Required Reads...books YOU *must* read!

Are you currently breathing oxygen? (yes!) Then you MUST read these books...they're required reads for life!

Hi friends!

I was recently asked, "What book do you think everyone must read?"
Well, this video is my answer!

I'd also love to know which books *you* think are required reads for all those who are currently breathing air! Feel free to share your personal "required reads" in a comment so we can all read them before we are no longer breathing air...(hopefully not for a very long time :P)

Sending you my warmest wishes,
Carolyn Marie :)

My Social Media: CarolynMarieReads

***Want to write to me or send something?
Carolyn Castagna
P. O. Box 773
Greenlawn NY 11740
United States
***Please don't feel like you need to send me anything, but if you'd like to I would be honored!!!*** :)

***About me -
I'm a freelance illustrator and writer who recently graduated from college at the Fashion Institute of Technology with my Bachelors of Fine Arts in Illustration with a minor in English/Writing.
My greatest passion in life is combining my love of illustrating, writing, and reading!

Happy Reading :)

#booktube #reading #bestbooks

[Tania.atlasinajar]

Not you and Emma posting at the same time! Happy to see you added some poets to the list! Robert Frost. Even though his last name is Frost his poetry is very comforting and feels like a warm hug! 🥰

And yes Carolyn the stinkin’ reflection on the glasses! 😂🤓

[anastasiialazuka]

I really liked that Carolyn also read lines from the books she’d chosen! It definitely gave a better idea why these books are special and worth reading! Thank you!

[marjoriedybec]

My top 5 books everyone should read: Victor Hugo, Les Miserables; Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre; Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol; Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass; Thomas Hardy, Tess of the D'Urbervilles. A short story entry would be Ray Bradbury, "All in a Summer's Day." I think reading these will make anyone more human...more humane.

[patriciadeane]

I agree The Little Prince was an excellent choice. I bought copies for both of my adult sons! Truly a treasure to have on your bookshelf.

[aesyfreedom]

Also, Carolyn, can I say THANK YOU for encouraging me to really get into classics. They’re now my favourite genre!

[retiredbooknerd]

Oh, Carolyn!! I had not read any work by Backman until you talked about it on this channel. When I went to the library, the only one that was checked in at that time was "And Every Day the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer." So, I checked it out and was so unprepared for what this very short book was going to do! I now completely understand just why you love this author! The irony is that my mother is actually going through this very thing, so it touched my heart. And then, it broke me! Beautiful!! 🥹🥹

[geraldinegranger]

I feel the same way about Mary Oliver. Thank you for reading her poem on worry, and reminding me to read more poetry!

[gerryfedde]

Mentioning Robert Frost sent me down memory lane. When I was in college at Syracuse I was lucky to attend an event where he read some his poetry and interacted with the audience. It was a joyful experience for everyone attending and the poet as well. What I liked, too, about Frost was his colorful observation that blank verse is like playing tennis without a net. That always makes me smile and something I once heartily agreed with. Now, though, one of my favorites is Billy Collins who does nothing but blank verse. He's like the next door neighbor who's always there for you when you need him.

[softiequeen]

Sissss I was so shook when you pulled A Man Called Ove. It's one of my favourite books of all time made me sob so hard, it's sooo underrated.

[emmaopaline]

My top 5 of books that you must read are : Grapes of Wrath by John Steinback, Dear Ijeawele by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos, What White People Can Do Next by Emma Dabiri

[kseniyasbooknook]

Loved seeing Rainer Maria Rilke on that list, it's probably one of the three books that influenced me the most and that I will keep rereading! Reading more of his letters this winter in "letters on Life" and he has so much heartfelt advice and observations that touch me deeply. Great selection of books :)

[genemcn]

I really appreciate your enthusiasm for these books. It's nice to hear.

[rogston]

Mary Oliver's 'The Journey" is especially beautiful, and changed my life in many you for the sharing of these great writers.

[EuskaltelEuskadi]

If you like poets who write about nature, I can highly recommend Gerard Manley Hopkins. He used a lot of techniques found in Welsh poetry to do with syllabic structure and rhythm and the results are dreamy and yet full of life and feeling. It's the closest you can get to speaking Welsh without being able to speak it. Some of my favourite of his are Pied Beauty, Binsey Poplars and Inversnaid. (I also love Robert Frost and Mary Oliver.)

[pam]

I’m halfway though A Man Called Ove right now - loving it so much! You’ve talked about it so often and I remembered my daughter also loving it - and now I am too!❤

[ArtBookshelfOdyssey]

100% agree with A Man Called Ove! Great book. It's a book my wife first read and kept telling me to read until I finally did... and I fell in love with it!

[alljoy]

Carolyn, I bought Letters to a young poet, just started reading it, it's beautiful. I am like reading every letter and dissecting it, and appreciating each paragraph. It's like a breath of fresh air every time. Rainer's sentence construction and his thought process and perception is like having found solace. This is precious, so glad I have my own personal copy.

[dianewalker]

I reread The Little Prince at Christmas. It is a terrific story of cultivation of friendships that makes life worthy and special.

[renataluna]

Hi Carolyn :) in the note of reading poetry, I don't know if you have heard of her but I reallyy recommend Alejandra Pizarnik (she is the one that made fall in love with poetry), she was an argentinian poet and wrote about being a woman, growing up, solitude and a lot of other topics incredibly powerful, I hope that you can read some of her poetry!!

[Chasing.therain]

I am in the process of reading Meditations, I treat it like the bible, or poetry...I pick it up when I feel the urge and read from it. I am loving it so far!