Having just written Almost Perfect–about two people stranded on a deserted island–I started wondering about the question that inevitably comes up: What one book would you want if you were stranded on a deserted island?
I’m sure Pam would choose Survive on a Desert Island, though Roger’s choice of The Complete Illustrated Kama Sutra would definitely be more fun!
But if I only chose one book this would be an extraordinarily short post! LOL So I’ll give you my Top Ten Deserted Island must haves (in no particular order).
10. Gone with the Wind–I have loved this book since reading it in the seventh grade. Scarlett and Rhett are such a hot couple.
9. It by Stephen King–I was going to say The Complete Works of 
Stephen King but who needs to be scared out of their mind on a deserted island? It is my favorite so I’ll go with that.
8. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R.Tolkein–The quintessential fantasy read. And I can play the Peter Jackson films in my mind as I read. (Viggo Mortensen would be my choice of stranded partner. LOL) 
7. Devilish by Jo Beverley–My favorite if I can only have one of Beverley’s books. Dye Viggo’s hair black and he can play Rothgar!
6. Complete Works of William Shakespeare–I’ve never read them all and this would be my chance.
5. The Wolf and the Dove by Kathleen Woodiwiss–My first and one of my Favorite
romances. Love the Medieval period and Wolfgar is one hunky hero.
4. The Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas–Another fave in a series. And for much the same reasons, though the pairing of the sexy rake with the shy but stubborn heroine makes the chemistry of this one stand out.
3. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry–Not quite a romance, but a most realistic portrait of the old West with awesome characters and plot twists. The mini-series should have won hands down over Winds of War!
2. Watership Down by Richard Adams–Action adventure with rabbits. Need I say more? Hazel is quite the hero.
1. The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory–Loved this tale of the sisters who dazzled Henry VIII. Renaissance England is one of my favorite periods and Gregory’s treatment of Mary won my heart the first time I read it.
(One thing you may notice about almost all of these books: they are long. I admit that was a consideration in my choice, but not a primary one.)
Oops! What about The Thorn Birds? And Centennial? And To Kill A Mockingbird? And… I guess a list of 25 or say 100 would get them all in. LOL
What about your deserted island book? What work or works would you want to wash ashore with you?
Just in case it’s Almost Perfect, you can purchase it from Decadent Publishing, All Romance E-Books and the other popular e-book sellers. 🙂
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 
I’m taking all my Georgette Heyers, my Voyager series and my Dorothy Dunnetts. Oh, and my OED.
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Wow, only one book?!
I think it would take a year or more just to pick out the perfect book. I’m not much of a re-reader, so … yikes! lol
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I’d pick The Decameron, by Giovanni Boccaccio, The Tao Te Ching, the complete short stories of Chekhov, most of Hermann Hesse’s books, and The Persian Letters.
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Only ten, lol! I would want my favorite authors, Cherry Adair, Suzanne Brockmann, Christina Skye, Karen Marie Moning, Cindy Gerard and some classics like To Kill A Mockingbird and Shakespeare and Poe. Okay, so way more than 10 🙂 Fun post, Jenna!
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LOTR’s for the win!!! And Viggo Mortensen would be part of the deal. but he would have to be dressed in his Aragorn costume.
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Wow.
Great list.
I love anything by Sandra Brown, past or present. Tami Hoag. Kristen Hannah. I’d have to have ALL of Anne Stuart’s books, and most of all, For My Lady’s Heart by Laura Kinsale. And the Calder series by Janet Dailey.
Yeah, that should do nicely.
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LOTR would be a good one. Not to beat a dead horse but Outlander. Harry Potter I wouldn’t mind rerereading either.
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You’ve named several of my all-time favs already. The Wolf and the Dove would be my A#1, can’t-do-without book, but I’d also like to take Ringworld by Larry Niven. I really love sci-fi, second only to romance, and this would be my sci-fi book to memorize. Wonderful and thoughtful post, Jenna!
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The Wolf and the Dove was my introduction to historical romance and Everlasting (Kathleen Woodiwiss’s last book) was my inspiration to become a writer. I used to read a lot of science fiction (loved Heinlein and Asimov’s Foundation Trilogy), but got away from it. I actually have Ringworld on my shelf, but never read it. Hmmm. May have to revise that TBR list once more! Thanks for the suggestion, Patricia!
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Wow – I don’t know how you made a list LOL. I’m reading The Outlander series now, talk about a long time to read!
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I’m reading now Outlander too, Carrie-Anne. Only on Book 1, but loving it. Yes, that series will take a while to read. If I’d let myself do series in this post I’d have had the Dark Tower from Stephen King and Outlander for sure. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
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Yes, I can totally understand your want for long books to occupy your time. I’m reading Savages by Shirley Conran right now, but I don’t think I’d want that on a deserted island, as it might not be deserted. Or the book would have me paranoid into thinking so. LOL
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That’s why I curtailed the Stephen King. LOL Not quite deserted could go either way! Thanks for coming by, Jessica. 🙂
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