1.) Horton Hears a Who -- Dr. Seuss; 1954
One of the first books I remember reading outright. If you don't think that's cool, then please exit the premises.
2.) Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (and its saga) -- Mildred D. Taylor; 1976
I had to read this when my fifth grade teacher assigned a wonderful (it was pretty wonderful in retrospect) Newbery Honor/Winner book project of my choosing. To be blunt, I picked it because it was black (I was in my Afro-centric stages back then). I read it in haste and within a few...weeks I'll say, I fell in love with this book and its characters. Cassie, her brothers, her parents, T.J., her land, everything. I admit that it is one of those books that elementary teachers try to stuff down the throats of their unwilling students, and if I had read it in that way, I probably would not have such a great opinion of this book. But I digress. If you haven't read this, read it . It's not too long. And if you really like it...there's a saga to go along with it! Yay!
3.) The Hunger Games (and its trilogy) -- Suzanne Collins; 2008
I know that you're probably just about tired of hearing about these books (just as I was hearing about Twilight and Harry Potter and stuff like that for years). I had to put this on here, though. This is mostly because this book changed my life. Wait, wait, hold on. Before you exit out of this (because only melodramatics say things like the above) hear me out. When I say that, I mean my literary life (which is basically the same thing). I know that the Hunger Games is not the first dystopia, post-Armageddon novel ever written (I mean, there's 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, etc.) but after I read this, I was exposed to a whole new genre. About twenty five percent of my Goodreads library, now, is made up of said genre. That's crazy. And I owe that to, at least in part, to the Hunger Games.
And how can one not adore Peeta? It's PEETA.
4.) A Catcher in the Rye -- J.D. Salinger; 1951
Yes, I went there.
At this point, if you don't adore a little emo, angsty literature like me, that you exit out. But again, I beg you to hold on a sec. Kay?
I read this the summer before I entered high school. At that time, I was in what I like to call 'deracialliteraturation'. What this means is that I finally got over my whole phase of only reading books about or with Black characters (as I said before, Afro-centric stage). Anyway, I started off with books like The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton), Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck) and 1984 (George Orwell). However, when I read this....my mind was blown.
Blown.
This is seriously the funniest novel I've ever read. Which is saying a lot because more than once my sister looks like she wants to have me committed for laughing at a numerous number of books.
But seriously. Holden is one funny dude.
I don't think it's really suppose to be funny and I know a lot of people get pissed off at Holden for being a stupid, angsty, moody white boy who doesn't have any real problems and thus is depressed for no reason.
But I think people are missing the point when they say things like that. It is true that my
Now, I can hardly go a while without questioning someone's genuineness to be replaced with something else....wait for it....PHONY.
5.) Looking for Alaska & The Fault in Our Stars -- John Green; 2006 & 2012 respectively
I had to out these two together because for the life of me I simply cannot distinguish between them. I so adore John Green. I am of the opinion that he is a modern day J.D. Salinger (except a little more kind hearted, comical and philosophical).
The characters in these books are, of course, some of the best I've read and Green can write some ROMANCE. I mean, for a man, he is fabulous. FABULOUS.
And if look up top, you'll probably see one of his quotes because he is just that awesome. Seriously.
6.) The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 -- Christopher Paul Curtis; 1995
This is one of those childhood books. Wonderful wonderful wonderful. And before I read Catcher in the Rye, it was the funniest thing I'd ever read. The characterization was beautiful and it didn't take itself too seriously. It was devastating but, as a kid's author, Curtis made sure that the subject matter wasn't too much for a 5th grader like me (that was when I first read it).
7.) The Autobiography of Malcolm X -- Malcolm X & Alex Haley; 1965
I love Malcolm X. This is the book that made that happen. If Catcher in the Rye is the funniest book I've ever read, then Malcolm X is definitely the most moving. Malcolm X may seem like a pretty imposing figure to some. And I understand that. But after reading this (and watching the equally amazing movie) it's so much clearly why such a figure should not have died when and how he did.
Sometimes I think that liking Malcolm X so much and his story is wrong of me because I am a self proclaimed pacifist. But he didn't advocate violence. He was simply so fed up with how things were going for him and his people that he was willing to do anything to get he freedom African Americans deserve. That is beautiful and I honestly do not care to hear any contrary view on the matter.
8.) The Skin I'm In -- Sharon G. Flake; 2000
There's nothing I love more than a book where a character learns to love themselves. The Skin I'm In encounters many of the problems that many black youth often struggle with in terms of their self esteem relating to their skin tone. As an African American, I am often witness to others as dark or darker than I who often subconsciously believe that if they were lighter, they would be prettier; if they were not so dark, they would be more beautiful. This mindset disgusts me and the character in this book is constantly dealt with blows by people with similar mindsets. When I read this as a 4th grader, this was like the deepest book I'd ever laid hands on. It really stuck a cord with me and I can pick it up and just read it to this very day.
9.) Divergent and Co. -- Veronica Roth; 2011
Wonderful dystopia trilogy. It almost rivals The Hunger Games but Katniss gets seniority so...
But I do so love how Roth reps Chicago.
10.) (Tie) Forgotten -- Cat Patrick; 2011 and Ready, Player One --Ernest Cline; 2011
Strange, right? Who would have thought? But this is seriously one of the best I've ever read. Action, romance, mystery. Yayayaayayayaay.
Now as for Ready Player One, that is the nerd manual incarnate so I had to put it on here for principle's sake. Really adorable, epic book.
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