Memorable Books

1. Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger. Before I read Catcher at the age of thirteen, I had never experienced a character that I could relate to as much as Holden.

2. The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath. I was 14. Although the novel is quite dark, I think it gives insight into mental illness and institutionalization.  

3. Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell. I was 17. Although writing my ID paper on Gone With the Wind was a tedious process, the hours of researching and writing did not detract from my enjoyment of the novel. It's the longest novel to date that I've read, and I felt very accomplished when I finished.

4. Harry Potter series, JK Rowling. My first memory of Harry Potter involved my dad reading the first novel to my brother and me when I was only four. I feel as though I've grown up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

5. The Fault in Our Stars, John Green. John Green is my all-time favorite young adult writer. I read his first novel when I was 14, and read his latest novel, TFIOS, this past year. John Green is amazing at writing books that can make you laugh one page, and cry the next.

6. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald. I first read The Great Gatsby when I was 13. I had never before experienced such beautiful and flowery writing.

7. Atonement, Ian McEwan. 17. Such a heartbreaking novel, but I think Ian McEwan is an amazing writer.

8. The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison. 17. Before reading the Bluest Eye, I had never realized how much society values appearance. Toni Morrison is one of the my favorite writers.

9. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky. 13. Perks is my most read novel. I've probably read it about five times.

10. The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. 14. One of the most charming stories I've read. I like it to because despite my limited ability, I can still understand it in French.