As I've grown older, I've noticed a distinct change in the genre I choose to spend my time with.  When I was a teenager, I was filled with the "Romeo & Juliet" mindset-- I loved tragedies, dramas, etc.  I could never understand why my Dad avoided them like the plague-- he usually just said: "that's too heavy.  I'd rather something lighter."  And in response, my teenage angst and I would roll our eyes at him and stomp off.

Now I understand where he's coming from.  Despite reading the occasional drama, the "heavy" books are no longer for me.  This may be why I couldn't quite get through the famous "The Unbearable Lightness of Being"--three quarters of the way through the book I deemed it depressing, and I decided that I disliked the main character so much that we simply could not get on-- and I put him and his story back on my bookshelf.

Books that are filled with only drama-- that hit a little close to reality and home-- I just don't find enjoyable anymore.  I appreciate them for their art-- but part of me now assumes that life is too beautiful and too short to spend it with the deep and sad.  That is probably why "Much Ado About Nothing" is my favorite of all Shakespeare's plays.

Now that I'm out of my head and back on the page-- I hope you all enjoyed the reading list for my female readers.  I hope you enjoyed it and that you have printed it out and when you make your next trip to the bookstore, that you will pull out your FREE PARKING list and pick one for the mood you're in.  Please let me know if you love these books too.  Again, you can either comment on this page or email me at: dvbfreeparking@yahoo.com.

Ladies, I am also writing the "10 Must Read Classics for Women" as well.  The first list is for fun and interesting choices-- but every woman needs a little Jane Austen and Emily Bronte in her life as well.  So, no worries-- the list is on its way!

Now on to the men folk!!!  I am happy to say that I have actually received some e-mails from my male readers letting me know their favorite books and why-- love the why part by the way-- one reader's explanation for why his favorite novel is "Jurassic Park" is because he "f*#@ing loves dinosaurs."  Love it.

Below is an interesting mix for men.  Let me know what you think and I hope you enjoy it!


10 MUST READ BOOKS FOR MEN

1)  THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Considered one of the greatest American novels.  This was number one on my list, and numerous male readers named it their first choice as well.  If you haven't read it-- or read it in a while-- do.


2)  THE CATCHER IN THE RYE by JD Salinger
Ah, Holden Caulfield.  I was once told by an English teacher that he believed you should read this book every 6 years or so-- because every six years the book would have a completely different effect on you each time.  So, I have read this book with six year gaps-- and it's true.  It's a classic (although Franny & Zooey is by far my all time favorite JD Salinger novel--and maybe favorite novel of all time).  
 

 3)  HOW TO WIN FRIENDS & INFLUENCE PEOPLE by Dale Carnegie
 First published in 1936, this book has been an ongoing best seller for many reasons.  Read this book, and you will find that you are more able to speak with people and that you are more confident, clear spoken, and dare-I-say-it...happier.  A must read for every man.


4)  DANDELION WINE by Ray Bradbury
One of my absolute favorites, it's all about Ray Bradbury's love of his childhood.  The book is set during a hot summer in the 1920s-- all about what it's like to taste dandelion wine, saving up to buy that pair of sneakers that's sure to make you jump higher than ever before, interesting war veteran neighbors, inventions, and growing up.  
 

5)  THE ALCHEMIST by Paulo Coelho
Short, beautiful, and a must read.  
 

6)  THE MALTESE FALCON by Dashielle Hammett
Ah, the quintessential detective novel.  Catch Humphrey Bogart as the novel's famous detective "Sam Spade" in the film version after you read it.

  
7)  THE ODYSSEY by Homer
The epic Greek poem (and follow up to Homer's "The Iliad"), follows Odysseus on his trip home to Ithaca from Troy.  A classic and must-read.
 

8)  ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE by Robert Pirsig
The book chronicles a father and son's 17 day road trip and all the philosophical discussions about life that goes with it.  All about "Metaphysics of Quality," this book helps to explain life and how to live with both "the rational and the romantic."
  
9)  THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexander Dumas
It's a famous book for a reason.  Read it. 

10) JURASSIC PARK by Michael Crichton
Ah, and the cult classic.  There's a reason why it sold so many copies and why the film version followed soon after.  And, if you (as one of my readers said) "f*#@ing love dinosaurs" and adventure-- this is the book for you.

And that sums up my first list for the men.  It really runs the gamit-- everything from epic Greek poetry to detective novels to great American literature and so on.  Please let me know what you think of this list.  

What should have been on this list?  Did you enjoy these books as well?  Are you secretly fuming because "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is absent???  Should "The Picture of Dorian Gray" be listed?

Comment or email me.  I would love to hear what you think.

Back to my own reading world-- since I last wrote, I have finished AMERICAN EVE: Evelyn Nesbit, Stanford White, the Birth of the "IT" Girl, and the CRIME OF THE CENTURY by Paula Uruburu.  And it was GREAT.  Definitly more for women, I would say, then for men.  But it's terribly fascinating and really paints a picture of life in New York City in the early 1900s-- and how women lived, survived, and married--and unmarried.  Fascinating.

Today I will run off to the book store and grab something new-- one of my favorite activities I must say.  I am buying The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.  One of my dear friends just e-mailed me and suggested it--it's a historical novel about the building of a cathedral.  (For those of you who don't know me--this book sounds like it was written just for me and my cathedral-loving soul.)  I might also pick up a copy of Julia Child's My Life in France which was suggested by another reader.  I'll read them and keep you posted.  Literally.  :)

I hope everyone has a beautiful weekend and I hope that at some point you're able to curl up with a book and glass of wine-- or maybe even a manly cigar.  Or, if you're one of my healthier readers, I hear a glass of lemonade with one's book is just as divine.

As always, thank you for reading!

"Man is least himself when he talks in his own person.  Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth."  - Oscar Wilde