Top Ten Tuesday: Thankful is an Understatement

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and it's a great way to share what you're loving in list form.  The topic changes every week, so there is always something new to discover!
This week's topic is:  Top Ten Books I'm Thankful For.  There are so many books that I'm thankful for.  Whether they helped to inspire my love of reading or they ushered my interests into a new genre, these books hold a special place in my heart.

Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn
The is the book that sparked my interest in horror/thrillers at a young age.  I was in third or fourth grade when I checked it out from the library at school and it was love at first read.  I've re-read it a few times over the years and it's still creepy.  Love it!

Historical fiction is my go-to genre and I believe this book is the main reason.  I've re-read it multiple times, even into my adult years, and it still holds up.  I've also bought several copies of Confessions because I lend it out and never get it back.  Sigh... 

Harry Potter by JK Rowling
At first I refused to cave in to the HP hype.  The first three books came out while I was in high school and I felt like the series was beneath me.  One fateful camping trip quickly put me in my place and HP is my all-time favorite series.  To say that visiting Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross and Hogsmeade at Universal were momentous occasions in my life doesn't even scratch the surface.  HP also paved the way for other YA books to enter my reading repertoire.
 
Night by Eli Weisel
This book.  Man, this book broke me.  Though required reading in high school, I became completely enamored with WWII and the Holocaust.  Perhaps enamored is the wrong word...definitely the wrong word.  Regardless, this book set the trajectory for my reading and educational goals throughout the next ten years.

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Recommended by my language arts teacher in 8th grade, Mitchell's novel completely influenced my middle/high school reading choices.  I read everything about the Antebellum South and the Civil War.  It also sparked my interest in long novels...hello Anna Karenina!

Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
Mann's ode to a dying city (and man) is a beautifully written novella that completely captures the decay of one of Europe's beautiful treasures, the decay of age, and the decay of an era.  It's morally repugnant and disturbing in so many ways, but it is a testament to Mann's writing chops that this book is so revered. 

Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Pi is a polarizing book in many ways.  It often garners a complete love-hate relationship with readers.  Clearly I'm on the love end of the spectrum.  While I admit that the beginning of the book is a little sluggish to get through, the majority of it is so beautiful.  My only complaint is that I can never again read this book without knowing how it ends.  Gah!

The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino
Calvino introduced me to magical realism and transitory literature which lead me to Marquez and Sebald and all the glory that they impart into their work.  I've since read everything written by Calvino and it's all brilliant.  Thought-provoking and luminescent! 
 
Poems of Paul Celan by Paul Celan
When I was first introduced to Celan's poetry it was like a punch in the gut.  His work is brutal, heartbreaking, and absolutely stunning.  Lauded as the Holocaust poet, Celan's work introduced me to survivor literature in a way that Weisel's Night didn't.  In fact, his writing was so influential that I wrote my master's thesis on his work.  A lifetime of love.

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Disgusting, disturbing, and delightful.  Kafka is brilliant.  All of his work forces the reader to think in a way that not many writers are able to accomplish.  You have to question your own morality.  That's good writing.

I just love books and what they do for people.  Books and writers make the world a better place.  They force readers to think critically; to question their personal compass; to have empathy for humanity; to be better; to do better.  So, what are some of the books that you're most thankful for?

Also, look for next week's Top Ten:  Books On My Winter TBR

Happy reading :)        


 

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