I started becoming an avid reader in 5th grade when I was introduced to the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz. Over the summer between 5th and 6th grade I became book OBSESSED, and as soon as I hit middle school I started going to the library 2-3 times a week to return and check out books. I was mainly into the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, but I branched out with the influence of my middle school librarian. I now own over 200 books and am the curator of a mile long TBR list. Although I am now 20 years old, I still find myself reading the older classics I enjoyed so much as a child, as well as some more mature novels. Here’s ten of my favorite stand-alone books that I have fallen in love with over the years!
- Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee
This first novel is one that I read in high school though it’s meant for a much younger audience. I remember picking this one because I was in a reading slump and I needed something easy to digest. The book follows the story of a girl named Mila, who is receiving unwanted attention from a boy, who is justified by others as having a crush on her. Mila does not like this but struggles to find her voice speaking out about this. I remember every time a boy was mean to me or mean to one of my friends it was always justified as “he probably just has a crush on you,” which was frustrating to hear. This is a book I wish I had found when I was in middle school, so I could understand that what I was going through was not okay and there were ways I could handle this without being dismissed. This book sort of resurfaced those memories for me and gave me closure that young Julia didn’t have with a situation like that.
- The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
This book is a tear jerker. I read this when I was in high school and it’s safe to say it changed my life. I was already obsessed with Greek Mythology because of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Oylmpians series. However, this was twenty times more mature and it was just what I was looking for. Strong Achilles and awkward Patroclus form a unique relationship, sharing a rare bond with each other. Achilles is called to war with the promise of glory and Patroculus is quick to follow. This book is by far one of my favorites. I could not put it down. The writing was absolutely gorgeous and the scenes were written with so much detail it was impossible not to imagine them down to the nearest speck of dust.
- Animal Farm by George Orwell
This was a book that I was required to read as a freshman in high school, but it quickly became one of my favorite books. George Orwell has written a few other very famous novels. The one you might recognize is 1984. Animal Farm does not disappoint. It’s a very quick read, and to me, it was very quickly paced, but the message comes across very clearly. After being overworked and mistreated for years, the animals of a farm come together to fight against their oppressor: a human farmer. The animals decide to create their own form of leadership, but it all boils down to how well they can keep it together. I actually reread this book over the summer, and of course as a mature adult I understood the themes more than I initially did, but I still enjoyed it just the same, and possibly even better!
- The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
The first I heard of this novel was in 8th grade, where my teacher read “The Veldt” to my class, which is a short story within this book, but it actually took years for me to find what book that came from and to actually read the novel. The book starts off with a scene of a nameless traveler who meets a man who he calls “the illustrated man,” who has tattoos on his skin that all tell a different story. The novel tells these tales through short stories of science friction, fantasy, and horror. I love short stories because they can tell so much, or share a message, in such a short amount of time.
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
I do have to say that I watched this movie before reading this book, but the book offered so much more to me than the movie did. This was a book I read in high school, after a glowing recommendation from my mom convinced me. It takes place during the 1970s in Afghanistan, where Amir and his loyal friend Hassan enter a kite-fighting tournament. However, when the events of that day shift into shattering fear, their lives are changed. After the Russians invade, Amir and his family are forced to flee to America, leaving behind his whole life. Amir only hopes he can redeem himself when he returns back to his home country years later. I cry at every book I read; Happy ending, Sad ending, Angry ending. I cry. I can’t help the way I feel after something I invested in comes to an end. At the end of this novel, I was sobbing. The way the story was told was beautifully done, and I learned about a cultural event for the first time, which was very enlightening. This book will probably always have a place on this list.
- Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
This was another book I read in middle school. It was for a teen audience, but my librarian knew how much I loved historical fiction, so she knew it would be perfect for me. She was right. The direct description on GoodReads is “While the Titanic and Lusitania are both well-documented disasters, the single greatest tragedy in maritime history is the little-known January 30, 1945 sinking in the Baltic Sea by a Soviet submarine of the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German cruise liner that was supposed to ferry wartime personnel and refugees to safety from the advancing Red Army. The ship was overcrowded with more than 10,500 passengers — the intended capacity was approximately 1,800 — and more than 9,000 people, including 5,000 children, lost their lives.” I believe the full description is necessary. The book covers the stories of four passengers on this ship, all with different backgrounds. This was a heartbreaking novel. I don’t remember every detail because it has been so long, but I was absolutely enthralled by this book and it is one of my all time favorite historical fiction novels.
- Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn
I read this book my senior year of high school, right when my school district was enacting a massive book ban. I decided to write an essay on it, and the novel was fitting for the events. In a fictional town of Nollop, off the coast of South Carolina, the saying “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” rules the land. However, when letters from the sign slowly begin to fall off, the island Council decides that those letters must be banned from the vocabulary of the citizens and punishments must be enacted if those letters were used. Just as they disappear from the vocabulary, the letters disappear from the novel too. The way this novel was written is genius. It fully emulates the fear and confusion those citizens were going through as well.
- The Doloriad by Missouri Williams
This was an odd book and I absolutely loved it. I read it my senior year of high school, just for enjoyment. This novel takes place in a future world Europe. The world is broken up into clans, and this particular clan is riddled with incest, living on the outskirts of a deserted city. The Matriarch, who is the ruler of this clan, uses her daughter Dolores as a marriage offering. However, when her daughter is sent back, the Matriarch’s fragile order begins to crumble. Now, as I said, this is an odd book, but I enjoy the weird ones. Any novel that takes place in a dystopian future…you can sign me up.
- Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
Out of this list, this is my most recent read. I read it at the beginning of the semester so it’s pretty fresh in my mind. This is another book that takes place in a dystopian future. Animals have become infested with an incurable disease, and humans have become the next best thing for a meat source. Marcos works at the local meat processing plant, where he sells “special meat.” One day he is given a live specimen and he has to decide what to do with it. Again, this is an odd book. It’s chilling and scary to think about. It reminds me of COVID-19 And how the world had no idea how to stop the spread.
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This was a book I read this past summer over the course of a week. I was so hooked on it I had to make myself stop reading so I would have more to enjoy the next day. This book. I loved it. Evelyn Hugo is a Hollywood movie star who is finally ready to tell her story. She meets up with reporter Monique Grant, and spills every bloody detail of her glamorous life and her seven husbands. However, what she shares is not what Monique expects, and some tough decisions have to be made. This book was a PLOT TWIST. I had heard so many things about this book and it was so popular it made me nervous to read it. I’m always worried that the hype people put on books is false, but this was not misplaced. The style of the writing, and the switching of chapters was just beautifully done. I wish I could read it all again knowing absolutely nothing.
Books are a great way to escape reality. The world can be chaotic and books can provide a calming place. In contrast, sci-fi books like Tender is the Flesh or The Doloriad remind me that life can be so much worse and I really should appreciate what I have. A lot of these books are not mainstream, and I don’t have the widest array of books that I’ve read, but I think these are worth the read.