hi hi! no one has ever asked me this and giving book recs is literally one of my favorite things to do heheheeh I’m a huge reader and I don’t think you know the can of worms you’re opening, but here are some books that I really love and that I think of often:
1. the things they carried by tim o’brien
- a series of short, connected stories about a group of americans soldiers during the Vietnam war. It’s heartbreaking and hard to read, but it has a lot of really important things to say about agency, war, and colonization. I’ve read it twice academically and twice personally. Probably my favorite book.
2. the book thief by marcus zusak
- “I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right” I think about that quote a lot.
3. sula by toni morrison
- toni morrison is the greatest author to ever live!!! and I believe that!!! stunning
4. six of crows by leigh bardugo
- shifting gears to some ya fantasy … I just think this is the best … perfect found family, perfect heist, perfect characters
5. the vanishing half by britt bennett
- I don’t even want to say anything about it … it’s just gorgeous … read it blind
6. the witchlands series by susan dennard
- THIS!!! is perfect fantasy … it’s literally so good I can’t even explain how good it is. the last book comes out next november and I’m literally on the edge of my seat
7. malibu rising by taylor jenkins reid
- I love all of her books but this is my favorite one! I devoured it
8. anything by emily henry
- she is the queen of contemporary het romance … no one is doing it like her … I giggle and kick my feet every time
9. anything by erin a craig
- HER ATMOSPHERE!! no one in young adult is writing atmosphere like erin … she has a new book coming out next week and I can’t wait
10. mistborn by brandon sanderson
- the best fantasy series ever written
11. the grace year by kim liggett
- lord of the flies meets the handmaids tale … excellent
12. the stolen heir by holly black
- this is the beginning of a sequel series to the cruel prince, and I personally like it more! I’m a huge sucker for dark atmospheres with morally ambiguous characters and she really sells it
13. a study in drowning by ava reid
- ava … ava ava ava … she is what I aspire to be … her writing style … immaculate … her characters … unbelievable … I just bought her retelling of macbeth and I’m salivating thinking of reading it
14. walk the blue fields by claire keegan
- stunning short story collection. I read it a few months ago and I’m still thinking about it … another author whose writing style is what I aspire to
15. percy jackson by rick riordan
- pjo and hoo are so formative to my growing up lmao it just makes my heart sing
16. the furyborn trilogy by claire legrand
- the BEST morally ambiguous protagonist i’ve ever read
17. anything by john krakauer
- if you’re looking for good nonfiction … this is the place. I particularly like under the banner of heaven and into thin air
18. strange the dreamer by laini taylor
- so bizarre and odd and STRANGE but I love it. i’ve never read anything else like it
19. sabrina and corina by kali fajardo-anstine
- another perfect short story collection … beautiful
20. the road by cormac mccarthy
- this is the saddest thing I have ever experienced but I adore it. I remember violently sobbing

this is probably so much more than what you were asking for ahsjjsks but I LOVE TO READ … i’ve been in a reading slump recently bcs i’ve been writing and watching cold case lmao but I hope I can focus on something again soon 😔