Ten Books

I have compiled a list of the top ten books that have created the largest impact in my life thus far. I will attempt to keep my explanations of each relatively short, so as to comply with the instructions of the assignment, but, just for the record, it should be known that I could easily (and quite surprisingly) willingly babble on for pages about each book. Keeping that in mind, I present (with great flourish, of course) a list of some of my dearest memories.

1. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond

The story is adorable, without a doubt. It was my favorite book growing up.

2. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

In fourth grade, upon finishing a chapter of this book, my class would indulge in rich chocolate surprises, which I later came to realize was a form of bribery.

3. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

On numerous occasions, I have sworn to burn this book in a dramatic bonfire. I put it on the list because of the emotion, albeit that of detestation, it evokes in me.

4. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

So, I sort of cheated by plopping a total of seven books into one slot, but regardless, the series taught how to read until dawn.

5. Anthem by Ayn Rand

I have read through this several times, seeing as it is such a quick read, but the most impressionable time was the first read, during eighth grade. I was to keep a journal of my thoughts for every chapter, and every once in awhile, I will flip back through it and add extra comments.

6. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

This is one of my favorite "thinking about the world" books. Almost every single page has some scribble or another on it, dating all the way back to ninth grade when I first opened it.

7. Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger

These were the first short stories that held meaning for me. "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" remains my absolute favorite short story for its subtlety.

8. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

When I first read this, I was in a dark place, to say the least. Frankl's story has been revisited frequently in my mind as I have gathered far too much information about psychology in the past two years.

9. Possible Side Effects by Augusten Burroughs

I have read all of Augusten Burroughs' books, save two, and of the lot of them, this is my favorite. After reading this book I began to search specifically for short stories.

10. I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley

Out of everything on this list, this is the most recent book of my choosing. I was in a rather dim place when I first came across it, and I am SO glad that I bought it and was able to indulge in the absolute hilarity that came neatly tucked inside, able to momentarily forget the world around me.

So, ta-da!