For those of you who do not know, I am a huge literature enthusiast. I believe that books have the power to enrich, empower, and create empathy in young and old lives alike. Here is a list of the top books that have impacted my life. They are not necessarily the books that I would recommend the highest, but they are part of who I am.
#1 Giver
Never has a book grabbed me like this one did. I’ll never forget, after the reading the first few chapters I told my mom “Wow! This world actually sounds so nice!” That changed quickly. I read it and then I read it again, and the I read it again. I’ve probably read it 8 times, at least and it’s the first book I recommend to anyone who doesn’t like to read.
#2 Scarlet Letter
This one was pretty slow in the beginning, but it really opened my eyes to the hypocrisy that so many people live in, myself included. We are so quick to judge those with blatant, outward sins, and yet we so rarely look into our own hearts. Romans 3:23 says “For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” and James 2:10 says “Whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking all of it.” For someone like me who has grown up in the church and who’s sins are so much better hidden, it is so easy to stick up our noses and think that we’re so much better. This book was a huge eye-opener to look at the heart of the issue and show the grace, mercy, and love that God has shown to me.
#3 Macbeth
Freshman year I took an incredible British Literature class with an emphasis in Shakespeare and this was one of the books we studied. We had a guest speaker who came and talked about mental illnesses and it was so fascinating. I seriously have not stopped thinking about everything I learned in those few weeks for about 3 years now!
#4 When You Reach Me
A very sweet lady from my church sent me this book when I had pneumonia a few years ago and I LOVED it. It’s one of those books that makes you think so hard that you think you’ll head will explode and you love every second of it.
#5 The Fault in our Stars
I am not recommending this book and I am not proud of the obsession I went through a few years ago, but I had to include it. I do love good literature, but it isn’t all that I read. It was a huge part of the shaping of my hopeless romantic mind and I still quote it often.
#6 An Old Fashioned Girl
Back to the books that I’m proud of reading and highly recommend. This one is by Louisa May Alcott and it is probably my #1 most recommended book for young girls. I have always been “old fashioned” at heart. My reputation is always “the goody-two-shoes, perfect child,” with my peers and this book really helped me realize that that’s okay. It’s okay to be seen as different. It might seem like you’re missing out on fun and “being a teenager” but it is so much better this way. I know that the Bible says all of these things too, but sometimes it helps to see it applied in every day life.
#7 Holding Hands, Holding Hearts
This is a book about biblical relationships that changed my view on dating 100%. If you have ever met my dad, you’ve probably heard him say “Now is the time for preparation, not participation.” (I can hear the exact way he says it in my head ;)) But this book really taught me what to do when it becomes time for participation. I very strongly recommend it to any Christian young person who is starting to venture out into the relationship world.
#8 Redeeming Love
I cannot even express how amazing this book is in words. It’s based on the story of Hosea put into the 1850’s and it does such a wonderful job of portraying biblical love. It’s heartbreaking, but so, amazingly good. It’s almost 500 pages and I read it in 2 days. That’s how good it is.
#9 The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
My mom read me this book when I was about 5 and a half. It captivated my young mind and really gave me a taste of what a good book can be. It is sweet, inspiring, exciting, and kept me on the edge of my seat (or bed) the entire time. I really think this is the book that gave me my love for fairy tales.
#10 Today I Feel Silly
“Today I feel silly, Mom says it’s the heat. I put rouge on the cat and gloves on my feet. I ate spaghetti for breakfast and pancakes at night. I dressed like a star and was quite a sight.” I can recite this entire book by heart and so can my sweet mother who read me this book every. single. day. for most of my childhood. I’m sure that part of it was just who I was born as, but I’m 95% sure that this book is mostly responsible for my extreme emotions and my crazy personality. Not sure if it’s a good thing or not, but this book is definitely most responsible for making me into the person I am today.
I hope you enjoyed this post and make sure that you comment what book/s have shaped YOU into who you are today. 🙂
Making Orange Juice 