Whether you enjoy reading on the daily, or you just stumble through life reading only what is academically forced upon you, most people have probably read (hopefully) at least a handful of novels that meant something to them at the time or impacted them in some way. I am an avid reader and could make lists for days, but here are just ten gems that will change your life, if you are so bold.
1. "Where the Moon Isn't" by Nathan Filer
An intimate and dark read about a young man suffering from schizophrenia and the death of his brother, this novel will leave you with a hurt for the mentally ill and the those in psychiatric hospitals.
2. "The Catcher In the Rye" by J.D. Salinger
Probably my favorite book of all time, the hilariously tender story of a few days of our beloved Holden's life with have you crying and laughing (maybe at the same time).
3. "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway
This short story of an old man determined to catch a fish seems deceptively simple at first, but see it through to the end for the loveliness that is Hemingway and the Christ parallels in regards to the old man.
4. "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinback
The story of George and our gentle giant, Lenny, is one of my favorites. So heartwrenching, but so worth it.
5. "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling
If you have not read these yet, stop trying to be cooler than everyone else and just do it. What kind of life is worth living without Harry Potter?
6. "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
Another one of my absolute favorites. Plath's autobiographical novel of a few years of her life, some of which were spent in a psychiatric ward, sheds a lot of light on the mentality of someone suffering from depression in a world where they are not understood.
7. "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis
Letters written between a head demon and a lower demon about the demon's quest to derail a man's life into the pits of hell is an incredibly enticing concept of Lewis's. There is so much truth in this book about the lies of Satan and many thoughts we have that are planted by him.
8. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey
A classic, told from the viewpoint of a mute resident in a psychiatric ward, tells the story of a man who may or may not be insane and his tumbling with the head nurse of the ward who abuses her power over the patients. This story will leave you so incredibly heartbroken over the brutal conditions many mental health patients are exposed to.
9. "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
The story of a woman who feels forced into her gender role and can find no alternative way of life to soothe her inner turmoil is not only gripping but thought provoking. Chopin' story will leave you pondering over the idea that we as humans put ourselves in lives we are not always content with.
10. "The Five People You Meet In Heaven" by Mitch Albom
A tale of a man who dies saving a child's life and then progresses through the afterlife with five different guides, each teaching him a lesson in relation to the life he lived, is so touching and impossible to put down. "Everything" by Albom is a must read.
I cannot say enough good things about the books on this list. I am biased because these are ten of my favorites, but these novels are more than worth everyone's time and will bring new perspectives into your life.
