I turned 40 years old in 2013. To celebrate, I counted down my 40 favorite books, outright stealing a brilliant idea from my good friend Daphne Durham. As I drafted them I realized that more than examples of beautiful writing (although there is much of that, too) the books I love tend to be catalysts for memories of the particular place, time, or best of all, the person or people I was with when I first read them. I'd love to hear about your top books, too, especially if we share any favorites.
