I haven't always loved reading. I'm dyslexic and a good portion of my childhood was spent loathing reading. I come from a family of voracious readers so I kept trying different books until finally one stuck. Since sixth grade, I've always had my nose in a book. Each book (or series) on this list made me fall in love with reading over and over again. I hope that whether your looking for recommendations or comparing our lists, that you give these books a try.

1. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

I love Harry Potter and feel no shame in admitting it. These books taught me so many things about love, friendship, and war. Every time I read them I feel like I'm a kid again, reading them for the first time. It’s nice to know I can always return to them at any point in my life and notice something new that I didn’t notice the last time I read them. These books are engrossing in the best possible way. In fact, I think to myself daily, I wish I was a witch.

2. The Green Mile by Stephen King

Yes, the movie is great, but have you read the book? This was the first Stephen King book I ever tackled and I recommend it to everyone. It’s not a thriller or a horror story, it’s just an excellent story about people. King likes to write about ordinary people in extraordinary situations and this is no different. Fun fact, Stephen King released this book as a serial novel so it came out in 6 separate books. I found all of them in first editions at a yard sale a couple years ago and definitely cried of happiness.

3. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

I think this book gets a bad rep even though it’s incredible. First of all, I love all the dark imagery and the emphasis on red, but I also love Hester. She’s a strong heroine in a time where that wasn’t widely accepted. I read this book at a time in my life where I needed to know that things don’t always end happily ever after and for that reason this book will always mean something to me.

4. Yes Please! By Amy Poehler

I love Amy Poehler for obvious reasons (because she’s a comedy genius) but this book really took me by surprise. It wasn’t just about her career and it wasn’t all funny. This book taught me so many life lessons. My personal copy is highlighted and I still pick it up when I need Amy to spill some truths.

5. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

These books are about a strong female heroine who is thrown into a survival situation. This story sent me on such an emotional journey. They hold a special place in my heart because of the bond between the main character, Katniss, and her little sister. My sister and I are very close so these books mean a great deal to both of us.

6. The Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown

If you liked the Hunger Games, this should be the next series you tackle. It’s kind of like Ender’s Game meets the Hunger Games. Lots of games. I received the first book at Book Con three years ago (yes, it’s a convention for books and yes, it’s amazing) and I finally got around to reading it this summer. After reading the first fifty pages, I went out and bought the next two in the series because it was that good.

7. Timeline by Michael Crichton

Timeline is about several archaeologists who are sent back in time to find missing team members. If you’ve read anything by Michael Crichton you know the science can be a bit dense in the beginning but the story is so incredible. It’s also a great movie, but the book is better.

8. As You Wish by Cary Elwes

This book is about the making of my all-time favorite movie, The Princess Bride. It was so wonderful to go behind the scenes and learn about my favorite movie. Elwes made me both laugh and cry.

9. The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

This book compiles several stories from the Vietnam War. My sophomore English teacher made us read The Things They Carried for summer reading. I thought I would hate this book but as I continued to read it, I realized that it put the war in a perspective that I would never have learned in school. Thanks, Mr. Turner.

10. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

This is a book that so many of us read during high school but have you read it since? Every time I reread it, I fall in love with it all over again. Fitzgerald brings his characters and the time period to life. I think that when you read this book after high school, you look at it with a completely new perspective.

11. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riodan

These books are loosely based on classic Greek Mythology with a modern twist. I read them in middle school and I still reread them. They are the first series that made me love reading! They're the reason I read so much today so they have a very special place in my heart. They always put me in a good mood and remind me of my childhood.