So last week, we started a discussion on my top 10 favorite books of all time and did a detailed run down of 10 - 6. This week we finish up with 5 - 1 and discuss why I love them and what I learned from them.
5. 6 Months to Live by Lurlene McDaniels
So I have read everything Lurlene McDaniels has ever written. Her books are about sick teenagers that don't always make it to the end of the book. They're very gut wrenching, there's tears, sometimes anger, but they're real life. And even though she does have sort of a pattern to the series she writes for her characters, the emotional roller coaster you go on is worth ride. And that's how I want my book to be. Predictability in movies and in books is to be expected. Even if I can figure out who did it or who's going to end up with whom, as long as I enjoy the journey of getting from A to B, I don't mind it.
4. Diary of Ann Frank
Diary of Ann Frank. Do I really need to say anymore than that? This is the book that got me into journaling in the hopes that someday people would be able to find strength in the words that I wrote down in a moment of strife. I know, that's a little ambitious, but a girl can dream can't she? I was impressed with the way she told the story and kept us hooked and she wasn't even trying to. It was just a little girl writing down the events around her as a way to keep sane. That, in and of itself, was brilliant.
3. Finding Fish by Antwon Fisher
Finding Fisher, is one of my favorite movies of all time because it's one of two movies that remind me of me (Good Will Hunting being the other one). So when I found out that it was based on a book, I ran out and got it (I also have his poetry book as well). Finding Fish goes into the details that the movie left out. It talks about just how badly the abuse got and what he had to do to pull himself out of the gutter. And I can appreciate the struggle and someone who had to fight tooth and nail to succeed.
2. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
This book is absolutely breath taking. And it's unlike anything I've read before and in a world of "hey that sounds like" or "that reminds me of" it's exciting to read something you've never read before. This is another one that switches back and forth between points of view and is done brilliantly. It's very dialogue heavy and not so action packed but it doesn't drag and keeps you sucked into the story. Thirteen Reasons Why caused me to look deeper into my stories and not make them so shallow or one dimensional.
1. Sweet Valley High - the entire series
This is the first book series that made me stand up and say "I want to do this". I wanted to create my own world and the characters in it. And I started playing around with ideas and story lines when I was 12 that got more elaborate as I got older. And then, I reached about 25, picked up a Sweet Valley book and realized that things were too perfect and wanted to add a little more drama into my writing.
So there's my list. Feel free to post your favorite books in the comments! Let's talk about it!
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