The best books, in my opinion, are the ones that get you emotionally invested in the characters. If you have never found yourself in this situation, then you have either not been reading the right books or are a stable human. Either way, everyone occasionally needs a book that will pull at their heart-strings and make them look at life differently. Here are four books that will definitely give you the ‘feels’:
1. Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World’s Worst Dog by John Grogan
Who doesn’t love a story about a crazy, slobbery dog? However, this autobiography is about much more than just a dog and his crazy antics. It’s about the beautiful journey of a family, their triumphs and their tragedies, and the dog who is with them through it all. You will laugh. You will cry. You will cry some more.
2. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
If you are looking for a romanticized book about cancer, this is not it. This story begins with Anna, a girl who was conceived as a bone marrow match for her leukemia-plagued sister Kate. For thirteen years Anna has undergone numerous surgeries to support her sister, until the day she decides to sue her parents for the rights to her own body. This sets off a chain of events that changes Anna’s and her family’s lives forever. Told through varying points of views, My Sister’s Keeper will keep you emotionally invested until the very end. This is book is best read isolated from others because you will be crying continuously.
3. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Sam Kingston is a popular high school senior that has been looking forward to February 12, “cupid day” for weeks. The day is full of roses, valentines, and the biggest party of the year. Unfortunately for Sam, she ends up dying that night in a terrible accident. However, she still wakes up the next morning and finds that it is again February 12. Sam ends up reliving the day she dies seven times, each day learning how just one choice can make all the difference in the world. This book will make you really think about your life and the choices you have made. It will also leave you emotionally crippled a few hours after reading it.
4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
“It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .”
The Book Thief takes place during WWII in Germany and follows Liesel Meminger, a young girl who finds strength from stealing books that are meant to be burned and sharing them with her neighbors. Told through the point of view of death, The Book Thief is a beautifully written novel that will keep you reading until the end while making you experience great emotional upheaval.
