All of us have eaten numerous tasty meals, but most of these aren’t memorable. Similarly most of us have read quite a few enjoyable books, but how many of those stay with us in memory and effect? But we remember those meals that transcend the eating experience out of sheer deliciousness, utter nastiness, striking oddity, or impeccable timing. So too we remember those delicious, nasty, odd, or timely books.
For “foodies” (whatever those are), these meals are the goal. They search high and low, through 5-star restaurants, Zagat ratings, and dumpy dives. For readers these books SHOULD be the goal. Readers should search for the transcendent book. We ought to be reading for mental and spiritual nourishment constantly, but throughout we should be hunting for the spectacular. Sometimes these are found in the obvious place, but sometimes they are obscure hole-in-the-wall-joints.
Here are 5 books that have been such memorable, delicious meals for me:
I have no idea if this series of three books is actually good, but it was good for me. My mom read these to me and my brothers as we folded laundry, went on road trips, or prior to bed. It is the first fantasy fiction that gripped me and told hold of my imagination. It was priceless as fertilizer for my love of stories.
Letters to Children by C.S. Lewis
Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath