1. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I first read this book in my early teens and was fascinated by Zafón's ability to combine mystery, romance, intrigue, action, and suspense in one novel. I literally gasped out loud at several parts. The book was originally written in English, and I am now attempting to work through the Spanish version.
2. Bel Canto by Anne Patchet. This book exemplifies fantastic character development. Patchet masterfully humanizes characters on both sides of a conflict, which allowed me to empathize with hostage and terrorist alike. I still often ponder the complex relationships between the characters.
3. Betsy and Tacy Series by Maude Hart Lovelace. Though I read this series from when I was about 7 or 8 years old, the series has resonated with me since. The story taught me many of the moral lessons, particularly regarding friendship, that I will carry with me throughout my life.
4. The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl. While I have always enjoyed historical fiction, the act of contextualizing my ID book in its time period and delving deeply into its content was a particularly memorable experience. I am one of the proud few who can truly say I still enjoy my book, even after writing a 29 page paper. This novel also furthered my interest in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a main character of the novel.
5. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. Scandalized and intrigued, I first read Lolita at an age not much older than the book's namesake. For me, a novel with such an appalling, yet interesting subject matter has been impossible to forget.
6. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. My first Agatha Christie, the novel ushered me into the world of Hercule Poroit and Ms. Marple. The book demanded my participation as I too tried to determine the murderer(s).
7. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. I tried to avoid putting an HP book on this list, but alas, I had to succumb. My favorite is the one that many people disparage as the worst! True, this novel does not have as much action as others. However, I enjoy the well-written, thought-out details of everyday life at Hogwarts. Whenever I need to relax or find comfort, I open the book to a random page and start reading.
8. Bollywood Boy by Justine Hardy. This informative novel on the inner workings of Bollywood and, in particular, one journalist's experience with Hrithik Roshan peaked my interest in film (and literature) as a means of manifesting cultural values. It also solidified my love of Bollywood and my pride in knowing the names of the biggest stars.
9. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. This novel touched me profoundly emotionally. I am someone who struggles with hearing about a person's hardships, and Leo's situation made me sympathize deeply.
10. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. I enjoy longer books because they allow for more room to explain background information. For me, that is one of the strengths of this novel. I enjoyed understanding the scenario and scene setting of the "current" part of the novel so thoroughly. I also think that Eugenides does an excellent job at portraying the emotional subject in a believable way.
I can only imagine what reading Lolita as a middle schooler might have been like. I was much older and it shocked me, although I also remember how much the beauty of the language offset the bizarre nature of the story. And Middlesex, another story on a very unusual subject, was completely captivating, even when parts of it were very disturbing. Thanks for such a thoughtful list. We voracious readers have to stick together, you know.
ReplyDeleteDear Leah,
ReplyDeleteSince the book The Shadow of the Wind is a favorite of mine as well, I wanted to point out that the book was written originally by Carlos Ruiz Zafón in Spanish and was published in Spain in 2001 as La sombra del viento. The book was translated into English in 2004 by Lucia Graves. It was published in the United States by Penguin Books.