Hi, I’m Jill. When I asked to hear the story of my name (because it was part of a second grade “About Me” assignment), I was told my Dad wanted to name me Elizabeth and my mom wanted to name me Tia. After hearing the Mother Goose rhyme infinite number of times with various spins, I wished one of them would have given in to the other instead of compromising on my brother’s choice. But I like him and now I like my name and a few other things such as food and books and writing and family. My immediate family is my husband and our three kids – each is a masterful mix of my husband and I. This can be good or bad, depending on whom you ask at what time of day. We like to eat together, travel together, and sing ridiculous made-up songs about one another. Why not?
I grew up loving to read. My mother read to me, my dad must have too – but most of my memories of him and books involve him sitting in a corner reading by himself. I knew my dad’s favorite author very early in life: Louis L’Amour. No contest. He’s read them all and many of them twice. He said as he ages it’s good to go back and reread books because he had already forgotten what it was all about the first time. What a joker.
My brothers would hold reading contests with me. They would pick out a book for me and dare me to read it through all the way, seeing who could finish first – me or them. I’d like to say I won, because I did; but they won because I shut my mouth and stopped bugging them.
Are you looking to pick up a new book? I always am. When bored I stick with authors or books I trust. I’ve picked up several favorite authors over the years for various reasons. I am always looking to add new ones to the list.
Here are some of my recommendations for favorite authors and one (or two) of my favorites of their books in no particular order.
Jane Austen, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice
(P&P used to be my favorite until the second time I read through Persuasion. Loved it.)
(P&P used to be my favorite until the second time I read through Persuasion. Loved it.)
Louisa May Alcott, Little Women 
Ruth Alberta Brown, At the Little Brown House (this book was printed back in 1913, it most likely is not in your library. Sorry! I have found copies on Amazon and eBay though)
William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing
(the banter in here has been a favorite of mine since high school)
(the banter in here has been a favorite of mine since high school)
C.S. Lewis, favorites: The Chronicles of Narnia (if you can, get these on CD- HarperCollins Childrens Audio version is my favorite- and listen to them in your car as you run errands or during the kids naptime or with the kids anytime)
Connie Willis, Bellwether
(one of my all-time very, very favorite books)
(one of my all-time very, very favorite books)
Ann M. Martin, The Babysitter’s Club. I adored this series in fourth and fifth grades. I still have most of my copies. Yes, I’m that girl.
Jan Karon, The Mitford Books
If you have tried to read these books and just couldn’t get into them, I understand. It took me three (or four?) tries. Once I pushed through the first several chapters I couldn’t read the entire series fast enough. There are eight books. I love some more than others but I love them all. I want to move to Mitford.
If you have tried to read these books and just couldn’t get into them, I understand. It took me three (or four?) tries. Once I pushed through the first several chapters I couldn’t read the entire series fast enough. There are eight books. I love some more than others but I love them all. I want to move to Mitford.Shel Silverstein, The Missing Piece Meets the Big O
, Where the Sidewalk Ends
(“I cannot go to school today…” ahh, how many times did I try that?), Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook
, Where the Sidewalk Ends (“I cannot go to school today…” ahh, how many times did I try that?), Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook
L.M. Montgomery, The Anne Books (there are eight books in the series, my favorites are not the favorites of one of my good friends, so pick what you like), Pat of Silver Bush
, 
I hope this gives you some ideas of new authors and new books to try, or maybe just some old favorites to revisit for a laugh and a few memories.
If you’re interested in sharing your favorites, I’d love to hear them!
~ Jill
Want more book suggestions??
How to Start a Book Club
My Favorite Book Club Reads
Favorite Romantic Books
Jessica’s Favorite Books
A Few of My Favorite Books
Books for Teenagers
Books for Boys
I have read and re-read the Anne books so many times it’s almost embarrassing.
I knew there was a reason we are friends. I feel like I could have written this post, well, except for Bellwether because I still haven’t had a chance to get my hands on that. And I am one of those that hasn’t been able to get into the Mitford Series, yet.
I would have to add Madeleine L’Engle as one of my favorite authors and the “Little House” series as some of my favorite books.
Yay, I love book suggestions! But, your next post needs to be “How To Find Quiet Time To Read Books”. There’s not a moment of peace and quiet in this house. But, when there is…maybe 10 years from now, I’m pulling up this post, for sure!
You’re great, Jill!
I love to read and we have very similar tastes. I read the entire Narnia Chronicles this last year. I adore The Mitford series and my favorite author of all time is Jane Austen. I’ve lost track of how many times I have read Pride & Prejudice.
I am anxious to check out a few of the others you recommend. I have never read the Harry Potter series and my kids think I am not a very good mom as a result so I making my way through it this year – on number 5 and enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would
Just thought I’d let you know , I just downloaded At the Little Brown House to my Kindle for 99cents!
@T- Which of the books are your favorites?
@Bethany-I forgot about the Little House books! How could I? Lands. I did put Bellwether on my Nook. You could download the free Nook app and I would gladly lend it to you for laptop or smartphone reading or some other way. Let me know.
@Mariel-thank you! And I’ll get right on it. 🙂
@Leigh Anne- Harry Potter! Of course! A great addition to the list. My husband and I raced to see who would finish the seventh book first. I hope you enjoy “At the Little Brown House”. My grandpa gave me my first copy (I’ve collected several more since) and I have read it so many times and love it so well, one of my daughters is named after the main character. I couldn’t help it. She is hysterical. And my daughter has lived up to her namesake. I hope it makes you laugh too!
I love most of the books on your list.
I would also add that if you are a Louisa May Alcott fan, you have to read her very first novel that she wrote. It is short, so it’s a quick read, but there is something about it that makes it my absolute favorite book, and I re-read it all the time.
It’s called The Inheritance.
At my elementary school we had an annual read-a-thon, since our school mascot was a Readasaurus (a huge paper mache dinosaur). We’d dress as our favorite book character, and spend I think it was the entire day reading! Or maybe it was half a day. Anyway … I LOVED it. When a class reached 100 pages, (or maybe it was 50, or 200, can’t remember), someone got to go down the hall to the office and wack a big gong, thus alerting the other classes that yet another ____ pages had been read. There was a competition between classes, although I don’t remember that part as clearly.
ANYWAY: I concur with all of the book choices you’ve listed (the ones I’ve read), and would add Shannon Hales’ The Goose Girl, and The Little House in the Big Woods (although it looks like you’ve added that in the comments).
P.S. A sure-fire hit Christmas stocking gift for my husband … A Louis L’Amour book:).
@Larilyn – I’m on the hunt for that book! My library doesn’t have it, but I’m going to find it. Thank you for the recommendation. I think I’ve seen a made-for-TV movie based on the book? Is it the same one I’m thinking of? It was good, but please tell me the book is better. I usually want to read the book more after seeing the film.
@Heather – that sounds like a school day of my dreams! I would have loved that. Thanks for adding Shannon Hale too – I was engrossed with Book of a Thousand Days. And oh! Little House in the Big Woods. All through school I was determined to NOT read any of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. A house on a prairie sounded bleak and full of despair. I was so wrong. Little House in the Big Woods sold me on the reading the whole series and I sped read through them all. Now I need to read them all over again. 🙂
@Larilyn – I was wrong. My library has it. It took some digging but it’s there. And it’s on hold. Thanks again!
One of my favorites is The Bronze Bow. Thanks for introducing me to the Mitford Books. I love them. I could picture that town and everything in it. Very well written. I was caught up right from the start.
You have chosen a lot of books I would like to read. May I borrow The Little Brown House (or I have read that one?)& Persuasion?
We’ve been reading the Little House books as our bedtime book with Katie (age 5.5) for the last 6 months or so. We finally finished “The first 4 years” (depressing!!) and are now working through the pre-quels of her great-grandmother in Scotland, her grandmother in Boston, and then Caroline’s years and then we’ll go back and finish the Rose years. I want to read the Anne books soon.
I’ve just read the Hunger Games trilogy and loved it, but it’s definitely a different feel from anything else on this list.
Love Austin, Ann M. Martin, almost anything Judy Blume, Mary Norton’s “Borrowers” series, Wizard of Oz and so so many other books. My parents teased us when we were preparing to move that we’d need a whole truck just for our books and they weren’t far off. And we’ve only amassed more since then!
I love the idea of having a dress-up day as your favorite book character! My kids would love that.
This is a fun post, great suggestions from everyone.
@L/S Griffeth (aka my mom!) – I’m so glad you loved Mitford. I’m happy to have introduced the two of you. Regarding “At the Little Brown House,” you bet!
@Julie – I agree with you on “The First Four Years”. Ugh. Very depressing. I read somewhere (the prologue perhaps?) that she wrote them, but never had a chance to edit them with her daughter, so the publisher published them “as is”. I’m not sure it helped the series, but that’s just my slightly opinionated view. The Hunger Games do have a different feel from the books here, but I know they are enormously popular. Thanks for adding all those other authors. I’ve wanted to read the Oz books for years and finally downloaded a free Kindle version to my phone so I can begin. Thank you!
Thanks for a great post! I, too am always looking for new books to read!
Right now I am tackling many of the classics, some that we had to read in school, others that are new to me and many of those are Jane Austen books!
I try & try to think about my favorites, but they seem to always be changing. Except for Harry Potter, I still love those! Douglas Adam’s Hitch Hiker books are amusing as well
I just have to share that I found “At the Little Brown House” for $1.99 on my Nook!
Thanks for your list Jill! I like the idea of going back to re-read favorites like Anne, Little Women, etc…I also look forward to trying out some books I am not familiar with–thanks!
@Amy – Thank you for the compliment! And, ahhh! I love “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”!! I listened to the audiobook, read by the author, as I worked in the kitchen and was laughed over dirty dishes almost every day. I haven’t read the rest of the series though. (…adding it to my library list tonight). So thanks! And I’m so glad you were able to find it for your Nook! And that Leigh Anne found it for her Kindle. I really hope I haven’t built it up too much. It’s such a sweet, funny story.
@Jules – If I can inspire someone to go back and re-read a favorite, I’m pretty darn pleased. I enjoyed “Anne of Green Gables” far more on my most recent re-reading than I did before. Let me know if you find any new favorites. Please? I kind of like to read. 🙂
Jill,
I did enjoy the movie, but I love the book. It’s one of the few books that I found because of the movie, and loved more than the movie. Usually, whichever I read/see first is what I enjoy more – but not in this case. I hope you enjoy the book! It’s about time for me to re-read it again!
Jill, I love these! I haven’t read a few of them, so now I’m heading over to the library! Thanks!! I love you!!!
Who reads the Narnia audio books that you love so much? I am always on the lookout for a good audio book, though I’ve had a hard time finding any that compare with Jim Dale of Harry Potter audio book fame. We’ve tried Eragon and Fablehaven audio books, and they’ve been just okay.
@Larilyn – I’ll be picking up the book this week!
@Amy – I love the library. I have a bizarre love for the smell of books. I hope you find some new favorites. And love you too.
@Whitney – The Narnia books I listened to were read by a variety of authors. Now, I have to admit that I have never found anyone as engaging as Jim Dale. If you love his readings, I strongly suggest picking up his performance of “Alice in Wonderland”. It’s amazing! Hysterical. And I think you’ll recognize a few of his voices. Jules (previous commentor) suggested listening to his performance of “Peter Pan”. I’ve purchased it but have yet to listen to it.
The readers of the Narnia books I listened to were:
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe = Michael York
Prince Caspian= Lynn Redgrave
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader= Derek Jacobi
The Silver Chair= Jeremy Northam
The Horse and His Boy = Alex Jennings
The Magician’s Nephew= Kenneth Branagh
The Last Battle= Patrick Stewart
Each narrator had their good points, but I remember enjoying Michael York’s reading a lot.
Going back to Jim Dale, I have his performance of “A Christmas Carol” in my CD player in my car right now. Though obviously a very different book from “Alice” (I laughed frequently during that book) it’s still a captivating listen.
Oh, those Mitford books! I just adore Father Tim. I want to be him when I grow up! Great suggestions, Jill!
@happyhomefairy-Thank you! And I would love to know Father Tim as well. Have you read her series on him? I haven’t yet and wondered how they are?