It feels like forever since I’ve run a Fast Five post! So long, perhaps I need to explain myself again. Fast Fives are books thematically grouped together. Here are some that still get plenty of views:
- Fast Five: Novels About Teachers and Their Students
- Fast Five: Books That Broke My Heart *
- Fast Five: Books That Made Me Laugh
- Fast Five: Books I Wish I’d Read as a Kid
Today’s Fast Five books are ones I devoured with infants at home. Those early days, I wasn’t good for much other than baby care and reading (how perfect is it that feeding a baby fits so nicely with cruising through a book?). My boys are middle schoolers now, but these five books continue to be favorites:
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster — 
I’d seen the IMAX movie about the 1996 climb where eight people had lost their lives and was fascinated. Survival stories have long been a favorite (I wonder if this read subconsciously influenced that little survival story I later wrote?), and I was GLUED to this book. I’ve gone on to read Krakauer’s Into the Wild
Possession
The first time I saw this book I was a freshman in college, but didn’t read it until years later when I found it in a used bookstore. Possession now ties for first place (with The Count of Monte Cristo 
The Name of the Rose
My freshman year at Hendrix College, my History of Christianity professor showed us the movie version of The Name of the Rose. This is the only Eco novel I’ve ever read (something I must remedy someday). It’s monks, middle-ages, and mystery — super engrossing. A great read.
Anna and the King of Siam
This is the book The King and I musical was based on. I’ve had a life-long crush on Yul Brynner (don’t laugh) and had recently seen Anna and the King, a 1999 movie based on the same true story of British school teacher Anna Leonowens‘s experiences teaching in the court of Siamese King Mongkut. While the book has been criticized for some cultural inaccuracies, the story is a true adventure.
The Memoirs of Cleopatra — Margaret George:
Margaret George is a master. As a historical novelist, I’ve learned it’s vital to make sense of a character’s actions and motivations as they unfold alongside true history. Margaret George has this down pat. One of the things that continues to stick out for me is George’s ability to make the Egyptian / Roman battles come alive. And then there’s the Julius Caesar and Mark Antony romances. Goodness all around.
* Notice Possession made this list, too!
Of these I’ve only read Anna and the King of Siam, which I enjoyed despite the inaccuracies, but which I sometimes hesitate to recommend now in case I missed something huge in my enjoyment (I read it in high school, so my memory of it is far from perfect!)
I’m glad to have these others to add to my list!
My memory is far from perfect, too. Loved it, though.
Nice share! I read Name of the Rose, Posssession, and A Lesson Before Dying. That last one broke my heart, too.
I read A Lesson Before Dying with a book club. It’s a heavy read.
I also did lots more reading when my boys were very young. Feeding and nap times for them meant reading time for me! My books included The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series, Jan Karon’s Mitford series, all the Anne of Green Gables books, Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books, and Kenneth Roberts’ historical fiction.
I think some Mitford books were part of my reading days with little people, too. In fact, really fun story: My boys were born in northern VA. I took my firstborn to the first National Book Festival in DC in 2001. At the Library of Congress I wheeled his stroller into an elevator and realized I was sharing it with Jan Karon! I told her I loved her books. She told me she loved my baby.
What a hoot! Sounds like a treasured memory!
Absolutely!
I’ll try to put this to good use immediately.
Boy, I’m with you on COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO and POSSESSION!!
I read TONS when my boys were babies. Many hours spent nursing or holding sleeping baby with a book in hand. We didn’t have a TV when we were first married, either. We were poor college students. 🙂
I didn’t know we shared these books in common, Kim! A nursing baby and a good book is pretty much heaven.