Literature is a dwindling art in modern society. With the constant growth and advancements in technology, books are becoming more and more unnecessary. Technology has deemed it possible to read on various devices, making it so purchasing a physical book is not as convenient as simply pulling one up on an iPad or Kindle. Holding a book in your hands and flipping from page to page until you arrive at the end and close it is an experience you will not get by reading the words strung across the screen in front of you.

Of all the genres and styles of books, my favorite is memoirs. There is something beautiful about a book that takes you through the true events of a person's life, making you feel as if you are the one telling the story of your past. A strong emotional connection to the writer arises when I slip into their world and feel what they feel. It is comforting and uplifting to know that so many people face hardships, some worse than others, but it is always possible to emerge from suffering and create a new life for yourself, one where you are not broken.

I have read copious memoirs that have touched my heart. The following eight are ones that really stuck with me. Anyone who reads these memoirs will have the ability to step inside the heart of despair without falling into the hole. Everyone has a story to tell; read and allow these powerful writers to tell their stories that will stick with you long after the book has been closed.

1. Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

Susannah Cahalan expresses her battle with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, a rare autoimmune disease. She suffers through multiple misdiagnoses, psychotic episodes, and excruciatingly painful experiences during her recovery. Her story contracts an emotional response as it takes the reader through Susannah's innermost thoughts and confusion along the road to her recovery. (This book was made into a movie in May, 2014.)

2. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

I have read this book multiple times, for it is a short read and a compelling story. It is set in the 1960's, beginning in 1967 when Susanna was 18 and admitted to McLean Psychiatric Hospital after a suicide attempt. Her experiences at the hospital exploit the truth that not every patient is "crazy."

3. Skin Game by Caroline Kettlewell

This memoir dives into the struggles many face with self-harm as the author guides us through her battle which began at age 14. The addiction to inflicting pain on oneself is something Caroline struggled with for years. Her words are raw and expose the nitty gritty details of self-harm and the reasons for which one may be unable to walk away from it.

4. Diary of an Oxygen Thief by Anonymous

This anonymous memoir brings the reader inside the mind of a sociopath. The author talks of his love for hurting girls not physically, but emotionally. He finds joy in other people's pain, especially when he is the one inflicting it. This memoir is an interesting read because it allows the reader to consider the thoughts of someone who is not them.

5. Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity by Kerry Cohen

Kerry Cohen's life of promiscuity may be much like someone you know. In her memoir, she expresses her longing to be loved and her impulsivity to get in bed with a man. On some level, many can relate to this story in the essence of searching for love and the victorious feeling that stems from the attention of a man.

6. The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon

At 14 years old, Brent Runyon doused his bathrobe in gasoline and lit himself on fire, surviving but burning off most of his skin. The author describes his time spent at various hospitals and his innermost thoughts and feelings about his situation.

7. A Stolen Life by Jaycee Lee Dugard

Jaycee Lee Dugard was abducted was a bus stop near her home when she was eleven years old. She was then held in captivity for over 18 years before she was found. This memoir is extremely powerful because the author painfully reflects back on her traumatic childhood in captivity, exposing the reader to the horrors Jaycee was forced to endure.

8. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath, my all-time favorite poet, writes her story of adolescence and growth through her experiences at boarding school followed by her admittance to McLean hospital for psychiatric care. Her journey towards recovery was long and bumpy, but parts of it were paved and smooth, proving that recovery has no destination but is an ongoing journey.