It’s the season to be thankful!!!
I saw this picture today and really had to think about the answer…
How do I pick only 5 books?
So I had to think back… pretty far back to when my love of reading began. After narrowing it down, I decided on my 5 final choices:
And here’s why:
1.) The Princess Bride by William Goldman
This story is hands down my favorite. Not just the book, but the movie too. It’s so perfect! Fairy tale, romance (but not too mushy), adventure, comedy, twu wuv. It’s all there! The best part is, if you read the book as an adult after enjoying the movie as a child, it’s like reading a new story! And it’s just as enjoyable. The author even goes as far to create a fictional author of his own fairy tale to trick thousands of readers into googling (or I guess back when it was published, going to the library and looking up) the fabled S. Morgenstern. It’s quite the clever setup. And let’s face it… there’s no better line in history than “As you wish.”
2.) The Giver by Lois Lowry
I can distinctly remember reading along to the audio version of this book in my fifth grade classroom. I can still hear the chant from the selection “Jonas, Jonas, Jonas…” This book gripped me as a young adult with themes of a utopian society, government control, and human nature. It’s a lot to take in when you’re young, but it made an impact and I still enjoy it to this day.
3) Outlander (the series) by Diana Gabaldon
Okay, I know it’s a series and not a book, but it’s a helluva series and I think if you’d give it a try, you’d get hooked. I was given the first book back around the end of high school and it sparked a love of historical fiction and fantasy. The more I read, the more I loved to read, and eventually as an adult (I use the term loosely here because I was only 19) I went to work for Barnes and Noble to be happily surrounded by books everyday. Now as a real adult (again… it’s iffy), I’ve been inspired enough to write a story of my own, I can understand how amazing it is that this series has been successful and made into a TV series (which is surprisingly done well). The best news? The author is still working on more books! Keep ’em coming!
4) The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
Another series, but you’ll forgive me if you haven’t read it and decide to. This series hints after the popular tales of morals and Christianity, but creates an epic world of its own to tell the tale. C.S. Lewis is one of the reasons I love fairy tales so much as an adult. The fact that we can believe in anything we can’t see is really a kind of magic in itself. Though this series can be downright scary at times, I think the overall moral stands true, no matter the interpretation.
5) Rosie Dunne by Cecelia Ahern (Also known as Dear, Rosie)
This book was given to me by a co-worker at Barnes & Noble and it paved the way for me to enjoy contemporary fiction. the story is most basically a romance, but a very real one. The kind where you may want a happy ending, but life gets in the way. This author also wrote P.S. I love you (also on my shelf), and this book was made in to a film, but it just didn’t do the story justice.
All of these choices have influenced my views on love, humanity, fantasy, morals, and romance. It’s amazing that a story that started in someone’s head could have that much effect on a person. It’s the reason why I’ve been inspired to write my own stories, and it’s made me into who I am today. And for that, I’m thankful!
~Amy Marie
Amy Marie 