"Picking five favorite books is like picking the five body parts you’d most like not to lose." - Neil GaimanWhen someone asks me what my favorite book is, I usually just sigh. How in the world could I just pick one? I have shelves full of books that I've read so many times they are practically falling apart. My books are like my best friends and asking me to choose just one is just cruel. Non-bibliophiles just don't seem to understand this so I usually rattle of a few titles that pop into my head.
All that being said, if I had to pick a few of my favorites, I could probably come up with a list. In no particular order, here are the books I would consider to be in my top five:
Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling
What can I say about Harry Potter that could possibly justify this wonderful series. I grew up on the Harry Potter series and so much of me is tied with this series. From midnight book releases to dressing up for movie premiers, Harry Potter has been such a huge part of my life and I couldn't imagine my life without it.
The Giver by Lois Lowry
I first read The Giver when I was in fifth grade for school. I like it then but I don't think, at that age, I really grasped the intertwining beauty and horror that is in this book. I read superficially as any 11 year-old would, enjoying it for the imaginary world it presented and a new way of looking at the world. It wasn't until I re-read it in high school when I truly appreciated how deep and meaningful all the themes are. I would also recommend the following three books in the Giver Quarter, Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
I read The Book Thief for my book club a few years ago but going into the book I didn't really know what it was about so I didn't know what to expect. Let's just say I was blown away. Since then, I have reread it multiple times and each time I am just as emotionally touched be it. As a book lover myself I could see myself in Liesel and her love of books and words. From The Book Thief we can see that good can come out of the tragedy and horror that was World War II.A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
What top five list would be complete without a favorite classic? I first read A Tale of Two Cities as summer reading in high school and while so many of my classmates found it hard to get through I thought the Dickens's language just made the story so much richer. I ended up writing my final English paper on A Tale of Two Cities analyzing my favorite character, Sydney Carton. I think that everyone should read this beautiful story of love in a time of war.
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
We were supposed to read To Kill A Mockingbird in ninth grade but our teacher never got around to it. I owned the book so that summer I decided to read it to see what we had missed out in during the school year. I am so glad I did because it instantly became one of my favorites. Who can't read about Scout, Jem, Atticus, Dill and Boo Radley without falling in love with them? I now own a beautiful leather-bound copy that I will treasure forever.
