My Favorite Books of All Time

It’s been a rough couple of weeks for a variety of reasons. More than likely, those reasons will end up on this blog someday, but I’m just not ready to explore them here quite yet. I’ve spent several days fretting over whether this post would get written at all. I considered taking the week off, but thinking about doing that gave me even more anxiety than the anxiety I felt over not knowing what to write. Ironic.

Coming up at the end of this month is National Eating Disorder Awareness week and I have lots to say on that topic. So this week, I decided to keep it light and write about my all-time favorite books. There’s no way that I can rank them, and I will probably accidentally leave out some good ones, but here’s my top 20 books and why I love them:

Looking for Alaska by John Green

• This book gave me my all time favorite quote: “You need never be hopeless because we can never be irreparably broken.” I love everything about this book from Pudge’s voice and point of view, to the mystery of Alaska and her story, and all of the amazing quotes. Another favorite quote? “And then something invisible snapped insider her, and that which had come together commenced to fall apart.”

The Pact by Jodi Picoult

• This was the second Jodi Picoult book that I read and I loved it so much that I have read and owned all of her books since. I could connect so much with the angst of the main characters and learned a lot from her portrayal of families and how they grieve.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

• I just love how this book is written. It’s like Charlie is talking specifically to you and he’s letting you in on all of his secrets. When I write my book someday, I sometimes like to imagine it being like this one. Me, talking to you, and making you feel like you’re important enough to know all my secrets.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

• I thought I would hate this book. I was fully expecting to just skim it and use SparkNotes to pass the class in college. Turns out, I couldn’t put it down and wrote a kick butt paper/story about it to ace my class. If only the last page or two didn’t exist...

Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

• I have such fond memories of reading Harry Potter. From holing up in my room for hours, reading to Schyler and Gabe when they were younger, to waiting for each book to come out with anticipation. Our WHOLE family, my parents included, all read these books. We would fight over whose turn it was to read. Kids these days who can pick them up and read them one after another don’t know how lucky they are! To this day, the soundtrack to the movies make me so happy and remind me of going to see each one in the theater for my birthday as a family.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

• I fell in love with this book long before they made the Netflix series. I think that it’s an important read, especially as a teen, to realize just how much your actions affect others. It’s a gut wrenching read, and not one that I took lightly as a teen or when I reread it as an adult. Even though I didn’t love the show’s interpretation (or the fact that they made a second season), I always appreciate shows/books that spark conversations around mental health.

Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss & Gain by Portia de Rossi

• I LOVED this book. Even before I truly came to terms with my own eating disorder, I could closely identify with her feelings of being out of control and her desperate attempts to regain control of her life. I think that Portia’s voice is so genuine and authentic and does a really good job at shedding light on the havoc that an eating disorder, or any mental illness, can have on your life and relationships with others.

Paper Towns by John Green

• Again, I loved this book and John Green before the movie came out and he got famous. As you read, you think you know what’s going to happen and by the end, John has you questioning everything. John Green is a literal genius and he truly speaks to my soul. This story is also home to a few more of my favorite quotes including “Maybe all the strings inside him broke” and “What a treacherous thing to believe that a person is more than a person.”

A Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

• I read this book because it was recommended by a friend. I had to read it in chunks, because it literally made my brain hurt, but wow. There’s some deep stuff in there. The author, a former prisoner of a concentration camp, explores the purpose of life. It was interesting to hear his point of view on suffering, and how regardless of what is happening, there is always meaning to your life as long as you maintain hope.

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

• I read this book when I was a teen and haven’t been able to force myself to read it as a teacher. I’m sure that it would sit a lot differently now. I have always really admired Jodi’s ability to take important/controversial issues and give voices to both sides so you can make up your own opinions.

A Painted House by John Grisham

• This is one of the only books that I’ve read more than twice. Something about John Grisham’s storytelling just sucks me in every time. I always taught my students to “make a movie in their heads” to picture what’s happening in the book, and his writing allowed me to make the most vivid “movie in my head” of any book that I’ve ever read.

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

• I wrote a blog post about what I learned from this book HERE. The Man in the Arena quote will forever stick with me and help me to separate the voices that really matter to me from the voices that shouldn’t matter.

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

• This was my favorite book when I was in elementary school. I’ve always loved historical fiction and remember being so enthralled with Eliza’s story and everything she had to overcome during the 1793 Yellow Fever epidemic in Philadelphia. I always recommend it to students and sadly, none of them seem to love it nearly as much as I did.

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

• Reading about Elizabeth’s travels inspired me to dabble in Italian while I was in high school and lit the fire within me to someday visit Italy. Now that I have some experience meditating, I can relate to her struggles and have a newfound appreciation for all the hard work she did to reclaim balance and peace in her life.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

• Gillian Flynn is a master storyteller. Some of you may be familiar with her most popular book, Gone Girl, which is also amazing. But something about Sharp Objects just sucked me in. I could relate in many ways to the main character, Camille, and could connect with some of her struggles in the book. I couldn’t put it down and once it was over, I remember just sitting there and staring at the book in disbelief. The HBO miniseries based on the book starring Amy Adams was actually pretty good and accurate, I would recommend both the book and the show!

Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans

• I don’t even remember how I came across this book, but I’m SO THANKFUL that I did. I listened to the audiobook at first, and in my opinion, there is something so powerful about hearing the author themselves tell their story. Rachel died unexpectedly this past spring and although I didn’t know her personally, it felt like I had lost a friend. Her ability to be genuine and authentic really hit me and I really admire her honesty as she explored some of the most personal aspects of her spiritual life. Her views on the modern day church and religion were the words that I hadn’t been able to coherently form in my mind until I heard her so perfectly explain it. There are some deep wounds perpetuated by the church in my life and Rachel beautifully explained the mixed feelings I have of the modern church and organized religion.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

• This one gets me in the feels every time. I’m partial to books about World War II and the Holocaust, and I think this one does such a good job at helping kids see it from a kid’s point of view and gives the Holocaust a sense of humanity that is easily lost when you’re overwhelmed with all the cold, hard facts. It’s easily relatable and a powerful read for both kids and adults.

Bleachers by John Grisham

• Maybe it’s because I grew up on the sidelines of football fields, but I fell in love with this book. John does such a good job at portraying the heart and soul that’s put into school sports, while also including all the politics that are often involved in small towns. I appreciate books that explore the complexities of humanity and how it’s not always cut and dried whether someone is a good or bad person.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

• It’s equally happy and sad and does such a good job at imagining what’s going on in our pup’s brains. I watched the movie, but still think the book is much better. When I imagine Rocky talking to me, it usually comes out like Enzo’s voice in the book.

The Shack by William P. Young

• This book changed my life, maybe more than any other book ever has. I know this book has been around for awhile, but I had never read it until this past summer in treatment (my best Goodwill buy hands down!) I haven’t seen the movie yet, because I don’t want to alter the pictures I made in my head while reading. The whole idea of spending time with God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit personified, and thinking of them as friends instead of all powerful beings, completely blew my mind. My copy sits on my bedside table and although I haven’t read it yet for a second time, just looking at the cover reminds me of the revelations I made while reading this summer.