I recently saw a blog post with a list of favorite things A to Z and I thought I should do that with books! Some of the decisions were really hard and some letters only had one book!
A |
 |
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman I love this whole series and The Subtle Knife might be my favorite of the trilogy but I generally like endings. Plus this one starts with A. |
B |
 |
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson This is my favorite book from my childhood. I’ve read it many, many times and I still get emotional at the end. |
C |
 |
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo I had a tough time picking a C book. There were several options that were equally good but not great. Not that Crooked Kingdom isn’t good, it is a great read. |
D |
 |
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown Yep, I read this at the height of the hype but I still thought it was original and intriguing. Still the best Robert Langdon book. |
E |
 |
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde Interestingly enough, even though this is the first book in the Thursday Next series, I didn’t read it first. But, Jasper Fforde is one of my favorite authors due to his obvious love of literature and the absurdity of his worlds. |
F |
 |
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell Super cute, nerdy novel |
G |
 |
The Giver by Lois Lowry Another book from when I was younger. I think this was my first dystopian novel. |
H |
 |
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling This is my favorite of the Harry Potter books so it was an easy choice. I will always ♥ Sirius Black. |
I |
 |
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins Another finale in a trilogy. I really enjoy all three of the books in this series. They make me happy. |
J |
 |
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan Amy Tan has a beauty to her writing in general but I feel that this is her masterpiece. The different mother/daughter stories are woven together effortlessly. |
K |
 |
Kissed a Sad Goodbye by Deborah Crombie I enjoy a good mystery and Deborah Crombie writes just that. If you read this blog, you are probably sick of my extolling her character development. |
L |
 |
The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book Five) by Rick Riordan I love the Percy Jackson series and this was the one that just happens to show up in this list. Truthfully, I could have selected any of them. |
M |
 |
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie This one was also a bit of a no-brainer. It’s a classic and set me off on an epic two summer journey to read every single Hercule Poirot novel. |
N |
 |
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern I’m not usually a huge fan of magical realism because it tends to confuse me, but I truly enjoyed this one, even when I didn’t know what was going on. |
O |
 |
Old Friends and New Fancies by Sybil G. Brinton This is the first “sequel” to Jane Austen’s novels that was published. It’s basically a fanfiction where Austen’s main characters meet each other. Kryptonite for an Austenite like me. |
P |
 |
Persuasion by Jane Austen Some might be surprised that this beats out Pride and Prejudice but it’s my favorite Austen. |
Q |
 |
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Talking by Susan Cain This book kinda changed my life. I finally felt like I had permission to be an introvert and that it was a strength rather than a flaw that I had to work on. |
R |
 |
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams “A large dairy animal approached Zaphod Beelbebrox’s table, a large fat meaty quadruped of the bovine type with large watery eyes… ‘I am the main Dish of the Day. May I interest you in parts of my body?'” Need I say more? |
S |
 |
Stardust by Neil Gaiman Rousing fantasy adventure by a truly excellent writer. |
T |
 |
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Classic. So much so that I refuse to read Go Set a Watchman just in case it ruins this book for me. |
U |
 |
The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson Not many U books to choose from but I like Morgan Matson very much. |
V |
 |
The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg V turned out to be a really difficult decision. It was a three-way tie between this, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle. But The View from Saturday won out in the end because I always related to the characters and appreciated that intelligence and being different were celebrated. |
W |
 |
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein This was really my first exposure to poetry and will always have a nostalgic place in my heart. |
X |
 |
X-Wing Rogue Squadron by Michael A. Stackpole This was the only X book but still a great choice. I love Star Wars and I wish Rogue Squadron was still canon. |
Y |
 |
You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day Felicia Day is really awesome and I appreciate the reminder that it’s okay to be weird. |
Z |
 |
Zia by Scott O’Dell Again, the only Z book that I’ve read. This is the sequel to Island of the Blue Dolphins (which I would choose over this book, but it doesn’t start with Z!) |
If you are like me and always have your Twitter feed open, here are some great authors to follow. (in no particular order)
In honor of the first day of summer, enjoy a list of some great beach reads!
Novel Escapism 