What's Your Favorite Book?

I get asked all of the time two things, and one is really a silly question that I'm surprised I'm asked at all except, I swear there is always someone who does. The first is, "What is your favorite book?" The second (and drum roll please and wait for it), "Do you read a lot?" For any of you wanting to know the latter, the answer is "yes." If that shocked you, please, you have my permission to take the po-po paddle and head out to the woodshed. I'm just saying. So, anyway, "What is my favorite book?" is a far more interesting question and not a quick answer. I don't have an all-time favorite book. I can tell you my favorite genres or subject matter are always in the memoir or autobiography category. I am a sucker for a true story. When it comes to 3L Publishing's catalog, I confess my intimate and personal favorites are A Feast at the Beach and Daughter of the Caribbean. The most impressive -- and the only book that ever made me cry so hard I was almost embarrassed -- is Silent Voices. I'm talking crocodile tears, in my office, all alone, swiping them away and wondering if someone would come back and ask me, "Who died?" Now the deal with Feast ... between the charming and personal remembrances and the food, I had to add Provence to my bucket list. Daughter is just an engaging and endearing story of a young girl growing up in a most unusual place that on the surface looks like a fabulous island paradise, but the heart of the story is about family and notorious ancestors. I not only learned a lot but I fell in love with the family. In other books that I like that are not 3L ... a new favorite is Rob Lowe's Stories I Only Tell my Friends. Lowe is a nice surprise as a storyteller. I loved how down to earth he came across in his journey in Hollywood, and I appreciated his honesty in describing his own fall from grace. It was well-done and said to truly be typed by Lowe's own hand, so kudos to someone who is clearly multi-talented. So, here is the deal. If this is your holiday time off and you're looking for some great entertainment or you want the perfect summer read, any of those books will work. I know I am terribly biased, but the 3L books are true gems and so well written you will feel that a major publisher put them out, but truth is, we are a boutique focused on publishing excellent literature. We strive to maintain very high standards of excellence, and I think the catalog is a reflection of that effort. Give one of our authors a try and you will see what I mean. Happy Memorial Day Weekend!