Pass the Kleenex!

I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions. -James Michener

I love that quote. And I love books that make me laugh, but even more, I love books that make me cry.

Some books that made me laugh: River of Doubt (Candice Millard), Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt & the Crusade for America (Douglas Brinkley), The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd), Pride & Prejudice (Jane Austen).

Books that made me cry: The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd), Where the Red Fern Grows (Wilson Rawls), The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold), The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseni).


There are numerous others, but these are the ones that I remember laughing out loud as I read or bawling through. I'll never forget driving back from a field trip to go whale watching and reading Where the Red Fern Grows, hiccuping and sobbing in the back seat while all my friends slept. I'm sure the dad driving the Suburban thought I was a basket case middle-schooler.

There's one scene in HATSHEPSUT:FEMALE PHARAOH that should be a tearjerker for anyone not made of wood. Almost two, but definitely one. And this new book? I've been laughing as I write it so that's a good sign. I think.

So here are your questions for the day. What books have made an impact on you? Do you want your readers to laugh or cry? Or both?