in no particular order, here are ten novels that stayed with me:
1. Matilda - Roald Dahl2. Mockingjay- Suzanne Collins 3. The Gate to Women's Country- Sherri S. Tepper4. Outlander- Diana Gabaldon 5. The Handmaid's Tale- Margaret Atwood6. Naked in Death- J.D. Robb7. Emma- Jane Austen8. Fahrenheit 451- Ray Bradbury9. The Scarlet Pimpernel- Baroness Emma Orzcy10. My Name Is Asher Lev- Chaim Potok
For today's post, I thought I would go into a little more detail about my choices.
1. Matilda - Roald Dahl
This is the first novel that I made the decision to read. I read a lot of books when I was younger but Matilda was the first really long novel that I picked out to read from my middle school library. To be honest, I picked it because it gave me the most points in this reading program thing our school had but, I also really enjoyed the book.
2. Mockingjay- Suzanne Collins
This is the final book in the Hunger Games series. I remember reading the end of this book (don't worry, no spoilers) and feeling very sad because a lot of sad things happen. I explained the ending to my mom and she told me that it sounded like the story ended in the best way possible. She was right. It was a great ending to a great series.
3. The Gate to Women's Country- Sherri S. Tepper
I read this book after my mom loaned me her copy. Man is this a good read. I finished it in two days and was blown away. There is a twist at the end that you will never see coming. This book really seemed like my first "grown-up" feminist book. If you like dystopian science-fiction with a feminist bent, I highly recommend this book.
4. Outlander- Diana Gabaldon
This is another book that I read because my mom put it in my hands. It is becoming a television series on STARZ and I am simultaneously excited and hesitant about it. I think that this entire series has a lot of potential to become a beautiful series. However, it is a series that I have fell so much in love with that I am pretty sure the show will not be able to match what I have created inside my head.
5. The Handmaid's Tale- Margaret Atwood
I don't remember who told me to read this book so it was probably my mom. This has a similar feel to The Gate to Women's Country in its dystopian, feminist and science-fiction qualities. This story frightened me and still frightens me when I think about how everyday it becomes less a story of fiction.
6. Naked in Death- J.D. Robb
Do you like murder mysteries? Do you like tough, crime solving women who wear boots and kick ass? Then this is a series for you. Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb has written so many of these books it is hard to keep track. Naked in Death is the first book in a very long series. What is great about this series is that you get murder mystery, with romance, with one kick ass chick. Again, this was a book that my mom gave me to read and as you can see, I pretty much read what she tells me. This is one of the first books I read that had a female protagonist that was smart, strong, and proactive. After reading these books I wanted to be Eve Dallas.
7. Emma- Jane Austen
I know that Pride and Prejudice is supposed to be the Jane Austen novel but, I loved Emma. Yes, there is the connection to Clueless but it is also just this wonderful story of a delightful young woman who is looking for love. It also is not as angsty as some of Austen's other works.
8. Fahrenheit 451- Ray Bradbury
Free speech, man! I think this is one of the first "assigned" books that I read and actually enjoyed. I'm pretty sure I read it in high school but I can't remember when. This novel taught me that books, are dangerous because they can change the world. That the written word has more value than the spoken and, that as powerful as books are, people can destroy that power.
9. The Scarlet Pimpernel- Baroness Emma Orzcy
I had to read this novel, along with other books, over the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of high school. This was my favorite book to read that Summer. It was a really great historical fiction/adventure/romance novel. It is also amazing because it was written by a Baroness! How awesome is that? I loved the characters so much that I ended up writing my final essay of the year about this novel.
10. My Name Is Asher Lev- Chaim Potok
This was another novel I read my sophomore year in high school. It is on this list because it is a novel that I never would have read on my own. Also, it, and my English teacher, introduced me to Jewish culture. I learned what keeping kosher was all about, and ate some unleavened bread/crackers while reading this book. The story is good but it is also just another story about a young confused boy seeking help from a father figure and art. This book is with me because when I look back on it, it was one of the first instances in which I practiced "performance as research" in a classroom. "Don't know anything about Jewish culture, well let's do some Jewish stuff and then you will have a better understanding when you read this book about a Jewish kid." Alright, then.
Obviously, there are so many more novels I can think of to add to this list but, I was limited. Also, while these are all great stories, some of the reasons they are on this list is not just because they are fantastic books. The circumstances surrounding my reading of the novels contributed a lot to my decisions.
I think that tomorrow, I will write a post about the 10 novels that I haven't read but know I "need" to.
What are your top ten novels? I am always looking for a good book recommendation.
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