I decided to do this meme because it showcase my first love: books. :3 I took this from Stardance.
The Game:
If you could recommend ten books (or series) you loved as a kid or teen to a friend, what would they be and why? Make a list of ten. We could all easily make a list of 100, but that wouldn’t be any fun, because then you couldn’t invite others to do it too.
The Rules:
1. You must list why you think friends should read them.
2. You cannot list your own books, but you can list a friend’s. WTF? This makes no sense. Does it mean I cannot list books I own or books I’ve written?! If it’s the former, then wha–? I don’t have that many friends who likes to read! And most of my friends who likes to read are in another country — meaning I have no access to their bookcases. BAH.
3. You can list them in comments or provide the link to your page in comments if you prefer.
4. You cannot list a book that I listed or that another responder already listed.
5. There’s no point in including Harry Potter, because I don’t think there’s anyone left that hasn’t read them.
6. They must be books you read and enjoyed as a kid or teenager. YA books you read as an adult don’t count.
1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. This book was what started it all. My third grade teacher read it to us, and it was just so intriguing that I read it on my own. That’s when I discovered my love for books. With this book, with Roald Dahl’s dark humour, his way with words, and his interesting plot lines, I love everything about it! The films do not do this book a justice. The book is so much better.
2. The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank. I remember seeing this book in third grade, and I wanted to read it. However, it wasn’t until two years later that I finally got off my lazy arse and read it. The book started another fascination. The Holocaust became a subject that I grew to study and read about. And even until today, I consider Anne Frank one of my idols; I mean the way she wrote her entries . . . she could not have been thirteen to fifteen. X_X;; Just amazing.
3. Anne Frank Remembered by Allison Gold. My appreciation for Anne Frank widened when I read this book a couple years after it. This tells the story of one of the helpers: Miep Gies. This book gives extra back story of the whole hiding incident. It’s weird. I admit that I am usually not a big fan of non-fiction books, but this and the previous books are an exception.
4. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. This book confused me greatly when I was a fourth grader since I didn’t understand the entire Resistance thing. However, that didn’t stop me from enjoying a book that focused on a Danish girl who helps her Jewish friend out during World War II. The friendship and loyalty portrayed in this book was beautiful. If I remember correctly, the book is entirely fictional, but the way it was written . . . you can see just how it could be a real historical story.
5. Animorphs by K.A. Applegate. Oh man. I was a huge fan of this series. The only book series that I actually wanted to finish collecting as an adult. It’s weird since science-fiction and I do not get along well, but this book series just won me over. Who can resist a morphing race of alien, a worm-like parasitic alien race wanted to conquer the galaxy, which includes the invasion of Earth, of course, one very stupid leader of the said parasitic race, and on and on and on! Oh and have a handful of teenagers trying to save the world. XD This is like some premise for an anime series . . . with all those teenagers saving the world. It’s odd how when a friend introduced it to me, I was turned off by the way the Andalites (imagine a blue centaur-like creature, with four eyes — two of which are on stalks that turn 360 degrees, no mouth — that makes them telepathic, and a very strong tail with a scythe at the end of it) looked on the cover of The Andalites Chronicles, but my friend convinced me that they were good and all. Then I started to read it myself, and bam. I was hooked for life.
6. The Giver by Lois Lowry. Talk about utopian society gone wrong. I read this in my tenth grade English class, and it shattered my views on life. Well. Not necessarily shattered, but it made me realise a lot of things. Utopian society, like the one portrayed in this novel, do not effing work. Jonas, the main character of the book, gets chosen to be the new apprentice of some sorts to the man known as the Giver. The Giver opens up Jonas’ mind, shows him the beauty of life that his society robbed from him and everyone else (we’re talking extreme here — they even took away colour!). This is one mind-opening book. YA books like this should be missed. Too bad I didn’t enjoy the two sequels (sort of) for this book.
7. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Like Stardance said, this meme qualification is a bit iffy — I mean does it have to be YA books? Because I do not see this book as a YA book at all, but I read it in my senior year of high school, and Vonnegut’s black humour is a goldmine for me. Talk about one weird book where different genre mixes in here. It’s like a war, sci-fi, autobiography, comedy, drama, and a nonsensical book! It’s really bizarre, but it’s awesome. I remember reading it in class, and I was the only one laughing. I guess my sense of humour was just that awful back then! XD Oh well. SO IT GOES.
8. The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin. SUE ME. I was a girl, and these were easily accessible in the libraries and whatnot. This along with the Sweet Valley books were . . . well few of the more feminine books I can claim to have read along with all those YA romance novels. X_X;;
9. Sideways Stories of Wayside School by Louis Sachar. This book is the weirdest book ever after Slaughterhouse-Five when I think about it. It’s so nonsensical that it makes no sense, but in the end it does come together! I enjoyed reading this — I think my dad brought it home one day thinking I’d like it, and I did! So much that I read its two sequels . . . and am wanting more of that quirky school world! The different characters in the series just cracks me up.
10. Scary Stories by Alvin Schwartz. I really liked these as a kid. Collections of scary stories are always fun! Too bad I don’t have these any more. *cries* X_X;; I still remember the hairless Mexican dog story and the “pimple turned spider” story. *shudders* Some were more disgusting than scary. X_X;; I still enjoyed reading them, though!
I actually got stuck choosing the last couple! Therefore, I visited this link again to see the banned (or challenged) books list. I couldn’t remember what I read back then suddenly. My memory suckors! It’s either that or I read too many books. Speaking of the banned books, I think half of the books I read in my lifetime are usually found on those lists! Huzzah for defying strict conservative society!
Anyway! Do this meme! I love seeing opinions on books, and what I may have missed out!
