Top Ten Lists
I don't count very well, do I? My only defense is one of enthusiasm . . . and the fact that Top Ten List sounds much better than Top Seventeen or Top Twenty-Two. Anyway, I love lists, no matter how long or short they are and invite you to share some of your favorites with me.
Send your lists to me and I'll post them right here for everyone to enjoy.
Top Ten Writing Books
- Telling Lies for Fun and Profit - Lawrence Block
- Writing Past Dark - Bonnie Friedman
- Spider, Spin Me A Web - Lawrence Block
- Write for Your Life - Lawrence Block (see a pattern developing here?)
- Bird by Bird - Anne Lamott
- Becoming a Writer - Dorothea Brande
- If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence, and Spirit - Brenda Ueland
- Writing from Scratch: A Different Kind of Writer's Manual - Rita Mae Brown
- The Writer's Journey - Christopher Vogler
- Make Every Word Count - Gary Provost
- A Writer's Time - Kenneth Atchity
- Writing Down the Bones - Natalie Goldberg
- Wild Mind - Natalie Goldberg
Top Ten Reference Books
- The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue - far and away the best dictionary ever compiled. A word-lovers delight.
- What's What
- Woe Is I - Patricia T. O'Conner
- Words Fail Me - Patricia T. O'Conner
Isn't this a sad little list? I seem to be doing most of my research these days on the web.
Top Ten TV Shows:
- Mary Tyler Moore Show
- thirtysomething
- Barney Miller
- Taxi
- Mad About You
- Seinfeld
- McLaughlin Group, Meet the Press, all the Sunday morning news shows
- Judge Judy (so sue me)
- Anything on Discovery, AMC, History or Food channels
- Family
Top Ten Movies:
- Gone With The Wind
- Miracle on 34th Street
- Holiday Inn
- Joy Luck Club
- My Cousin Vinny
- Some Like It Hot
- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
- The Quiet Man
- 1776
- Shakespeare in Love
- Analyze This
- Ghost & Mrs. Muir
- Rob Roy
- Rocky (all of them)
- When Harry Met Sally
- Jaws
- Wizard of Oz
- Pirates of Penzance
- Independence Day
- The Bishop's Wife
Top Ten Books:
- Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
- Moving On - Larry McMurtry
- Ladder of Years - Anne Tyler
- Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
- Light A Penny Candle - Maeve Binchy
- September - Rosamunde Pilcher
- Family Blessings - Laurie Colwin
- Shanna - Kathleen Woodiwiss
- A Fine & Private Place - Peter S. Beagle
- A Moveable Feast - Ernest Hemingway
- Almost Paradise - Susan Isaacs
- Sophie's Choice - William Styron
- Enemies: A Love Story - Isaac Bashevis Singer
- The Thorn Birds - Colleen McCulloch
- Rebecca - Daphne duMaurier
- Skye O'Malley - Bertrice Small
Top Ten Songs:
- Nessun Dorma - Luciano Pavarotti ("Turandot")
- Apres Moi - Eartha Kitt (just about anything by Eartha, to be honest)
- Rumour and Sigh - Richard Thompson (every single song on the CD, especially "Read About Love" and "1952 Vincent Black Lightning")
- Groovy Kind of Love - Mindbenders
- Witchcraft - Frank Sinatra
- Ain't Too Proud To Beg - Temptations
- (I Heard It Through The) Grapevine - Gladys Knight & Pips (or by Marvin)
- Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye
- When A Man Loves A Woman - Percy Sledge
- (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons - by anyone at all
- Beast of Burden - Rolling Stones
- Miss You - Rolling Stones
- Granada - Placido Domingo
- Cheek to Cheek - Fred Astaire
- Come Rain or Come Shine - Ray Charles
- Cheeseburger in Paradise - Jimmy Buffett (and Volcano and Fins and . . . )