Because it is National Book Month in October, I decided to list some fun books I’ve read in the past. They are not particularly centered on any age group but are stories that I have found personally memorable.
1. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
“A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth” (Goodreads).
I remember when I first began reading this book and disliked the short chapters. It bothered me for no reason. It wasn’t until the middle that I found myself clinging on page-by-page. We Were Liars is my all-time favorite book. I’ve read it a couple of times. I love the imagery in this book on the setting, the conflicts created between characters, and most of all, I LOVE the plot twist at the end. This book will have you shook, I promise.
2. Circe by Madeline Miller
“In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves…” (Goodreads).
This story took me by surprise. It is my most recent read, and it took me a while to get through, but I was impressed. As a reader, the concept interested me, but my brain wasn’t ready to learn so many names at once in the first few chapters. Definitely don’t be me and throw yourself into a book on mythology that you don’t understand. I highly recommend reading about who Circe is first and the character’s background. Miller did a fantastic job in this book building the world around the involved characters. The book is long too, as it tries to portray the life of Circe, who lives for all eternity. By the middle of the book, a reader feels like one hundred years went by. Every character Circe meets has an impact on her life, which is crazy because she lives forever. It was interesting how she seemed to be the only person who had empathy. I also admired that every nymph had a different power, so no one was the same, and that itself made Circe stand out after all.
3. The Kissing Booth by Beth Reekles
“Meet Rochelle Evans: pretty, popular—and never been kissed. Meet Noah Flynn: badass, volatile—and a total player. And also, Elle’s best friend’s older brother…” (Goodreads).
As you probably recognize the title already from Netflix, yes, it is a book. I originally found The Kissing Booth on Wattpad before it was even published my freshman year in high school. At the time, Reekles was still finishing it. She was in school herself, writing full time. It impressed me and inspired me to write more. The day I heard her book was becoming a movie on Netflix, I knew it would be a rom-com that would blow up. I am actually happy with the cast. A lot of peers judged Joey King in her role, but she depicted Elle Evans quite well. However, I do realize that not everyone read the book and knows how Elle was portrayed. I think it gets a bad reputation for being popular on Wattpad, but lately many movies, shows, and podcasts have come out of that site. It offers many opportunities for creators.
4. Paper Towns by John Green
“Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So, when she cracks open a window and climbs into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew…” (Goodreads).
There were a couple of quotes I remembered saving from this book. I was definitely on the edge, page-by-page, wanting to know what happened next. It’s been a while since I’ve read this book, but I remember not liking the ending as much in the movie compared to the book. There was a lot of mystery in Paper Towns, which I enjoyed reading.
5. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
“When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder―much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?” (Goodreads).
I read some of this series in high school. It was probably the one thing that made me realize how much I liked reading. Clare’s books are LONG. I was surprised every time I finished one of them. I also liked that I read these on a Nook e-reader, so it wasn’t completely obvious how far I was into one chapter or the book as a whole. I was upset at the movie and show for not following the story correctly. However, I was mostly mad at the show for being incredibly off. I hope they bring back Lily Collins into the franchise.
6. In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth
“For fans of Gabrielle Zevin and Lurlene McDaniel, In a Heartbeat explores the ties of family and the weight of regret when a mistake costs Eagan her life during a figure-skating competition. Left in the afterlife, reflecting on what she could have done differently, Eagan’s still-beating heart is given to Amelia who has been waiting patiently for a transplant. When their thoughts, feelings, and dreams begin to mysteriously overlap, Amelia knows she must search for Eagan’s family and find a way to give them all the closure they need to move on” (Goodreads).
I read this book years ago, but one of the reasons why it has stuck to me was because it reminded me of my own days in surgery before high school. Obviously, one cannot compare heart to a spine, but it reminded me of the idea of not being yourself within another body; to know there’s another part of you blocked because of a surgical procedure.
7. Seriously… I’m Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres
“Sometimes the greatest things are the most embarrassing.” Ellen Degeneres’ winning, upbeat candor has made her show one of the most popular, resilient, and honored daytime shows on the air. (To date, it has won no fewer than 31 Emmys.) Seriously… I’m Kidding, Degeneres’ first book in eight years, brings us up to date about the life of a kindhearted woman who bowed out of American Idol because she didn’t want to be mean. Lively; hilarious; often sweetly poignant” (Goodreads).
This book was introduced to me through my high school’s book club. I remember it being one of the positive things going on in my life at that time. It was true comedic relief. I haven’t read anything comedic since then, but I do believe that reading DeGeneres’ book opened me to the idea of good comedy in a book.
8. So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti
“When Brooke discovers that the love of her life, Scott Abrams, is moving from their New Jersey suburb to New York City for senior year, she decides to follow him there. Living with her estranged father and adjusting to a whole new school are challenging–and things get even worse when she finds out that Scott already has a girlfriend. But as she learns to navigate the big city, she starts to discover a whole new side of herself and realizes that sometimes love can find you even when you’re not looking for it” (Goodreads).
This book didn’t fail to make me laugh. While it was a rom-com, it had such crazy aspects to the plot that made the book so funny. The main character was so in love with the boy she liked that she moved just to be closer to him. The idea of someone doing that to me is truly terrifying, and I think that’s why I found it funny. The story gets cuter by the end.
9. Half-Bad by Sally Green
“Sixteen-year-old Nathan lives in a cage: beaten, shackled, trained to kill. In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world’s most terrifying and violent witch, Marcus. Nathan’s only hope for survival is to escape his captors, track down Marcus, and receive the three gifts that will bring him into his own magical powers—before it’s too late. But how can Nathan find his father when there is no one safe to trust, not even family, not even the girl he loves?” (Goodreads).
While I actually didn’t finish this book, I found the different concept of the witch theory in Nathan’s world interesting. The book had an entire map a reader can look at to see in the relative world where everyone was.
10. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
“Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?
Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it’s the only one that matters” (Goodreads).
I love Forman’s writing. I saw the movie first, so I don’t think I can say as much on my opinion between the movies, but this book was clever! I like that most of the story is before her accident to show what she would risk if she gave up her life versus what she wouldn’t suffer from. I cried while reading the book and watching the movie. I also appreciated the scene in the book when they made love. Forman personified it into violins playing. This made the imagery different to however a reader took it. I liked it though because it paralleled Mia’s music passion.
In addition to these books, I’ve found some other interests for book month that I haven’t read myself, but I’d like to:
1. Just One Day by Gayle Forman
2. Normal People by Sally Rooney (Also a show on Hulu)
3. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Even if none of these books are your cup of tea, there is a book out there for you, I promise! Go to your local bookstore and find your next favorite book to read.