Ten Most Influential/Inspiring/Important Books That I Have Read

My wonderful friend Camilla tagged me in a post where she listed her top ten books and asking me to do the same. I told her I wanted to do it, but that I needed to think about it. After thinking about it for a month, I still am feeling like I'm forgetting some things, and that bothers me, but here is my list as I can think of it now:

1. Harry Potter series- I'm pretty sure about 90% of people who know me know that I love Harry Potter. My friend Camille asked me one time why I love them so much, and I had a really hard time explaining it. But I think I had a hard time explaining it because it has a lot to do with emotions, which are never easy to put into words. I feel like lovely miss Rowling has a lovely way of writing. I feel like when I read the Harry Potter books, I was able to feel so immersed in the world, and I was able to connect so much with the characters. Sure, the books are directed toward children, but they are books that I can go back to again and again. I feel like they have so many relatable situations. I love how there is humor and sadness and anger and difficulty and happiness and hope, just like life. 
2. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls- I don't remember how old I was when I read this book. I think it was somewhere around the 4th grade though. And I remember sobbing like a baby. I think it was the first time I'd ever cried like that because of a book. I loved realizing the power of books.
3. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson- Yes, a self-help book. Ok, here's the thing. I feel like every year for Christmas, I'd ask for books, and every year for Christmas, my parents would get me self-help or church-related books, even though my parents knew I loved fiction. I don't know if they even realized that they did this. However, my mom is a huge proponent of the library, so maybe that is one reason for their gift-giving decisions. But anyway, one year my parents gave me this book, and honestly, this book has had a huge influence on my framework for thinking. A lot of the information is fairly common sense, but I really like the way the author puts it. 
4. Way to Be! and Standing for Something by Gordon B. Hinckley- I think my friends maybe said church books were against the rules because obviously they are inspirational and influential, so that's why I combined these, to maybe be less cheaterish. But anyway, these books both really taught me the values of kindness and hope and education. I love them. 
5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss- My siblings and I read this together every Christmas Eve. I really love Christmas, and this is just such a classic Christmas-type story. 
6. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee- How un-unique of me to love this book. I don't even feel like I love this as much as others, so I feel unfair claiming this on my list, but I do feel like this book opened my eyes to things I hadn't thought about before. 
7. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson- My love of this is much like my love of Harry Potter and Where the Red Fern Grows, but I think this was one of the first books that taught me how fragile life is and that taught me how important friendships can be. 
8. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitgerald- So, I read this in high school, and I enjoyed it, but I reread this book last year, and I realized that I didn't understand half of that book back then. But when I read it this last year, I realized that it is beautifully written. I wish I could write beautifully like Fitzgerald. 
9. Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare- I always have heard people in life saying they don't understand Shakespeare, and I'll be honest, I don't really understand them. I mean, sure, early modern English is different than modern English, but learn a little vocabulary and etymology and spend a little time reading to get to know it, and the works of Shakespeare are so interesting and clever and not all that hard to understand. Study a little extra too and you'll get even more meaning out of it. That's one thing I love about Shakespeare, the layers of meaning. And Much Ado About Nothing holds a special place in my heart. We did the play in 6th grade. I played Hero, the female character with the second most lines and who the story basically revolves around. I'm not going to lie, but I was pretty proud of myself. It was proobably hilarious. I was probably a cocky little 6th grader pretending to be this fantastic actress. But the play introduced me to Shakespeare plays and sonnets, so, it's pretty great that we did the play. 
10. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli- So, this is a children's book, but I only read it a year or two ago. A really close friend of mine told me that I reminded her of Stargirl. My confused stare surprised her, and she told me that I must read Stargirl. She let me borrow it, and I loved the sweet story. Also, I discovered what a compliment it was for my friend to say I'm like Stargirl. I hope I'm at least half as caring and kind as Stargirl. So, now sometimes I look to Stargirl for inspiration! 

Runners-up- These are other books that I have LOVED in my life and/or have really impacted how I view things

• The Egypt Game
• Oedipus Rex (I know everyone hates this story because it's kind of messed up, but it's sort of a beautiful tragedy when you think about it.)
• Chronicles of Narnia
• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
• Daphne's Book or another book by Mary Downing Hahn
• The Alliance
• The Farthest Away Mountain
• The Importance of Being Earnest 
• The Work and the Glory series
• The Jewel Book series (not necessarily classy books, but they helped solidify a friendship that made middle school so much better than it would have otherwise been)

I feel like there are 20 others that I have simply forgotten. I feel like all books, even the silly ones influence my life. Yes there are some that are more influential, but I feel like they all help me see other ways of life, and I love that. I love reading. I should make more time for it.