Illusions; The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah (Richard Bach)
The Law of One (The Ra Material)
Divine Cosmos (David Wilcock)
The Edgar Cayce Companion
The Nexus Event (Michael Knight, ed.)
Diana Tavera
Place of Birth: San Antonio,
Texas
Hobbies/Interests: Love going
to live music shows, listening to music, taking dance classes, working out,
doing volunteer work, having good conversations, playing board games.
Occupation: Editor
George Washington Gómez by Américo Paredes
The Day I Was Crucified as
Told by Jesus the Christ by Gene
Edwards
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Jonathan Livingston
Seagull by Richard Bach
Alburquerque: A Novel by Rudolfo Anaya
Marissa
Age: 40
Place of Birth: Dallas, Texas
Hobbies/Interests: Hiking, drawing/painting (creative arts), going to movies, spending time with family and friends, wood working, and enjoying what life has to offer.
Occupation: Art Manager
The Secret
Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
The Last Lecture
Five Simple Steps to Emotional Healing
Alejandro Berumen
Age: 33 years old
Place of Birth: Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México
Hobbies/Interests: Fine Arts, Literature, Futból (Soccer, and yes it is an art form)
Occupation: ESL Content Specialist/Education Company
Spanish:
Cien años de soledad by Gabriel García Márquez
Aura by Carlos Fuentes
Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo
Altazor by Vicente Huidobro
Antología Poética by Jaime Sabines
English:
Beautiful Losers by Leonard Cohen
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Stranger by Albert Camus
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
Anita
Age: 49
Place of Birth: Philadelphia
Occupation: Editor
Favorite Authors of Mysteries: Reginald Hill, Elizabeth George, Joan Hess, Nevada Barr, Maddy Hunter (silly travel mysteries!), Deborah Crombie, Jacqueline Winspear, Anne Perry, Peter Robinson, Ian Rankin; Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers
Favorite Medieval Authors: Susanna Gregory, Kate Sedley, Margaret Frazer, Ellis Peters
Other Time Period Authors: Lindsey Davis, Elizabeth Peters, John Maddox Roberts, Steven Saylor, Ruth Downie, Peter Tremayne, David Wishart
Other Favorite Authors: Frank O’Connor (especially his short stories), R. F. Delderfield, James Joyce, A. J. Cronin, Jane Austen, Shakespeare, P.G. Wodehouse, some Sci Fi (Asimov, Star Trek, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Dr. Who), plays by Brian Friel
As a child my favorite book was Little Women.
Dawn Becerra
Age: 37
Place of Birth: Medford, WI
Hobbies/Interests: Animal
rescue, reading, writing, exercising, being outdoors
Occupation: Content
Specialist
Little Women
Emma
Jane Eyre
Pride and Prejudice
Wuthering Heights
Name: JoJo
Place of Birth: Dallas, Texas
Hobbies/Interests: Travel, writing, learning languages, studying culture, swimming, vegging out on beaches
Occupation: ESL teacher
Classics:
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens — The language in this one is just so rich, the symbolism is engaging and meaningful, and the story of self-sacrifice just moves me deeply.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen — This book is just so fun and evocative of that time. This was my first Jane Austen book, and it truly made me a fan.
The Awakening by Kate Chopin — I read this at the perfect time, in a Women’s Literature class in college, and I felt I was going through my own period of “awakening” in a lot of ways. The story of the character, whom I loved and empathized with a great deal, was so relevant—I loved that she fought society’s mores and held out for her own independence, even though the ending shocked and upset me.
A Room With a View by E.M. Forster — I read this book after the sumptuous and gorgeous movie left an impact on me I still recall. The writing is genius—beautiful, tells a good story, and the tiniest things in it make me laugh aloud!
Much Ado About Nothing by good old Willie Shakespeare — This is really, really, really funny and well written.
JoJo's Modern Books Pics:
Bliss by Peter Carey — This book is fantastic and has one of my all-time favorite first sentences. I reread it every couple of years and enjoy it every time. I now make sure to read all of Carey’s books. He’s Australian, smart, funny, and just usually a great read.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros — The imagery in this book is astounding, and Cisneros’s economy of words and knowledge and adept use of language is truly genius. When I first read this book, I felt like I had grown up in her Chicago neighborhood. Another remarkable feature is that each chapter in this book can stand alone as a fully realized short story—that is something that rarely happens in novels.
In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez — This novel takes my breath away. It is historical fiction, and reflects all of the complications I have heard or read about living in a dictatorship. I believe this is Alvarez’s strongest book and just eloquent and enriching to read.
The Prisoner’s Wife by Asha Bandele — I had never before had this experience of feeling like I had ripped out the author’s heart and taken a bite of it. This is a powerful and true story, and is written with grace and frankness. I have passed it on to many of my friends, and it has been so interesting to hear their reactions, usually very strong ones. Having said that, I’m not sure I have the strength to read it a second time. I cannot wait for the follow-up book, though, and it is coming out very soon!
Naked by David Sedaris — Everyone seems to be in on Sedaris’s fame these days, and with good reason. This is by far my favorite Sedaris book, hysterical and poignant.
