Top Ten Books to Make you Think / Teaser Tuesday
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September 11: Top Ten Books That Make You Think (About The World, People, Life, etc.)
1. Imperfect: An Improbable Life by Jim Abbott :: I’m sure many of you think this is an odd choice! But my daughter was born without her left hand (Jim was born without his right) and this book talked a lot about his childhood and dealing with the social issues that came with his disadvantage.
2. If I Stay by Gayle Forman :: This is one of those books that I read through tears. It really makes you think about how quickly everything can change.
3. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins :: This was my first adventure into Dystopian fiction, and to me the idea of what the world will look like in that type of a future is a bit too realistic and creepy. I just couldn’t get over it.
4. A Time to Die by Lurlene McDaniel :: As a teenager who is fairly invincible, the One Last Wish series by Lurlene McDaniel not only hooked me, but had me realizing that life wasn’t permanent. (And as an adult child of a transplant recipient, I have a whole new appreciation for these books!)
5. A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer :: Anyone who ever read this book would probably add it to this list.
6. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein :: We read this book one a week when I was working at a summer camp after high school; and it’s one of those stories/parables/etc that sticks with you forever. If I need a good little reminder about how blessed I am because of all the people who give so much for me? I love to sit down with this book for a quick reminder.
7. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom :: I devoured this book the day it came out, and to be honest? It was the first time that I’d ever seen someone else publicly state that heaven was the way I’d pictured it. It really makes you look at your life and the people you touch!
8. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: Again? This is one I expect to see on many lists this week. It hits so many heavy issues – and in some ways makes you glad that our society is more open now, but it also makes you wonder – just how different are we? (And? If you haven’t read it? And you think you’re a bookish person? Then go grab this book!!)
9. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton :: I have to start by admitting that it’s been 16 years since I read this one, and I MUST read it again, ASAP! But the punch this little book packed has stayed with me all these years. (In fact, perhaps I’ll read it today!) The underlying theme is that while we’re all different? We’re all the same, we have similar struggles, similar feelings, etc. (And Ponyboy was my first book boyfriend!)
10. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer :: This is probably the strangest answer on my list – but this book? It taught me how to escape into a book in a way I had never done before. Sure, I’ve been a book-nerd since fifth grade when I fell in love with The Babysitters Club! But I have never, ever, been so sucked into a book and forgotten EVERYTHING around me, as I was with Twilight. I suppose it ignited my passion for reading. But it taught me that YA isn’t so bad, and paranormal can be fun. (It’s not just for hardcore nerds anymore!)
