Books are something that I have been devouring ever since I first learned how to read. While other kids were playing basketball or jump rope, I usually had my nose stuck in a book. Coming from a small rural town in Ohio, books are what allowed me to learn about the world and helped shape me into who I am today. Which is why I wanted to share five of the most impactful books I have ever read.

1. “Small Great Things" by Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult is the master of realistic fiction. Her most recent book, “Small Great Things," is perhaps one of the most important books written in the 21st century thus far. In this masterpiece, Picoult takes a look at racism in modern-day America as the reader follows the story of Ruth, an African American labor and delivery nurse, who is charged with murder after a child of two white supremacists dies under her care. By the end of the novel, many readers, especially white Americans, will be questioning their own views on racism and white privilege, making it a must-read for everyone.

2. “All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

“All the Light We Cannot See" is one of the most beautiful books ever written. Doerr masterfully paints the story of Marie-Laure, a blind French girl, and Werner, an orphan in Germany, as they try to survive the war until their paths meet in the seaside town of Saint-Malo. This story is tragic in every way, but it will leave you wanting more.

3. “Slovenia 1945: Memories of Death and Survival During World War II" by John Coresellis

The worst crime that can be committed against someone is forgetting them. During World War II, the nation we now know as Slovenia was not only occupied by the Axis Powers, but it was also engulfed in a civil war. After the war, the Communist Partisans who took control of Yugoslavia committed horrendous extrajudicial killings, executing over 100,000 people. In “Slovenia 1945," Coresellis tells the story of the Slovene domobranci and the Anti-Communist refugees, a story that you won't find in any history book.

4. “The Storyteller" by Jodi Picoult

Another Picoult masterpiece, “The Storyteller" focuses on the topic of forgiveness. Sage is a baker, hiding from the world after an accident scared her face. One day, she meets an elderly man named Josef Weber and develops a friendship with him. But Josef is hiding a dark secret — he was once a SS who sent people to die at Auschwitz, and now he wants Sage to help him die. This is not simply just another Holocaust story. With surprising twists and turns, you'll be asking yourself if even people who committed horrible atrocities are worthy of forgiveness.

5. “Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys

Nazi Germany killed over 6 million people during the Holocaust, but they weren't the only ones committing crimes against humanity during World War II. In “Between Shades of Gray," Sepetys tells the story of Lina, a Lithuanian girl who was arrested by the Soviets and sent to forced labor camps in Siberia. This is the other side of the war, a side that is normally not discussed. Sepetys has created a masterpiece that shows the desperation and tragedy that millions of people faced at the hands of the Soviet Union during World War II.

These are only five of the books that I feel are the most impactful. These five books show the many sides of humanity, and they can even change your views on many emotionally charged topics that plague the world today, even though most of them concern World War II and the Holocaust. These five books even show that history has a way of repeating itself.