My Most Meaningful Reads

To name ten of my most meaningful reading experiences is quite a difficult task for me because I'm pretty much a book freak. However, I will give my best attempt. This is in no particular order:

1. The Curious Case of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. The main character of this book, Christopher Swindon, really struck me as an extremely interesting character. I could not put this book down; in fact, I even read it while running on the treadmill at the gym, and that says a lot. A great read.

2. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. I really enjoyed this book. Well, maybe 'enjoyed' is not the right word because this book was very difficult to read. I stayed up until four in the morning one summer night just to finish this thing because it was that enthralling of a story. It is about two Afghan women and their struggles--and there are lots of struggles. Dr. Hosseini, you made me cry like a child; I thank you for that because it was an incredible book.

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I know I am not alone when I say that this book truly moved me. Perks is a really famous book, and millions of copies of it have sold. Still, I can say that I feel a very personal and individual connection to this book and its protagonist, the very endearing Charlie.

4. The Pleasures of the Damned by Charles Bukowski. Now this book is a book of poetry by 'the laureate of American lowlife', Bukowski himself. I tracked it down at the famous bookstore Powell's in Portland, Oregon. Some people may cringe while reading this book because of its vulgar language and total disregard for traditional forms of poetry, but I just grin. This book is mischievous and wickedly funny, but it is also jam-packed with heavy emotion and real meaning. What can I say; Bukowski is one of my favorites.

5. Any Harry Potter book, by J.K. Rowling I am part of the generation that loves Harry Potter. I grew up with the books and these movies, and re-reading these books makes me so nostalgic and happy. I remember waiting impatiently for each book to come out, fighting with my older brother about who got to read it first... Good times.

6. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Man, there's just something about Holden... This book sits on my shelf, worn and dog-eared. I just love it. I am jealous of Salinger's ability to create such a powerful book.

7. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I'm not yet finished with this book, but I am just itching to finish up this post, curl up, and read read read this book. It is so moving and touching already, and I haven't even gotten to the best part--the end! Hassan's character and his tragedy makes my heart hurt.

8. All But My Life by Gerda Weissman Klein. This is the memoir of a Holocaust survivor. I've read this book at least three times in my life so far, and I will be reading it again soon enough for my Holocaust Studies class. It is just so well-written and so riveting and so true. I will never forget Gerda's story.

9. Any Calvin & Hobbes comic book, by Bill Watterson. I read these comics as a very, very young child and loved them, even though I didn't understand the sarcasm or philosophical ideas present. I loved them because of the vivid drawings. As I grew older, and re-read all of these comics, I realized  just how profound these comics really are and loved them even more. And, of course, they are hilarious.

10. Bird by Bird; Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. This book was funny, entertaining, insightful, and informative. I liked it because I would like to be a writer of some sort one day in the future, so it helped me out.

This is my list of important books so far in life! As I grow older and wiser and more well-read, I'm sure it will change!