I've read a lot of books, and I've had the pleasure of some really good ones, but there are some that stand out as favourites. Here, I share a few of those with you.
"Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
Why? Nothing else I've read handles the topics of teen suicide and teen bullying with such care. As a victim of teen bullying, who later went on to suffer from depression, I could relate to the main character, and to her story, more than I'd like to. I'll always feel like I'm returning to an old friend when I read this book; an old friend that really gets me.
"The Pact" by Jodi Picoult
Why? This is the book that reignited my passion for reading after I'd been 'off' books for a year or more. The moment I picked this book up, I couldn't put it back down. Everything it made me feel, everything it made me think, made me remember why I loved reading. I'll always love it for that.
"Prozac Nation" by Elizabeth Wurtzel
Why? You could say this book came into my life at an opportune time. I was struggling with my own depression when I cracked open Wurtzel's novel, and reading it felt like coming home. Everything she'd written about, I was feeling. Her words felt like my words. And I go back to this book whenever I feel depression rearing its ugly head again.
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey
Why? I'd been hearing about this book for years; it is, after all, considered a classic. I figured I had to give it a go, and it deals with a subject I like to read about; mental health. Never has a book so shocked me as this one did. But never has a book left me wanting to read it again as soon as I'd read the last line. I'll never be able to forget this book, and I'm glad.
"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck
Why? It reminds me of my school-days? That's not it, of course, but I did read this book for GCSE English. It's a favourite, though, because it made me such an emotional wreck on my first read-through; and has every time since. There aren't many books that can accomplish that, and make me go back for more!
"Tess of the D'Urbervilles" by Thomas Hardy
Why? It's my 'comfort' read. It's not an altogether happy read, but I'll always come back to this one when I want familiarity. Unlike some of the ones on this list, it's not too dark, so I can read it even in my worst moods. Because of that, and because I've read it more times than I count, it will always have a spot in my heart; and on my bookshelf!
"The Bear" by Claire Cameron
Why? I don't think I can adequately answer that when it comes to this book. All I know is that the narrators struggle to keep herself and her brother alive against the odds, made my heart break, before slowly putting it back together. I couldn't love this book more if I tried.
"11.22.63" by Stephen King
Why? I've read many Stephen King books, but none have stood out quite like this one did. It held me in thrall throughout, and once I'd read it, all I wanted to do was read it again. There aren't many books I can say that about. Even some on this list I can't say I'd go back and read them again straight away. This one, though, is different.
"Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult
Why? It was a struggle to pick just two of Picoult's books; there's so many that could make the favourites list. This one, like "The Pact," deals with sensitive subjects, like bullying and murder, delicately. I related to the main character, a young boy whose life was blighted by bullies. And his actions? Well, I understood them.
"The Odyssey" by Homer
Why? This, too, reminds me of school. I read it in my classics class, and loved it. It was unlike anything I'd read before, or have read since; something so different, so unique. It's long, and sometimes arduous, but it tells a fascinating story that I can never tire of reading.
So those are some of my favourite books. What are yours? Have you read any of the ones mentioned here?
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