Happy World Book Day! Whether you’re like me and love to read, or like a good chunk of people and don’t, you definitely have a favorite book. As someone who has read her whole life, my list of favorite books is extensive. Between doing assigned reading for class to just reading for fun, I would guesstimate I’ve probably read over 200 books in my lifetime, maybe more. I just love to read, okay? Nonetheless, in honor of World Book Day, here is a compiled list of just some of my favorites. This list isn’t in any particular order besides when I read them, so enjoy!
Knuffle Bunny
Yes, a children’s book made this list! Knuffle Bunny (all three of them) are some of the sweetest books I’ve ever read. It’s about a young girl who goes on a trip to the Netherlands to visit her grandparents and ends up losing her safety plushie, Knuffle Bunny. After, she must learn to navigate life without her safety toy, which is something I think most people go through as kids. It teaches great lessons of loss, love, and acceptance. There are three books in the whole series in which you get to watch the little girl grow up, which is so heartwarming.
Author: Mo Willems
Where to find: Amazon or Kohl’s
Bridge to Terabithia
This is the first time I remember truly bawling my eyes out at a book. If you’ve never read it or seen the movie, I won’t spoil it. I had to read this book in fifth grade, but it’s one I’ll go back and read to this day. It has so many good life lessons inside (some I can’t say without spoiling too much), that I really do think it’s an essential read for everyone at some point in their lives, and I think it’s crucial for a lot of children.
Author: Katherine Paterson
Where to find: Amazon or Kindle App
Harry Potter Series
This series is so nostalgic for me, and might be for you too! I started reading the first book when I was around eight years old, and I finished the series when I was nine. I was HOOKED. I watched all the movies and have read all the books multiple times. These books were quickly considered classics, which I can definitely see why. Whether you’re a Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, or Ravenclaw (that’s me!), I think these are books everyone should at least give a chance. Plus, who doesn’t just love a good fantasy series?! There are so many good plot points and twists that there is really something for everyone in there.
Author: She who won’t be named
Where to find: Really anywhere
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret
From the perspective of a 12-year-old girl, this book tells the story of navigating a move to a new city and having to fit in all while going through puberty. Even if you’ve never moved, every girl can relate to the experience of trying to fit in. With the sprinkled in topics of boys, bras, and periods, I think this is such a great book for any girl to read. No matter your age, you learn that everyone struggles with the same things you are or did. It’s a great way to not feel alone in your struggles, and really helped me feel seen at the time.
Author: Judy Blume
Where to find: Amazon or Barnes and Noble
Series of Unfortunate Events
Fun fact: I won a reading competition with these books. This series DOMINATED my elementary and middle school. I’m not even kidding you, I think reading this series altered my brain chemistry. Reading the trials and tribulations of the Baudelaire siblings drew me into the book so deeply and it’s such an underrated series. I know this article is about books, but the TV show and movie are also both amazing! I highly recommend checking any of them out if you get a chance!
Author: Lemony Snicket
Where to find: Kindle or Amazon
Little Women
Aka my favorite book of all time. As someone with sisters, this book just hits so close to home for me. Between Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, everyone can see themselves in one of the sisters. While yes, it is a long read, it’s so worth it. It teaches so many valuable lessons from each character and you gain so much from reading this novel. It’s a classic, after all! I could go on and on about this book, but I’ll probably spoil it because I love it so much.
Author: Louisa May Alcott
Where to find: Target or Barnes and Noble
The Stranger
I had to first read this book for assigned reading in 11th grade, so I assumed it would be boring. Oh man, I was wrong. It tells the story of Meursault, a French Algerian, who ends up accidentally killing an unknown man in Algiers. It tells the story through Meursault’s eyes both before and after the murder. You start to learn more about him and whether or not the murder was truly an accident. It was translated from French, so it can be a little hard to understand sometimes. It’s such a good read and a great one if you love thrillers!
Author: Albert Camus
Where to find: Amazon or Kindle
The Color Purple
The story of Celie is one that will stay with you. It portrays the problems that black women faced during the early 20th century, including domestic violence, poverty, racism, and sexism. It’s such a powerful story and has actually been turned into both a movie and a musical! I also had to read this book for one of my freshman year history courses, and what an eye-opening story. You learn all about these struggles in history class, but reading them from someone firsthand is just a whole different experience.
Author: Alice Walker
Where to find: Barnes and Noble or Target
The Princess Diaries
Yes, it was a book first! The book is written diary style, telling the same story as the movie. Geeky teen Mia Thermopolis finds out she’s actually the princess of Genovia in this awkwardly adorable YA novel. This book made me fall even more in love with the storyline and characters, as it dives more deeply into lessons of love, life, and being a teenage girl. Don’t be surprised if you end up reading this book and then binging both Princess Diaries movies, cause I definitely did.
Author: Meg Cabot
Where to find: Amazon or Thriftbooks
The Hunger Games Series
I’m ashamed to say I only recently started to read these…I was more of a Divergent fan when I was younger. But yes, Hunger Games runs circles around Divergent. Also, a shoutout to Josh Hutcherson for making it into 2 of the movie adaptions of books on this list. Anyway, this series does a great job of reflecting truly just how awful people can become, but simultaneously how people do truly have an innate good in them as well. These books will have you hooked from start to finish and to my surprise, they aren’t that long! Also, all the movies are on Netflix right now (which I’ve also never seen, oopsies) so I’m for sure binging when I’m done with the series!
Author: Suzanne Collins
Where to find: Target or Barnes and Noble
So many other good books didn’t make the list, but I didn’t want to bore you guys with a list that would probably span 50-plus stories. Hopefully, you may have found a book or series that sparked your attention and want to add to your Goodreads list (mine is incredibly sad right now, btw) and will get one to read! If not, I hope you cozy up with your favorite book today and relive the happiness you felt when you first read it.