In preparation for a trip to Florida in March, I polled my Facebook friends, asking, “What are your three favorite books of all time?”  Eighty people responded, much to my surprise. The recommendations ranged from the classic (“War and Peace” and “To Kill a Mockingbird”) to the contemporary (“Becoming” and “Americanah”) to the highbrow (“Die at the Right Time: A Subjective Cultural History of the American Sixties” and “The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life”).  Several people suggested books with a Florida background (“92 in the Shade,” “Bad Monkey” and “Rum Punch”). Or good beach reading (books by Louise Penny).  Others went the scientific route (“Adventures in the Alimentary Canal”. And one guy suggested “Born to Run,” noting that there should be some “non-intellectual” options. (Actually, I’d read “Born to Run.”  Fine book.) 

Obviously, I’d struck a good nerve with great results. Avid readers love to share book ideas with other readers. My mother “Moo” and I shared book ideas for years; indeed, many of my “bests” (listed below) were her recommendations. My father “Paw”, on the other hand, limited his reading to “Scientific American” and to the Philadelphia Inquirer, where he could follow “his” Phillies and “his” 76ers. I did strike gold when I suggested that he read, “Bringing Down the House: the Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions.”  That was a safe bet since he graduated from M.I.T., and was an expert card-counter.  He spent many happy days winning money while playing blackjack in Atlantic City, a lucrative hobby he pursued well into his nineties. 

Happily, Midcoast Maine is a haven for good readers. I belong to two coed book groups, one in the summer and one for the rest of the year. All of my good friends share book ideas. We are blessed to have access to the superb Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick with its friendly professional staff, excellent collections, and spacious reading areas. And Gulf of Maine Books is a real jewel, featuring the quirkily charming Gary Lawless and his savvy wife and business partner Beth Leonard, whose many duties include setting out tempting books on the counter.  

Asking Facebook friends to cite their three favorite books got me thinking about the best books I’ve read during my life.  It’s impossible, of course, for serious readers to limit themselves to just three selections so I haven’t. Anyway, here’s my list in no particular order. To save space, I have included only the author’s last name. 

“Angle of Repose” (Stegner), “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” (Hardy), “Lonesome Dove” (McMurtry), “Drinking the Rain” (Shulman), ‘Prince of Tides” (Conroy), “English Creek” (Doig), “Farewell to Arms” (Hemingway), “Middlemarch” (Eliot), “To Kill a Mockingbird” (Lee), “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” (Stowe), “A Night to Remember” (Lord), “She’s Not There” (Boylan), “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter” (McCullers), ‘Native Son” (Wright), “All the Light We Cannot See” (Doerr), “Alexander Hamilton” (Chernow), “Killer Angels” (Shaara), “The Diary of a Young Girl” (Frank),”Sophie’s Choice” (Styron), “Anna Karenina” (Tolstoy),  “Grapes of Wrath” (Steinbeck), “The Goldfinch” (Tarrt), “The End of Your Life Book Club” (Schwalbe), “Benjamin Franklin” (Isaacson), “The World is My Home.A Memoir” (Michener), “Shipping News” (Proulx), “Bird by Bird: Instructions on Writing and Life” (Lamott), “Dubliners” (Joyce), “The English Patient” (Ondaatje), “Americanah”  (Adichie), “Between the World and Me” (Coates), “Let the Great World Spin” (McCann), “Cold Mountain” (Frazier), “The Collected Stories” (Updike), “Beloved” (Morrison) and “Leadership in Turbulent Times” (Goodwin). 

There you have it. If just one person is inspired to read just one extra book as a result of this column, then I’ll be content. Thanks for your indulgence. 

David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary and suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns. [email protected].