Top 5 Favorite Books

Firstly, I want to apologize for my absence over the past week. I had to cover for my coworker on my days off because it was her spring break, so blogging had to take a back seat to life in the real world for a little while.

Secondly, I just noticed that I've never really talked about reading or writing on the blog; two of my favorite things. As an English major, I should definitely be ashamed and astonished. For a long time, I didn't have the time to read books for fun or write anything other than class required essays, and while I miss college life terribly, I'm thankful for the free time that post grad life has granted me. Especially to do the two things I love more than just about anything...including shopping :)

Enough of my babbling! Here's a list of my top favorite books of all time, or at least so far.

1. The Book Thief is a book about the power of books. If you haven't already read this masterpiece, then I highly suggest you do sometime soon. It's set in Nazi Germany and Death is the narrator, a surprisingly compassionate narrator at that. It's been one of my favorites since the first time I picked it up way back in high school. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I definitely plan to do so soon.

2. Stargirl  has also been one of my favorite novels for a very, very long time; probably since middle school. This book celebrates nonconformity, but also addresses the perils that are associated with being "different." I think this book is an important read for adolescents as well as adults. Parts of it will tug at your heartstrings, but it really is a great read. 

3. Boy Still Missing is a truly heartbreaking story. It's a coming of age story with plot twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Searles paints the portrait of a teenage boy growing up in a world full of secrets, loss, love, and tragedy. Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. Searles has such a way with words. He's able to suck you in from the start and then leaving you wanting more when it's over.

4. The Catcher in the Rye is a classic. I know it receives a lot of criticism, and some people don't understand the "big deal" with it, but I love it. I first read it junior year of high school, and I fell in love. I've re-read it several times over, and each time I feel such a connection with the characters and the writing. As cliche as it sounds, I identified with Holden, and he will always remain one of my favorite protagonists. 

5. I'm a sucker for Sarah Dessen novels, and Just Listen is definitely my favorite. I love the rollercoaster of emotions Dessen puts the reader through. The angst, the humor, the happy ending. I just eat it up. If you haven't read it, it's the story of a high school girl who has recently fallen from graces in high school hierarchy, and she befriends the bad boy loner. I just made it sound like a major cliche, but Dessen is so good at portraying emotion in a believable manner. This is deeper than just a high school romance work of fiction, and I highly suggest you give it a try.

Whew! That was difficult narrowing it down to just five. Maybe I'll do a top 10 or 20 list one day. What are some of your favorite reads? I'm always open to book suggestions.