All my life, I have been a notorious bookworm. My parents would constantly yell at me for falling asleep with the light on and a book on my face at late hours of the night. Obviously, that accomplished nothing, and I continued to read anything I could get my hands on. I have certainly read a multitude of books over the years, so I thought I would share my three favorites, in no particular order.
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling:
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Pretty much everyone has heard of Harry Potter, and for a good reason, the series is amazing. Its also been my favorite series of books since I was 11. Order of the Phoenix is my favorite book from the Harry Potter series, because it changed the series so profoundly. It has a more serious tone than all the other books, which made it more interesting to me when I was reading it for the first time. This is apparent in Dolores Umbridge, because she could be a real-life villain. It also is where we really got to see Harry and Sirius bond as godson and godfather. Harry’s character becomes more complex and we get to understand more about how (at least my) favorite hero feels and acts. Order of the Phoenix is my favorite book in the Harry Potter series because it reminds me of my childhood, with all the magic, but it also still appeals to me as a young adult.
- Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand:
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This heart wrenching biography about Louis Zamperini illustrates the challenges people face and what they are willing to do to overcome them. It is based on a true story during World War II. This is one of my favorite books because its message is incredibly powerful and helped me realize that the problems I face in my day to day life are very manageable. The first time I read this book I was in awe of all the horrible experiences this man encountered and how he still managed to persevere. After I had finished the book, I realized how profoundly lucky I am to be where I am today.
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak:
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This is the first book I read that made me ugly cry. I won’t reveal any spoilers, but the story follows a girl named Liesel growing up in Germany in World War II. This is one of my favorite books because I love reading about history (including historical fiction) and it was told from a fascinating perspective. I got incredibly attached to all of the characters and the story is incredibly well written. It is powerful and riveting to the very end.
I strongly recommend these three books because they are all genuinely good and interesting to read. Books are incredibly powerful and can reach an infinite amount of people that all share at least one thing in common.