Time Enough at Last!

So Stage Wife challenged some individuals to compile a list of fifteen books in fifteen minutes that would stay with them for a long time.

Firstly, I'm not a bookworm myself. I don't have the ability to converse in any meaningful or intellectual conversation that centers around books and such. When I hear "book", I see this:

Yup. Books and I go together like Paris Hilton and Mensa.

Well, not to that extreme, as I have had some things that I have read that are important to me! Here is that fabled list:

1. Mandela's Way: Fifteen Lessons on Life, Love, and Courage - Richard Stengel
• Read this book. I'm different person because of this book. I can't talk about this enough. You'll just have to read it yourself.
2. Usborne Illustrated Encyclopedia of the 20th Century - Usborne Books
• Hahaha! I know, it's not a novel, but this book was the spark of my curiosity. Honestly, without it, I would not have the brain power I have today.
3. The Giver - Lois Lowry
• I Love...
4. Number the Stars - Lois Lowry
• ...Lois...
5. Gathering Blue - Lois Lowry
• ....Lowry.... and her books, of course! Those three were awesome, with Number the Stars as my personal favorite.
6. The Devil of Nanking - Mo Hayder
• Oh boy, this book can make anyone's dark side giggle with delight - like a fat man at the Deep-Fry-Anything stand at the county fair.
7. The Kennedy Curse - Edward Klein
• I follow the Kennedy's like a fanatic! This novel is not only a cool insight into the family, but it also points out a famous curse that flows among them.
8. Mr. Popper's Penguins - Richard & Florence Atwater
• My childhood revolved around this book. I simply loved it! In addition, this book was the reason that I really started to love animals, especially marine life (and penguins, of course!). Little known fact: I've always wanted to own a pet penguin.
9. Freedom From Fear - Aung San Suu Kyi
• Inspiration at a whole different level! I adore Daw Suu Kyi and her peaceful work, and I've been following her for years. I only try to make her traits important in my life! 
10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling
• I love these books, and a massive magic battle will stay in the factory of dwarves in my head that I call my 'imagination' for a long time.
11. King Lear - William Shakespeare
• First Shakespearean text that I read, and it's a damn good one! Would have put Macbeth in here as well, but the story of King Lear is just sooooo epic!
12. The Art of War - Sun Tzu
• I know! It's a military book, but some of these tactics can be put into real life! Life is a battle anyways, right? Helps you put up with a bunch of people, too! ;)
13. Charlotte's Web - E.B. White
• I will never forget my grade 3 teacher reading this out loud in class and bursting into a pool of tears while she read Charlotte's death (oops, spoiler). No, she literally erupted into a giant puddle of salty liquid soul. 
14. Lord of the Rings - J.R.R Tolkein
• It's Lord of the Rings, what can I say?
15. The Missing Piece - Shel Siverstein
• Oh, this book. Truly a book that I have modeled my life around. I love this book.

I guess it's safe to say that books are good for you. Take a look at what books have done in history:

• An army of books were responsible for the Berlin Wall
• The Vatican is actually a giant pop-out book, ages 3 and up (Oh I know, distasteful, but I'm sick in the head and I needed some cheap laughs :P )
• Books can survive nuclear holocausts. Proven fact! (Look up the title of this post)
• The Yellow Brick Road was not made of brick, it was made of phone books. (Still a book :P )
• Nuclear weapons are being gradually replaced by copies of Sarah Palin's book, Going Rogue
• Books can eliminate the existence of such terrible programming such as Jersey Shore 
• McDonald's uses old Stephen King books for their McBurger Patties, McNuggets, McFlurries, and all the other McShit that comes out of that McHell Hole. Have some fun with your McHeart Attack!
• Books did not have sexual relations with that woman!
• The Red Sea was parted by a wall of books
• Chuck Norris reads books (or books read Chuck Norris, whatever floats your boat)

Well, maybe it's good to read books?

Yeah, read some books.