I've spent most of my working life in bookstores, which my husband calls either my native habitat or my crack habit (that's on paydays when there's not much of a paycheck). I know a lot about books that I've never read; I own a fair number of books that I will probably never read; and when it comes to actually reading, I'm woefully behind. The t-shirt emblazoned "So Many Books, So Little Time" was made for me, if I wore that sort of thing.

The open call to list 10 books that have influenced me, well, that's kind of hard, because each book shapes me in some way, just like the potter's hand shapes the clay. And speaking of potters, the Bible would be my Number One Most Influential Book. It's everywhere in my life - at church, as a foundation for other books that I read, in the lessons I try to convey to my children, the songs I sing, the music I listen to. Beyond that obvious choice, I default to Books Worth Reading (I am a bookseller, after all). The ones that I pull off the shelf, hug to my chest, then carefully hand over to the inquiring customer. "You'll love it. It will change your world. I promise," I say. "Report back." Numbered, but in no particular order, here they are:

1. "Lonesome Dove" by Larry McMurtry. In the ongoing debate of Gus vs. Call, I always speak out for Woodrow Call. I have a weak spot for aloof, emotionally inert men in my fiction. As for Lorena vs. Clara, I gotta go with tough-talking, unconventional earth mother Clara. Noble Deets, doomed Jake Spoon, steady Pea Eye, evil Blue Duck. Everything and everyone’s there.

2. "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith. The story of Francie Nolan in early 1900s New York is eternal. Every December, I read the part about Francie and her brother Neeley obtaining a Christmas tree by having it flung at them. And the lesson about saving money for land - they use the money to buy the father's burial plot. Poignant, sad.

3. "Christy" by Catherine Marshall. You may sense a recurring girl power theme here - privileged young lady at the turn of the last century serves as a missionary in remote Appalachia. My 11 year old daughter just read this and I re-lived it again through her eyes. A fine heroine - this is the story of the author’s mother, and another aloof, brooding man, Dr. Macneill.

4. "Rebecca" by Daphne Du Maurier. Just when you thought I liked all sweetness and light. Gothic, English and a heroine whose name you never know. “Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley…” And for those keeping count, another leading man who is aloof, brooding, and tormented. Plus evil Mrs. Danvers.

5. "I Capture the Castle" by Dodie Smith. A worthy successor to Jane Austen’s novels, this is the story of two sisters who live in a run-down castle with their once-great author father. And then two men of marriageable age and sizable bank accounts move nearby. Lovely, lovely, lovely, with a terrific ending that I never expected.

6. "Lamb in His Bosom" by Caroline Miller. Not well-known outside of the South, this is notable in Georgia because the author won the Pulitzer Prize several years before the more widely-known Margaret Mitchell won for "Gone with the Wind." Now, I love "Gone with the Wind" and consider it a must-read, but once you finish “GWTW,” try to find “Lamb in His Bosom.” It’s the story of Cean, a young woman in rural Georgia who marries and starts a family during the time of the Civil War. It’s a world not talked about in the sweeping “GWTW,” there are no slaves, just folks trying to scrape a living out of land and raise families. There’s heartbreak and joy here and an enduring heroine in Cean.

7. "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller. This is a title I recommend to young people looking for inspiration and faith. Miller focuses on Jesus’ commandment to love one another and doesn’t get bogged down in theology. I love his openness about Christian faith and his writing. Take or leave the subject matter, Miller is a fine writer, engaging, witty, self-deprecating. He’s the kind of guy that other guys want to hang out with. Me, I just want to feed him and help him find a wife.

8. "Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?" by Rick Warren. This is the best self-help book that I can name. From the beginning sentence, “It’s not all about you,” this book explained my faith to me in a way that umpteen Sunday School teachers and preachers had not. I think I’m due for a re-read.

9. "Home Cooking" and "More Home Cooking" by Laurie Colwin. During her lifetime, Colwin was known primarily as a novelist, but her food writing speaks to my soul. These stories, most of which include recipes, originally appeared in Gourmet magazine, where I first read them and thought “I want to write like that.”

10. "Betty Crocker's Cook Book for Boys and Girls," copyright 1937. First found in the library in Gaffney, South Carolina, and checked out many times. I found a copy in an antique store a few years ago and hyper-ventilated when I spied the brown cover and line drawings. Reasons I love this book: the kid testers include a Lucy! The color pictures of cereal decorated with fruit faces! The drum cake Mom let me make when I was 10!

11. "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott. A grand and glorious writer, another novelist whose non-fiction speaks to my soul. Her inspirational books like “Traveling Mercies” warm my heart, but this book on writing is the one I turn to most. The story behind the title is, I agree, the best advice ever for putting words down on the page.

I know, I can’t count. 10 means 10. So sue me. I wish I could go on. Maybe someone will throw out a Brain Candy Open Call so I can write about two of my favorite fiction authors, Diana Gabaldon and Susan Isaacs. I don’t intend the brain candy label to be a slam against them, but maybe I can explain that in another post.

And finally, get thee to a bookstore, an honest-to-goodness, bricks-and-mortar bookstore - chain or independent doesn’t matter, they’re all struggling these days. Talk with a bookseller, ask about books. Touch the books. Buy the books. And don't complain if you have to wait in line (at least not to me.).