I love books!
And there are some I’ve read over the years that continue to stick with me and that I need to re-read again soon.
In Cold Blood, The Lords of Discipline, Helter Skelter: those are just a few of my favorites.
Let’s hear from people about the books that still stand out to them.
1. How it feels to be alone.
“Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt.
It’s about a young girl named June who loses her uncle (her best friend) during the height of the AIDS epidemic. She later bonds with his boyfriend who is also dying from AIDS and is blamed by the family for infecting her uncle.
The story deals with grief, navigating complex family bonds, and how it feels to be alone when you are a strange kid and the only person to understand you is gone.”
2. Stunning.
“The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
It’s absolutely stunning.
It’s one of those books where there’s a before and after in your life after you’ve read it.”
3. The message.
“The Infinite Plan by Isabel Allende.
I was admittedly pretty young when I read it (my early 20s).
But I really appreciated the message I took away from it: ‘Everyone is damaged and muddling through life — it’s not just you.'”
4. Parallel lives.
“All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.
It parallels the lives of a blind French girl and orphaned German boy during WWII. It is the standard by which I now judge all other books.
So much more than a war story. It’s the kind of book you’re sad to finish because the journey and magic have come to an end.”
5. Spoke to you.
“Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
As an American-Nigerian, this book spoke to me on so many levels — from the simple joy of a text interspersed with the language of my parents, to the struggle of understanding race in terms of the world beyond America. I
highly recommend it.”
6. Should be required.
“The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson.
This book should be required reading for every student in the US. It’s so relevant today more than ever.
As a white woman, this book left me shook and completely changed my perspective on the 400+ years of black oppression in our country. This is a book about things that were never taught in school or even talked about.
It’s heartbreaking, and everyone should read it.”
7. Devastating.
“Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro is that rare, quiet, and dignified thing that sneaks up on you from behind and just devastates you.
It’s my constant reminder to approach people with an open heart, because you can never presume what path they’re actually walking.
There’s nothing quite like it, and I don’t want to give anything away — so, just go read it.”
8. Will make you cry.
“Stay with Me by Ayobami Adebayo.
It’s a heartbreaking tale of love and grief, which deals with the loss of a child and relationships in an extremely poignant and relatable way.
It’ll make you cry and captivate you.”
9. A great read.
“The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.
I generally cry quite a lot while reading, but this book made me SCREAM out of sorrow. Beautiful and so heart-wrenching.
I cried for weeks after I read it for the first time.”
10. Struggles.
“A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.
This is the story of two Afghan women who find their lives connected forever.
It taught me about the struggles of womanhood, as well as the power and strength of sisterhood, and proves that not all love stories have to be romantic.”
11. An eye-opener.
“Pachinko by Min Jin Lee.
This book was so eye-opening in regards to how horrible it was for Koreans, especially Korean women, who lived in Japan during the annexation.
It changed my views on my family, life, and culture, and I would 100% recommend it to everyone.”
12. Based on true events.
“Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate.
It’s based on true, historical events in the late 1930s when poor children were put into orphanages and sold to wealthy families.
I could not put it down once I started it!”
What’s your favorite book?
Talk to us in the comments and let us know.
Thanks a lot!
