Much like Charlie from Perks, my favorite book is typically the last one I read. I have always appreciated a good story, so I enjoy most selections. Still, there are many, yet fewer, that I love. And then, there are the ones that I just can’t shake.
Here are my top six favorites (in no particular order). Five are listed-- leaving space, of course, for my most recent literary obsession. Whatever it may be…
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
I enjoy YA literature, and Perks is just it. I fell in love with this book in high school and read it again a few years ago after some students showed an interest. It is quirky, honest, reader-friendly, funny, elating, devastating, and poignant.
Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
This book is my favorite guilty pleasure. As a woman who came of age with Judy Blume, her grown up debut captured all of the powerful emotions I connected to in her YA novels and mixed in the complexities and nuances of adulthood.
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
I love memoirs; but this is, hands down, my favorite. I was hooked instantly. Walls’ story of her unconventional, tumultuous upbringing is heartbreaking, inspiring, and flat out interesting.
The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom
My favorite title from a beloved author, The Five People You Meet in Heaven is powerful. It showcases connections and the effect people have on each other, whether realized or not. Aside from being entertaining, I love that this book also prompts self-awareness (i.e. Who will my five people be? ).
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Easily my favorite classic, The Great Gatsby, beautifully capturing the 1920s, is not just an expression of a period in American history. Instead, it is also a dreamy exploration of human desire and what it means to be fulfilled.
Note: I started this post way before actually sharing it. I didn’t change a word when I looked the draft over recently, so I couldn’t figure out why it took me so long. Turns out, I just keep thinking of other books I love, and narrowing it down seems so wrong… Still, almost two years later, there is not a single book I would remove or replace, so it must be worth putting out there.
