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Ernie Chen's Favorite Fiction

shelved under Fiction and Personal Favorites

The books I've included are ones that I couldn't put down. For me each and every one of these titles was a total page-turner, one that kept me up well into the night with the bedside light turned on, glasses perched on the bridge of my nose and no need for a cup of coffee to keep myself awake.

East of Eden

East of Eden

by John Steinbeck

This is the ultimate of love stories. The Trask brothers and their love of the same woman serve as the main plot line. However, throughout the book, Steinbeck infuses his affection for his beloved Salinas Valley in Northern California. The strong characters Steinbeck creates show him at the peak of his writing career, which in time earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature.

I want to read this book     I've read this and liked it

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Crossing to Safety

Crossing to Safety

by Wallace Stegner

This is Stegner's ode to friendship, partnership and the states of Wisconsin and Vermont. We follow the lives of two couples from the start of their adult lives during the Depression through their golden years. In between we are treated to the story of their lives, which at all times is completely the story of America. I finished the book in love with both spouses of both couples. I bet you will as well.

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The House of the Spirits

The House of the Spirits

by Isabel Allende

For me, my love for this book hinges mostly on the time, place, and setting of when I read the book. I was on a 36 hour solo during my Outward Bound instructor course. Even though I wasn't supposed to bring any "entertainment", I snuck this book in my backpack and read it in the most beautiful of settings in the Colorado Rockies. The magical realism and complex story of the Trueba family during the political upheavals of South America were a delight. I savored each and every page.

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The Prince of Tides

The Prince of Tides

by Pat Conroy

Kathy H. says:

A friend recommended this in college, so I read more from the perspective of being a kid, rather than having one. It'd be interesting to read it again and see if my perspective's much different. Finally, I understood why the South lost the war. Not really, but I did have that "wow, it's not just me" moment. And I learned a few things you should NEVER say to your kids.

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A Home at the End of the World

A Home at the End of the World

by Michael Cunningham

Initially I read this because of my obsession with Colin Farrell, but in the end it turned out to be a book that had characters that I wanted to have as my friends. Bobby, Jonathan and Clare break with tradition and create something that works for them. Ultimately, an inspiring and bold choice.

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