really loved the concept of the True Amber, of which Earth is merely a shadow realm. And the morphing route back through all the shadows in order to return, plus the use of Tarot-like cards to shortcut through time and space. Plus walking the Pattern. Wow - makes me want to read it right now!
7 - TEMPTING FATE by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. This was the first of her series that I read featuring the Count Saint-Germaine, a vampire who has to deal with the practical problems of eternal life. He's such a great character. Uber coolness but with a compassionate heart.
8 - DRACULA by Bram Stoker. When I read it I was already a vampire fan. I was constantly amazed at the compelling and riveting imagery, then reminded myself 'No wonder it's such a classic.' #72 on UK Guardian's list.
9 - THE WITCHING HOUR by Anne Rice. Loved the secret society that kept tabs on the activities of the supernatural.
10 - DEVILISH by Jo Beverley. This is part of a historical romance series by one of my favorite authors. The series follows the Malloren family, and the head of the family, Rothgar was in several books before he got his own story. He's such a dark, brooding character, taking coolness beyond James Bond territory, but in an 18th century kind of way.

So now I'll wonder the same thing. Favorite books, anyone?