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Just stumbled across a meme over at ‘Broke and Bookish’ called ‘Top Ten Tuesday’ and it sparked my fancy.

Each week there is a new post about a top ten list of books, this time it’s about which books you would take with you if you were on a desert island. Well, here’s my top 10:

1. Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe 
I read this over 5 years ago and it still stands out as a highly enlightening tale about how one man starts from scratch, almost remaking, reshaping and rediscovering his own version of ‘civilisation’. It was a moving account of facing the terror of loneliness, and learning the powerful lesson of self-sufficiency.

2. Complete Works of Hans Christian Anderson – H. C. Anderson 
Among those who have come and gone, no one can tell a tale like Anderson. I have been an avid reader of his stories since childhood. They are timeless, beautiful and full of a high class of morality that is almost non-existent these days. His tales are humbling and at times, wonderfully scary.

3. Journals of Virginia Woolf – Virginia Woolf
Entertaining, witty, sharp and full of the painful yet dazzling moments of ‘human’ nature; this journal would help to keep one sane on a desert island. At least I wouldn’t forget what ‘home’ would be like. Woolf is a rare breed of writer how threw caution to the wind and dared to show the fragility and frightening dexterity of the human mind. She is as close to a heroine as I’ll ever get.

4. East of Eden – John Steinbeck
Because I want a book I haven’t read yet. Something I know is good, even better than ‘Grapes of Wrath’!

5. The Complete Works of Alexandre Dumas – Alexander Dumas
I consider Dumas to be one of the greatest fiction writers of all time. His work is simply marvellous. I would have all the time in the world to slowly devour every single one of his books.

6. The Sprawl Trilogy – William Gibson
I know it’s 3 books, but you can’t read one and not the other two! Gibson’s world fascinates me. I take great pleasure in just tuning into that strange universe where everything is always just slightly on the peripheral of meaning.

7. Ficciones – Borges
My list is never complete without a bit of Borges. I think I’ll throw one in just in case I’m feeling a bit hyper, and need a good mental workout! Borges can take you places you never thought you could go to…

8. Diary of Anais Nin – Anais Nin
The list is getting harder now! But I don’t think I can do without some Nin to keep my emotions in flow. Her writing makes me feel at home.

9. Anne of Green Gables – L. M. Montgomery
A children’s classic makes its way onto the list! I’ve read this book so much that I’ve broken the spine. Anne is one of my favourite characters of all time. Always getting into trouble, always full of lif, curiosity, imagination. She reminds me of myself when I was a little girl. I would always get into ‘scrapes’ as she puts it.

10. A blank notebook…
Well, it said a ‘book’ and it didn’t say if it had to have something written in it. While making the list I had a bit of trouble selecting titles. Reading is all very well, but what if I had something to write about? Like Crusoe, I think I’d want to document my life on the island, and writing is the best way of making sense of things.

Well, that’s my list. What would your list be? Would love to hear your comments!