I love to read so when I get the chance to sit down and relax that’s normally what I reach for. I’m going to share with my top 5 favorite books of all time. (This list will a very subjective list because I mostly read fiction.)
- Girl In Pieces
I read this book probably around 2 1/2 years ago and I’ve reread it twice since then. I think its a good coming of age story that goes over hard topics including self-harm, depression, PTSD, and various mental health problems. We essentially end up following the main character Charlie’s journey as she receives help and tries to continue bettering her life while still battling herself. I think the characters in this book are relatable for many teens.
2. The Book Thief
I read this book for the first time when I was in the 6th grade. Weirdly I chose it because it sounded interesting and it gave me the most points for this online reading system we had. I ended up loving it. It follows a girls journey with her new foster parents. We see Nazi Germany at its prime and how literature was banned if not approved by the authorities. Shockingly the main character becomes fascinated with reading and being able to understand the written language. We get a perspective from the girl and from death as he narrates the book as well and offers a unique perspective which I really enjoyed
3. Wintergirls
I read this book by Laurie Halse Anderson around a year and a half ago. It had a huge impact on me as she paints a story of a teenager who struggles with her own body. Body image issues are something I think a lot of people tend to overlook when talking about mental health. We follow Cassie, the main character, and her road to recovery and the struggles of her eating disorder. I feel as if every teenager might benefit from reading this book because it hits a lot of aspects of being a teen that aren’t talked about enough.
4. Verity
This is my favorite book by Colleen Hoover by far. It takes you on a mysterious thriller but is also romance story with tragedy. I remember reading this and not being able to put the book down because it kept me wanting to know what would happen next. Plus I think she is a very simplistic writer so it makes for an easy read. During the book, a struggling writer goes to work at an authors house to finish out her remaining books in her series. The author is injured and cannot finish the series, but the husband and son still live in the house and begin building relationships with the new member in the house. We follow her relationship with the son and her building romance with the husband as she uncovers dark twisted secrets about Verity.
5. How to Make Friends With the Dark
Now this book made me feel complicated emotions. Tiger learns heartbreaking news when she hears her mom died and she has no where else to go. We follow her rough journey through the system and how awful the impact of going through that is. It shows the struggles of being a child from a broken home and how it seems impossible to find a way out. Eventually she learns she has a sister, but is she a positive figure or negative? Overall, I think Kathleen Glasgow did an amazing job writing this book with a compelling heartbreaking story.