I was just thinking -  hypothetically - if you were to travel and live in a primitive society (e.g. as a missionary)  for say 10 years...and only 10 books could be brought along - what would they be?

My 10...

1. The Bible         2. Complete Works of William Shakespeare         3. The Unabridged Poems of Robert Frost        4. An Anthology of English Poems from Chaucer to Present       5. The  Imitation of Christ      6. Walden      7.   The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes     8.    The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll   9.  The Complete Stories of O'Henry    10.   An anthology of science fiction stories such as Science Fiction Century

The Dhammapada

The Complete Poems of Charlotte Mew

Middlemarch

The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women

Travelling Mercies (or any other book by Anne Lamott)

The Complete Rumi

any book by Thich Nhat Hanh

any book by SARK

and a big blank journal.

Peace today, Lisa

The Count of Monte Cristo, Jane Eyre, The Complete Edgar Allan Poe, The Devil in the White City, Pride & Prejudice, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Atlas Shrugged, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Matilda, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

1. "The Secret Life of Bees"  2. "Their Eyes Were Watching God"  3. "Lamb", "   4. "A Dirty Job", 5.  "The Stupidest Angel"  6. "Atonement"  7. "Shame"  8. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"  9.  Any Janet Evanovich book   10.  Any Dresden Files book.

I guess I took this in a totally different way.  I would take books that dealt with subjects like:  first aid, midwifery. building a shelter, teaching english, growing crops, etc.  Books that would be actually useful where I was going.

Wow,

What a diverse list of books...I'll have to check some of those authors.

ooo this is a good question. I would take the following:

1. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

3. The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas

4. Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier

5. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

6. Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Hardy

7. The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas

8. Paradise Lost by Milton

9. The Three Muskateers by Dumas

10. Anna Karenina by Toltstoy

The first 7 are some of my favorite books and ones that I would re-read anytime and since I'm there for 10 full years re-reading will definitely be happening. The last 3 are ones that I've never read and would like to...Also, they are long so it would take up a bunch of my 10 years I think...especially Milton. that was my challenge peice lol :)

I would take the Bible and 9 books from authors I've never read before!  

In no particular order

• House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski
• 1984 by George Orwell
• The Bible
• The Complete Works of Shakespeare
• The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
• Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
• The Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe
• A novel by Ernest Hemingway
• A book of poems
• A book recommended by a friend

What! I might not go. I couldn't take my laptop and order online?

I think that may be my definition of he%$ !

just 10 books....

PhotoAlbum by My family and I *smile*

An empty journal

Obsidian Butterfly by Laurell K Hamilton

Witching Hour by Anne Rice

Any of the over 700 page books by Terry Goodkind

Stone Butch Blues-...just to remind me

The Story of Us--- a journal that you and your partner fill in over the years (which we do)

mmmm just 7 so far.... i guess i would pick up another 3 along the way....maybe Eragon, the Marketplace, and the Chronicles of Narnia

Hmmm - for me it would have to be books I could read over and over again...

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Fox in Sox by Dr. Seuss

The Truth About Chuck Norris: 400 Things You Didn't Know About the World's Greatest Human by Ian Spector

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hoseini