These are in no particular order, but they are my 10 favorite books I have ever read.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - I think this is required reading for most students, is it not? Who couldn't love this movie about a poor boy growing up in a household with sweet Joe and an evil mother? The boy is sent to be a "playmate" for Ms. Haversham. Who doesn't love Ms. Haversham? A heartbroken old woman. We all know what happens in this, and I just love Dickens anyways. 
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - This is a relatively new book on the NY Times Bestseller's list. If you don't like circuses or are disgusted about the behind the scenes of it, this book isn't for you. It tells about a boy in veterinarian school who leaves his final exam and drives home. He finds out his parents have been killed, and their estate is being taken by the bank as they spent all of their money on sending him to school. He runs off with this circus. It is a historical fiction novel that shows you the history of the traveling circuses as told from the point of view of a 90-something year old man in a nursing home. I found myself brought to tears in several parts including the beginning when he talks about what true love really is and at the end.
Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster - This is a true story/memoir of a high society woman who is in a professional job. Her world comes crashing down when her company is merged, and she is laid off. Her fiancé then loses his job. They go from a luxury apartment to living in the ghetto and adopting two dogs. It talks about how she went into the unemployment office at first carrying a Prada bag and how that wasn't a good move. It shows you about humans that are the top of their game to almost losing it all and dragging themselves back up.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer - I love all of Krakauer's works, and if you're a mountaineer or an outdoorsperson, you will love this true story.
When Elephants Weep by J Masson - This is a nonfiction book detailing the emotional lives of animals. It talks about a variety of animals and anthropomorphism (applying human-like traits to animals - see "personification"). It talks about elephants crying, showing grief, crows sliding down the ice-covered peaks of buildings for fun. It discusses love, hate, passion, rape, anger, murder, and more.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt - The true story about the murder in Savannah. If you like Southern literature and like Savannah, this is a book for you. The characters are so well-formed that they are sure to remind you of someone you know.
Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester - This is the true story of how the OED was written. The "author" receives entries from a person whose address is given. The entries are intelligent and so well-written that the "Professor" must meet this person. When he arrives at the address, it is that of an insane asylum. His intelligent writer is a patient.
The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story by Richard Preston - I read a snippet of this in Dr. Gessell's Plague Literature class. Most of you know my fascination with medicine and epidemiology. This is GREAT. It's a true story about an ebola outbreak. The author goes into detail about various plagues. After reading about some of the others and how they are handled, Ebola is kind of like a common cold. It will have you thinking twice about "biological warfare."
Mr. Popper's Penguin by Richard and Florence Atwater - This is one of my favorite children's books besides the Billy and Blaze series by C.W. Anderson. It talks about a man's love affair with the arctic. One night while listening to a radio program, an explorer answers a question that Mr. Popper asks on the air and tells him that a crate will be arriving for him. When he opens it, it's a penguin that Mr. Popper names Captain Cook, after an explorer. The Poppers clear out their icebox and make Captain Cook a home. It's a delightful story for any penguin lover.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding - We all know this one, too. Shipwrecked boys. Shipwrecked white-collar prestigious boys that evolve into what they become to survive. Fear tactics, killing, and turning into savages. It's a great psychological assessment that I love...and also a quick read.
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