For some reason, certain books linger with us for the rest of our lives. No matter how much time passes, they always seem to pop up in our heads. They have a power to propel you back to where you were the first time you read them. It’s one of the best kinds of nostalgia to experience.
I’ve been an avid reader for a while now myself. And despite how many books I read, I can’t seem to forget these five.
The Immoralists by Chloe Benjamin
Just from the title, you’d think this would be an extravagant fantasy novel. But for the most part, For a book about immortality, The Immoralists makes you realize how important it is to live life while you can.
After a traveling psychic tells four siblings their exact date of death, they’re left questioning whether what they’re doing is out of free-will or fate.
Simon moves to San Francisco in the ‘80s where the lgbtq community is thriving and his chances for love are higher. Adventurous Klara moves to Las Vegas to become a magician and bend the rules of reality and imaginary. Daniel yearns stability as an army doctor after 9/11. And then there’s Varya, who’s life centers around her scientific research for immortality.
This book had me hooked from the first page. And after, I felt determined to live without boundaries.
Favorite Quotes:
- “She knew that stories did have the power to change things: the past and the future, even the present… the power of words. They weaseled under door cracks and through keyholes. They hooked into individuals and wormed through generations.”
- “The very best magic tricks, the kind Klara wants to perform, do not subtract from reality. They add.”
I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this book. I’ll Give You the Sun reigns as my favorite book, bringing a smile to my face every time I revisit. This coming-of-age novel centers around twins Noah and Jude. Noah tells the story when they’re thirteen, and Jude tells it when they’re sixteen. It’s your job to piece the different parts together. One second, they’re single unit. They’re “NoahandJude.” The next, they’re barely even speaking. Ultimately, it’s a tale of self-discovery. And it holds my heart.
Noah is a painter and self-labeled alien, figuring out how to be his true, weird and gay self in a world full of normal. Meanwhile, Jude, a sculptor, searches for acceptance and validation as she battles slut-shaming culture and teenage toxics. I’ll Give You the Sun deals with everything from homosexuality and sexual assault to acceptance and mental health. Its poetic descriptions changed the way I look at writing forever. And most importantly, it reminds me that no matter how bad this may get, they can always get better. Because let me tell you, these characters screw up. Badly. Like oh my god I can’t believe you did that, badly. But they’re able to resolve things. It’s not perfect and there’s no happily ever after. It’s realistic. And I adore everything about it.
Favorite quotes (oof this a hard one):
- “You have to see the miracles for there to be miracles”
- “Meeting your soul mate is like walking into a house you’ve been in before … You could find your way around in the dark if you had to.”
- “Or maybe a person is just made up of a lot of people,” I say. “Maybe we’re accumulating these new selves all the time.” Hauling them in as we make choices, good and bad, as we screw up, step up, lose our minds, find our minds, fall apart, fall in love, as we grieve, grow, retreat from the world, dive into the world, as we make things, as we break things.”
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
This isn’t just another World War II book. Yes, the Holocaust and the rise of Nazi Germany is a major theme, but it introduces perspectives you’ve never read about before. Blind, Marie-Laure navigates the world primarily through touch, traveling from Paris to Saint-Malo to flee Nazi regimes. Then there’s Werner Pfenning, an orphan from a mining town in Germany, who’s advanced technological skills lead him to become recruited by Nazis. Somewhere along the way, the two’s paths cross. Beautifully written, this book plays on the subject of humanity and morality. It added new depths to what I knew about the Holocaust. Although it’s been a while since I first read it, this story keeps reappearing into my thoughts.
Favorite Quotes:
- “History is whatever the victors say it is. That’s the lesson. Whoever wins, that’s who decides history. We act in our own self-interest.”
- “Doing nothing is as good as collaborating.”
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
My baby The Hunger Games is what started my book-addiction. In less than a week, I finished the entire series and I haven’t forgotten Panem since then. I’ve re-read the series numerous times. Honestly, at this point I’ll probably re-read it for the nostalgia, but each time I do I’m still in awe of the strength and relevance this book has. As a military brat herself, Suzanne Collins phenomenally portrayed the horrors of war and what it does to its survivors. It shows how a country can be so divided, unaware of how the other half lives. How power corrupts. But most importantly, how even a poor girl can not only have a voice in government but make real change as well. Katniss Everdeen will always have a place in my heart.
Favorite Quotes:
- “I am not pretty. I am not beautiful. I am as radiant as the sun.”
- “It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.”
More Than This
I’m going to have to keep this one brief, folks. I have to in order to keep this spoiler free. Essentially, in More Than This, main character Seth drowns and dies within the first page. Or does he? Because suddenly he’s awake? And naked? And alone? In his childhood home across the world from where he drowned? Is this his personal hell? Or maybe he never really even died? What is happening? You’re not quite sure, but you keep on reading anyways. This book gave me more !!!! moments than ever before. Basically, this book gave me the biggest mind-blow ever. After reading, all I felt determined to live my life.
Favorite Quotes:
- “People see stories everywhere … We take random events and we put them together in a pattern so we can comfort ourselves with a story, no matter how much it obviously isn’t true … We have to lie to ourselves to live. Otherwise, we’d go crazy.”
- “I don’t believe in guardian angels … just people who are there for you and people who aren’t.”
Revisiting an old book you love can be a comforting experience like no other. It’s fun re-reading the parts you loved, and it’s even better noticing amazing details you never did before. Even if it’s just strolling through a couple pages, it can be like going through memory lane. Thanks for strolling through memory lane with me. Now, I just need a new book to start.