I, a devoted paying consumer of both Netflix and Hulu,
can admit that as much as I thrive during a torrid binge watching love-affair with
the latest heart wrenching drama featuring kick-ass female protagonists (looking
at you, Olivia Pope), occasionally I still need to pry my eyes from the screen.
Or, sometimes the WiFi goes out and rather than be left alone with my thoughts,
I revert to a childhood favorite, reading.
1. The Bell Jar
Alternative title: “Book That Saved My Life.” Protagonist Esther is a character every young woman has been at some point. She questions what it means to be a woman physically, socially, and sexually. The raw emotions this woman is flooded with come seeping through every page. I can’t even begin to explain how much I adore this book.
2. The Sun Also Rises
Ah, so begins my love-hate relationship with Hemingway. This a story that genuinely captures what it was like to be a member of the Lost Generation. Equipped with idyllic expatriate scenery and messy love triangles, this book tackles love, loss and everything in between.
3. The Book Thief
An inspiring tale of a young girl hidden in plain sight and her dangerous love for literature. She has seen so much loss yet she is endlessly bright and warm. With a little help from her goofy best friend, she is able to live vibrantly in an otherwise dark world.
4. The Giver
Living in a black and white utopia designed to keep its residents safe, Jonas is given the gift of memory. He sees what life was like before his world was created, both the good and the bad, and realizes a muted and dull existence is not what he was meant for. Obviously a tale of bravery and more subtly a call to appreciate all the messy things that makes life lively.
5. I Am Malala
Malala Yousafzi is a bona fide testament to the idea that the strongest force in nature is a woman on a mission. Her story is nothing short of incredible. There is power in every word she speaks, every thought she thinks, every step she takes. Truly, a rare specimen of unfettering compassion and resolution.
6. Becoming Naomi Leon
I read this when I was 11 and the story has stayed with me since. An unstable alcoholic mother, a disabled, bullied younger brother, and a lost father, are all the ingredients needed to make a damaged young girl, but Naomi Leon is nothing of the sort. With the support of her grandmother she goes on a journey to find her father but more importantly finds pieces of herself along the way. A rich tale embedded with little tastes of Mexican culture.
7. The Kite Runner
8. The Most Wonderful Doll In the World
Alright, alright. This is a book probably best suitable for 3rd graders BUT that does not negate it’s quality. One of my favorite childhood books, a charming tale of a little girl, a lost doll, and an exception imagination.
9. The Cellist of Sarajevo
This is one that hits close to home. A story with four very different protagonists leading vastly different lives but all unified by the tragedy of war. We see both exceptional bravery and heart-wrenching cowardice. This serves as a beautiful insight into the fluid definition of humanity.
10. Friday Night Lights
I like to pretend I’m not die hard Texan who prides herself on things like southern hospitality and Whataburger. But deep, deep down I know there is nothing better than the land of spicy ketchup and southern drawl. This book is very much an insight into the cultural importance of Football in the south but it also sheds light on the backwards social and economic stigma prevalent in the Lone Star State.
