Friday, June 22, 2012

88 Books That Shaped America

In case you missed it, The Library of Congress has just released its list of 88 Books 'That Shaped America'. This link is courtesy of USA Today.

I've been too busy lately (the writing fever is back) to even drop by my own blog, but I thought you'd want to see this.

It's reassuring to see some of my own very special favorites, especially "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" (which convinced me to become a writer) and "To Kill a Mockingbird", and, of course, "The Catcher in the Rye", but nice that they didn't overlook "Silent Spring", which is as relevant today as it was when it was written almost fifty years ago.

I've read most of these books, devouring them during a steep learning curve in my twenties and thirties, but one I will never read is "In Cold Blood." There are some things I'd prefer not to think about.

Until next time, whenever that is, take care.

Quotes to Consider

"If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, Either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing." ~Benjamin Franklin

"Well behaved women rarely make history."~Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”~William G.T. Shedd (1820-1894), theologian, teacher, pastor

"It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something." ~Franklin D Roosevelt (1882-1945), 32nd U.S. president

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), essayist, poet, philosopher


"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." ~Mark Twain

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."
~ Wayne Gretzky